Amy's question this week:One of area of Christian fiction that is thriving is Biblical Fiction. Biblical fiction, in case you don't know, is when an author takes a story from the Bible and imagines more of the details. Tosca Lee's Havah would be a recent example of Biblical fiction.What I want to know today is how you feel about Biblical fiction. Have you ever read any Biblical fiction? Did you enjoy it? Do you think Biblical fiction helps us to understand people who lived during Biblical times better or do you think that it's unnecessary? Have you ever read any Biblical fiction that offended you?
I have read some biblical fiction. Some books I've reviewed on my blog include Christ the Lord the Road to Cana and Christ the Lord Out of Egypt. both by Anne Rice and Francine River's Unashamed. Stones (about King David) is in my TBR stack. Like many of the rest of you, I have read The Red Tent. I do think it helps flesh out the people in the Bible. One form of prayer about which I've read on my occasions is to imagine a scene from the Bible (usually the Gospel) and to make yourself either one of the characters or a bystander, and then live the scene in your mind, talking to Jesus about it. I have trouble with that--I'm a word person, not a picture person, I don't think in pictures and I don't imagine much. These books do it for me, and they do help me to better understand Biblical times and people.
As far as Biblical fiction offending me, well, let's just say I have a thick skin and consider the source when I read. I have chosen not to read Francine Rivers' book about Mary because it is my understanding that she doesn't maintain the perpetual virginity of Mary. I know Rivers is a Protestant who doesn't believe in Mary's perpetual virginity, but as a Catholic I do, so I just don't read it. It does annoy/amuse me a little when writer of Christian fiction (and I can't think of a particular instance at this moment, but I have read it) portray the Early Church in a manner closer to today's independent fundamentalist Protestant churches than the united, liturgical, hierarchical, sacramental churches that Early Church writings show them to have been.
Stop by Amy's blog and see what other folks have to say!
Thank you for your post. I listed a bunch of titles that you could trust. Come see. Here's my response: http://bookcritiques.blogspot.com/2009/02/faith-n-fiction-saturday-biblical.html
ReplyDeleteGood post and comments on this subject. I think Christians are often too "thin-skinned" with their faith. If a book is clearly a novel, not purported by the author to be some new gospel, what's the harm in taking some creative liberties? Doesn't offend me, it's just a story, for pete's sake.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, appreciated your post. Mine is up at Free Spirit-
http://tinyurl.com/ct6thv
Great post! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI've read Redeeming Love so will have to check out unashamed. I will also be looking into the anne rice books - they sound interesting. Thanks.
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