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More Thoughts on Science and Fiction

Is the phrase “Christian sci-fi” really an oxymoron? · Yvonne Anderson

No Pressure

Writers live on the edge of expectation. Unpublished authors live with the expectation of editors for crisp writing, fresh stories, yet ones that aren’t so far “out there” that readers will not want to go on the reading journey with them. The expectation is that writers will find that razor thin balance between the comfortably familiar and the inventively original. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Speculative Faith Movie Missions: Intro

Christians defend movies because they’re entertaining, morally edifying, or even evangelistic. Yet we have greater reasons to enjoy visual stories. · E. Stephen Burnett

Iconoclasm, Part 2

“Calvinist“ Christians: don’t waste your images, and the fantastic imagination of Scripture we often ignore in favor of words and doctrine. · Brian Godawa

Iconoclasm, Part 1

The Bible is full of fantastic imagery; how did the Reformation honor this? · Brian Godawa

Three Scriptural Cautions Against Self-Publishing

Self-publication could distract from God and chief ends, bypass the Church Body working together, and sacrifice team-built excellence. · E. Stephen Burnett

The Forgotten Reader 3: Sharing The Joy

Many blogs advise how to pitch projects to editors. But how would you pitch fantasy itself to *readers* — parents, Lewis/Tolkien-or-bust fans, or church friends? · E. Stephen Burnett

Resurrection, Part 4: Creation Will Rise

Jesus resurrected from the dead. Yet God’s Story also says resurrection will spread to “the creation itself,” Earth and beyond. · E. Stephen Burnett

Idolatry And Reading-Fandom

Religion scholar David Chidester has famously argued that baseball, Coca-Cola, rock ‘n’ roll, Tupperware—and even the Human Genome Project—serve, for their biggest fans, as “religious fakes,” meaning they play the role of religion, though they aren’t the real thing. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Dust You Are

One of the things I’ve gotten used to, being a Lutheran in an industry filled with . . . well, mostly not-Lutherans, is that there are times when I’ll reference a belief or practice of my denomination, only to have […] · John Otte

Incarnation, Part 2: Hero In The Flesh

Some stories rebel against God’s order of salvation; yet others do echo or even celebrate the Hero’s incarnation. Why does incarnation truth captivate us, and how does it inspire real and imaginative worlds? · E. Stephen Burnett

‘A Willingness To Be Enchanted’

More people are saying self-distraction and materialism don’t bring real happiness. That’s true, but moralistic rules cannot fix this idolatry; only a willingness to submit to Christ, and submit to Godly enchantment. · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 12: Desiring God As Fantasy Fans

As we come to the end(?) of this series, I’m curious: How is your God-glorifying, worshipful, speculative-story “singing” voice? What fantastic fiction have you read, seen, or heard that moved you to worship the Author? · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 9: Spectrum Of Glories

All this talk of God’s glory, and enjoying fantastic stories for His glory. Yet what is His glory? How do we often imagine it as shades of white when it’s really a dazzling rainbow? · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 7: More Than A Story

Do you suspect that claiming a story must have higher “purpose” somehow cheapens its quality? Or do you agree this actually makes stories more truthful and beautiful? · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 6: Curing Weirdness-Idolatry

How can we fight inclinations to idolize “being weird” for its own sake? We must see fantasy “weirdness” as normal in the Bible (and even in our culture), ask God to help us reach out to critics, and remember why we love fantastic stories. · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 5: Identifying Weirdness-Idolatry

Brothers and sisters: loving speculative stories is not about you. Or us. Or the genre. Or, especially, Being Weird. That’s especially vital to recall after last weekend’s controversy over cosplay at the ACFW awards banquet. · E. Stephen Burnett

‘The Hobbit’ Story Group 1: An Unexpected Party

One great way to explore “The Hobbit” is by reading it yourself. Yet if reading stories is worship, we should also read and discuss this classic together. · E. Stephen Burnett

Reading Is Worship 4: Craft-Idolatry

Before discussing industry changes, editors, and manuscript proposals, we must love God’s Story and great stories more than their craft. Otherwise we may be vulnerable to other story-related idolatries. · E. Stephen Burnett
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