Biblical speculative fiction
Encyclopedia
Biblical speculative fiction is speculative fiction
that uses Christian
themes and incorporates the Christian worldview. (It is thus distinct from speculations on the Bible and/or Christianity such as Dan Brown
's The Da Vinci Code
.) The difference between biblical speculative fiction and general Christian speculative fiction is that the Christian nature of the story is overt. This represents the tension in the Christian fiction
community between those who prefer stories that reflect a Christian worldview without explicitly Christian references (such as The Lord of the Rings
), and those who prefer the more overt Christian material usually found in the works of G. K. Chesterton
and C.S. Lewis. Current examples of these views may be found in the explanatory page of Ray Gun Revival , a magazine that takes the non-explicit route, and the homepage blurb of the Lost Genre Guild , a group dedicated to explicitly Christian speculative fiction.
tendencies, not those of the world in general.
The first phase is a science-adventure story where the characters are generally devout Christians. They act on guidance from God, but no overt or miraculous divine intervention occurs. Like many other early Evangelical novels, there is almost always a non-Christian character who eventually becomes born again as a result of a formulaic process for getting saved. The emphasis is biblical and doctrinal. Theoretically, one could strip out the Christian content and simply get a moral, ethical science-fiction story, though some characters' motivations would be affected. A good example of this phase is Bernard Palmer
's Jim Dunlap series from the late sixties, which was almost a Christian answer to Tom Swift, Jr.
: Dr. Brockton, a godly former missionary, becomes a brilliant scientist, winning his young associates (including Jim Dunlap) to Christ as he produces various high-tech marvels, such as the wingless plane and a space station.
The second phase can almost be summed up in a single name: Frank Peretti. These stories still have a biblical and doctrinal emphasis, but they also feature miraculous intervention. Unlike the first type mentioned above, they are inherently Christian and would implode if the Christian content were removed. The salvation formula is not rigidly followed: a character's salvation experience is often more of a process than a formula-based event.
The importance of Peretti is likely that he showed other writers what was possible: This Present Darkness
unapologetically featured demon
s, angel
s, and a non-human perspective on spiritual warfare. Much modern biblical speculative fiction derives from Peretti's approach or at least responds to it.
On the other hand, writers outside the American Evangelical community have produced some "modern" works for decades. G. K. Chesterton's
The Ball and the Cross, for example, has a science-fictional opening as critical of evolution
as anything written today, provides a salvation without the usual "sinner's prayer", and toward the end features a miraculous divine intervention Peretti could have written. Likewise, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia
are non-formulaic in their approach to salvation and overtly miraculous in content. The same is true of Lewis' Space Trilogy
.
In addition to MLP and other publishers, there are several Internet only venues referred as e-zines or web-zines. These include Mind Flights, Residential Aliens, and The Cross and the Cosmos just to name a few. These venues offer free CSF for the masses and enable the propagation of the genre. They include a variety of downloadable content, stories, and poetry.
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
that uses Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
themes and incorporates the Christian worldview. (It is thus distinct from speculations on the Bible and/or Christianity such as Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
's The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
.) The difference between biblical speculative fiction and general Christian speculative fiction is that the Christian nature of the story is overt. This represents the tension in the Christian fiction
Christian literature
Christian Literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian world view. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.-Scripture:...
community between those who prefer stories that reflect a Christian worldview without explicitly Christian references (such as The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
), and those who prefer the more overt Christian material usually found in the works of G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
and C.S. Lewis. Current examples of these views may be found in the explanatory page of Ray Gun Revival , a magazine that takes the non-explicit route, and the homepage blurb of the Lost Genre Guild , a group dedicated to explicitly Christian speculative fiction.
Development
Modern biblical speculative fiction may be divided into two phases, though to some extent this reflects American EvangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
tendencies, not those of the world in general.
The first phase is a science-adventure story where the characters are generally devout Christians. They act on guidance from God, but no overt or miraculous divine intervention occurs. Like many other early Evangelical novels, there is almost always a non-Christian character who eventually becomes born again as a result of a formulaic process for getting saved. The emphasis is biblical and doctrinal. Theoretically, one could strip out the Christian content and simply get a moral, ethical science-fiction story, though some characters' motivations would be affected. A good example of this phase is Bernard Palmer
Bernard Palmer
Bernard Alvin Palmer was the originator and author of over 165 books for Christian youth, as well as several books for adults. He created series such as the Danny Orlis series, Felicia Cartright series, and the Pioneer Girls series which he co-authored with his wife Marjorie...
's Jim Dunlap series from the late sixties, which was almost a Christian answer to Tom Swift, Jr.
Tom Swift, Jr.
Tom Swift Jr. is the central character in a series of 33 adventure novels for male adolescents, following in the tradition of the earlier Tom Swift novels. The series was entitled The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures...
: Dr. Brockton, a godly former missionary, becomes a brilliant scientist, winning his young associates (including Jim Dunlap) to Christ as he produces various high-tech marvels, such as the wingless plane and a space station.
The second phase can almost be summed up in a single name: Frank Peretti. These stories still have a biblical and doctrinal emphasis, but they also feature miraculous intervention. Unlike the first type mentioned above, they are inherently Christian and would implode if the Christian content were removed. The salvation formula is not rigidly followed: a character's salvation experience is often more of a process than a formula-based event.
The importance of Peretti is likely that he showed other writers what was possible: This Present Darkness
This Present Darkness
This Present Darkness is a Christian novel by Frank E. Peretti. Published in 1986 by Crossway Books, This Present Darkness was Peretti's first published novel for adults and shows contemporary views on angels, demons, prayer, and spiritual warfare as demons and angels interact and struggle for...
unapologetically featured demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s, angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, and a non-human perspective on spiritual warfare. Much modern biblical speculative fiction derives from Peretti's approach or at least responds to it.
On the other hand, writers outside the American Evangelical community have produced some "modern" works for decades. G. K. Chesterton's
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
The Ball and the Cross, for example, has a science-fictional opening as critical of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
as anything written today, provides a salvation without the usual "sinner's prayer", and toward the end features a miraculous divine intervention Peretti could have written. Likewise, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
are non-formulaic in their approach to salvation and overtly miraculous in content. The same is true of Lewis' Space Trilogy
Space Trilogy
The Space Trilogy, Cosmic Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy is a trilogy of science fiction novels by C. S. Lewis, famous for his later series The Chronicles of Narnia. A philologist named Elwin Ransom is the hero of the first two novels and an important character in the third.The books in the trilogy...
.
Current Venues
In the last few years, many new venues have opened for the Biblical, or Christian, Speculative Fiction genre. Jeff Gerke's Marcher Lord Press is an excellent example of this. MLP is an independent publishing house for CSF and has made a name for itself within the Christian publishing industry. Using Print on Demand (POD) technology, MLP has managed to usher in a new era for CSF and publishing in general.In addition to MLP and other publishers, there are several Internet only venues referred as e-zines or web-zines. These include Mind Flights, Residential Aliens, and The Cross and the Cosmos just to name a few. These venues offer free CSF for the masses and enable the propagation of the genre. They include a variety of downloadable content, stories, and poetry.
The Future?
A different view of the sub-genre's development suggests that there is a trend toward increasing inclusion, just as evangelical Protestants in general seem to be opening up to other branches of Christianity. This view is based on stories from a recent anthology, Light at the Edge of Darkness, and on cooperation in the field in general, such as promotion of non-Protestant works by Protestant writers, and vice-versa.Further reading
- Dalton, Russell W. (2003). Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands: A Christian Dialogue With Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the Lord of the Rings. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers. 160 pages. ISBN 0-8066-4571-7
- May, Stephen (1998). Stardust and Ashes : Science Fiction in Christian Perspective. n.p.: Society for promoting Christian knowledge. 160 pages. ISBN 0-281-05104-6
- Palmer, Bernard (1968). Jim Dunlap and the Wingless Plane. Chicago: Moody Press. ISBN 0-8024-4302-8