Fantasy As A Vehicle For Truth – Sigmund Brouwer’s Broken Angel
I’ve been thinking about the topic of the Church to the point that I posted a number of articles over at A Christian Worldview of Fiction a few weeks ago. Then lo and behold, the last two Christian speculative novels I read have touched upon the subject.
In one, Sharon Hinck‘s third Sword of Lyric novel, The Restorer’s Journey, the church falls under false teaching because an errant leader distorts the records, actual audio editions of the Verses. This is a clear analogy of the Church falling away from the truth by believing a lie—one perpetuated by forging a “new” record that presented lies as if they were truth.
The other, Sigmund Brouwer’s Broken Angel, the CSFF Blog Tour’s August feature, does something remarkably similar. In this dystopian science fiction, the church ostensibly has withdrawn to a cloistered theocratic country within the United States. However, the iron-fisted rule of the autocratic Ben Elohim prohibits reading and outlaws owning a Bible. The result is error compounding error.
In some ways, the authoritative ruler in each of these novels is a type of the Antichrist, though I don’t believe either Hinck or Brouwer intended to make an end-times statement. Rather, the themes seem consistent with what passes itself off today as Christianity—religious observance without any basis other than the say-so of the leader. In both novels, the leadership became the keeper and the disseminator of truth.
And in today’s churches? Too many congregations no longer take a Bible to church. Too many churches display selected verses on a screen via Powerpoint in a “user friendly” translation. Too many auditoriums full of people listen to a mega-star preacher rip out segments of Scripture from their context and distort the meaning beyond recognition.
Both The Restorer’s Journey and Broken Angel are full of thought-provoking content, but I find them both equally relevant when it comes to the issue of the Church and the easy slide into false teaching. What a warning. What perfect examples of the way in which Christian speculative fiction can tell the whole truth about the world.
Be sure to take a look at what other bloggers participating in the August CSFF Blog Tour have to say about Broken Angel: Brandon Barr, Justin Boyer, Keanan Brand, Jackie Castle, Valerie Comer, Karri Compton, Courtney, CSFF Blog Tour, Stacey Dale, D. G. D. Davidson, Janey DeMeo, Jeff Draper, April Erwin, Karina Fabian, Mark Goodyear, Andrea Graham, Katie Hart, Timothy Hicks, Christopher Hopper, Joleen Howell, Jason Joyner, Carol Keen, Magma, Margaret, Shannon McNear, Melissa Meeks, Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nissa, John W. Otte, Steve Rice, Ashley Rutherford, Hanna Sandvig, Chawna Schroeder, Mirtika or Mir’s Here, Sean Slagle, James Somers, Donna Swanson, Steve Trower, Laura Williams, Timothy Wise
COMMENT: AUTHOR: Keanan Brand DATE: 8/26/2008 3:04:43 AM Your comments about today’s church: Amen, amen, amen.
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: XDPaul DATE: 8/26/2008 3:32:20 PM As a card-carrying member of one of those dreaded “powerpoint” churches, I must take some exception with the portrayal of at least some of your brethren! 🙂
I would argue that whether one brings the Bible to worship is irrelevant. What matters is if the congregation has the Bible, and uses it, commonly outside of worship.
I’ve seen plenty of churchgoers at “bible-in-the-hand” churches that flip through the passage during the sermon and then leave it in the car (Because of a lot of moves, I’ve been a member at a variety of churches: both powerpoint and Book-in-Hand. I love them all!) The Bible is for daily use. If you are doing that, any error in a sermon will stand out naturally.
Having said that, your point is very apt. I just think it applies more widely than to us poor little “powerpoint” churches. There are Christians throughout the denominations who have disregarded the immense importance the Lord places on conscience and study, Christians who are easily led by false teaching, in all its forms. A carried Bible is an excellent flyswatter, but an open one that is actually read and heeded is of far more value even outside of scheduled worship!
I do totally agree with you that the spirit of Anti-Christ is rich and important territory for fiction, regardless of whether the subject matter is the End of Days.
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rebecca LuElla Miller DATE: 8/26/2008 8:42:39 PM XDPaul, of course you’re right. I was using the Powerpoint more as a symbol for Christians who do not read their Bibles rather than as an indictment of the practice.
I grew up in a church where taking your Bible was the norm, opening it was occasional, and no expectation of using it during the week was put upon anyone.
My church now actually does put Scripture on the screen from time to time, but our pastor still waits for us to find the passage we’re studying in our own copy of Scripture, and he prepares study questions we can use during the week. Definitely he teaches that our spiritual walk needs more than a “Sunday fix.”
Would that such teaching was the norm!
Becky
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rebecca LuElla Miller DATE: 8/26/2008 8:44:21 PM Hey, Keanan, thanks for your enthusiastic support. Don’t know as I’ve ever gotten a triple “amen” before. 😉 Seriously, I appreciate your encouragement!
Becky
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: XDPaul DATE: 8/26/2008 10:09:36 PM Sorry, Becky! I meant to give you two and a half Amens with a twist at the end!
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karri DATE: 8/27/2008 1:36:39 PM Great post. I really enjoyed Broken Angel for various reasons.
And you’re right– it’s absolutely a travesty that people don’t take their bibles to church anymore. Even worse, they don’t read them or take them to work or memorize them, etc. However, I think you step over a line when you put down those churches that put verses up on the screen. My church does this, and it is a conservative, bible-believing church with the most humble pastor I’ve ever known.
I see your point, but please don’t lump us in with churches who are indeed watering down the word.
God bless,
Karri Compton
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: Rebecca LuElla Miller DATE: 8/27/2008 9:31:03 PM Hi, Karri,
Thanks for stopping by and giving your feedback. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, churches can err even if the members ALL have their Bibles. Conversely, if no one brought his Bible and the pastor put the Scripture on the screen, it doesn’t mean there will inevitably be error.
But the truth is, if a congregation relies on what’s on the screen, they cannot check Scripture to see if there has been a passage taken out of context, or a verse skipped, or a word substituted. In addition, the on-screen-only method gives the unspoken message that those in the congregation don’t have the responsibility of going to Scripture on their own. It can contribute to an entertainment orientation, where the congregation becomes merely the audience and Scripture one more part of the show.
To me these are the early steps of the vidpod Scriptures of Broken Angel‘s Appalachia. Thankfully that isn’t your experience, but I don’t believe that means there aren’t other churches moving in that direction.
Becky
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sigmund DATE: 8/28/2008 2:34:14 PM Becky,
I’m enjoying all your posts. You have been articulating many things I wish I could have said in the novel, but couldn’t because of story restrictions. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’m less concerned about being right in all these observations, and more concerned about having the current political/faith structure continue without some kind of examination to ensure it’s where it should be.
again, thanks,
Sigmund
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COMMENT: AUTHOR: XDPaul DATE: 8/28/2008 7:49:49 PM This must be quite a challenge for the devil:
He knows the best way to thwart scripture is to obscure it. Although he may know the scriptures backwards and forwards, the more the Word is allowed to be heard, the more likely its truths will emerge. However, the devil also knows that making the Word to be obviously forbidden will increase the chances that it is read (for wrong reasons, but again, with likely good results.)
So the devil has to figure out a way for the Word to seem unpalatable on the face of it. He must devise cults of understanding that almost unwittingly bias the potential reader without letting on that there is something of dangerous substance within its message.
Counterfeiting is a time-honored tradition in the quarters of the devil for this very reason.
What a fascinating premise.