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Beauty and Truth 2: The Criticism Of Story

We can say nothing is wrong with stories. But what if someone asks what’s right about them? Don’t Christians have a more important mission than enjoying or defending fiction? · E. Stephen Burnett

Rearranging Icons 6: Images Of Man

Just as Christ wants us, His “icons,” to exalt the Father and be one with Him as He and the Father are One, so we may want to “exalt” iconic characters who reflect us. Which iconic characters are your favorites, and why? · E. Stephen Burnett

Rearranging Icons 2: Defining The Debates

What are icons? How have Christians viewed them in Church history, speculative stories, and evangelical art? If you think you or your denomination doesn’t deal with icons, in fiction or in faith practice, think again — and join our conversation. · E. Stephen Burnett

Must Good Characters Be Likeable?

For a good story, must its central character be likeable, or only sympathetic? For Christian stories, that dilemma is more pronounced, because many authors focus on sympathetic non-Christians, rather than more-likeable Christian characters. · E. Stephen Burnett

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 5

In the New Earth, as here in the Old, we won’t worship things, but worship Christ *with* things. Those may include our speculative stories, maybe even resurrected from this world. Four more reasons why this speculation is based on Scriptural promises about the After-world. · E. Stephen Burnett

Beyond Story Battles 2: Anticipating The After-world

Great stories do more than help us fight shallowness and false “safety” in the Church and society. They point us to reflections of God’s truth and beauty, on this old Earth, and even more on the coming New Heavens and New Earth. · E. Stephen Burnett

Beyond Story Battles 1: Living For The Fight?

Christian visionary stories are not merely a means of fighting Christian novels with shallow themes, or without cusswords, violence, or dungeons and dragons. They are a means of worship, to praise and personally enjoy our Creator. · E. Stephen Burnett

An Open Letter To Truly ‘Courageous’ Storytellers

Christians should hate it when people base church services on entertainment. They should also dislike when people base entertainment on church services. · E. Stephen Burnett

Stories For Christians 1: The New ‘watchful Dragons’

C.S. Lewis wrote about “watchful dragons” on guard against religious trappings that seem incompatible with enjoyment. But many Christians today employ different Churchian Dragons, who tolerate fiction (if they do) mainly if it plays well on their own moralist pragmatic grounds. · E. Stephen Burnett

Why We Should Write Fiction For Christians, Part 2

Amidst the cries to emphasize only subtler Christian stories, let’s not forget that Christians also need to see themselves and their beliefs simulated as only fiction can, and that some in the Church are genuinely confused about stories and need novelists’ love. · E. Stephen Burnett

Why We Should Write Fiction For Christians, Part 1

Many voices encourage Christian novelists to aim for secular audiences, and that is surely a worthy calling. Yet less frequently do we urge storytellers to explore the Gospel more directly in fiction that is by Christians, for Christians. · E. Stephen Burnett

Hutchmoot: There and Back Again

Author Bruce Hennigan attended the new Hutchmoot last year, and interviews author A.S. Peterson about this year’s plans. “If you concentrate on telling the best story you can, you won’t be able to keep Christ out of it. He’ll show up.” · Bruce Hennigan

A Long and Glorious Tradition

If you think speculative stories are (or should) only be a “niche” market, I have a few names: Dante. Bunyan. Visionary fiction’s patron saints, Lewis and Tolkien. Oh, and Psalty the Singing Songbook. Also introducing: the SF Library! · E. Stephen Burnett

Critiquing Critics Of Christian Fiction, Part 2

We’ve all heard it, and often said it: “Christian novels are too preachy.” But what do we mean by that? Some critics say “preachy” only to mean “Christians speaking and acting as Christians naturally do,” and therefore can’t be pleased. · E. Stephen Burnett

$#@£₣! My Christian Fiction Doesn’t Say, Part 3

Two final arguments about Bad Words in Christian fiction: how does one balance “love your weaker brothers in Christ” versus “weaker brothers must become stronger,” and the fact that some self-claimed “weaker brothers” are not genuine? · E. Stephen Burnett

$#@£₣! My Christian Fiction Doesn’t Say, Part 2

Is a designated Bad Word always bad, even if it’s used in Fictitious Cussing? Some arguments, both against and for. Against: “Why do we need the cussing?” For: “Cussing helps show the evil in our world.” And what does Scripture say? · E. Stephen Burnett
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