C is for Christian Literature #AtoZChallenge

by Donna Huber

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm discussing different book genres/categories. Each day, I will give a few details about the genre/category and an example or two. I would love to know your thoughts on the genre/category and if you have any reading suggestions. Be sure to check out all of my A to Z posts.

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Christian nonfiction includes devotions, Christian history and biographies, and theological texts.

Christian fiction is defined by the incorporation of Christian theology, themes, or social norms in the plot. Christian fiction may or may not be evangelical in nature. The Christian novel can be found in most genres of literature including mystery, thriller, romance, and apocalyptic genres. It is one of the earliest genres of literature.

Early novelists include Dante Alighieri (Divine Comedy) and John Bunyan (Pilgrim's Progress). Notable authors of the 20th Century include J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) and C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia).

Examples of Christian Literature

As a teenager, I read a lot of Christian romance novels. Grace Livingston Hill was one of my favorite authors. I read some of Jeanette Oke's books, though my best friend read more by her. I've also sampled Karen Kingsbury. I think the last Christian romantic suspense series I read as an adult was Dee Henderson's O'Malley series

Then I got into thrillers and discovered The Left Behind series by Tim Lehaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and The Circle series by Ted Dekker. Dekker has written a number of Christian thrillers that I've enjoyed including Thr3e which was made into a movie in 2006. I also like the mystery/suspense novels by T. Davis Bunn.

Susan has reviewed several Christian fiction books, including this one:

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Shaken by her parents' divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle's farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She'll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is the past—one she barely knows.

Among her late grandmother's belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town's history, her ancestors, and her estranged father.

What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured—with the help of their cooking prowess and a healthy dollop of faith.

Buy The Divine Proverb of Streusel at Amazon

Read Susan's review.

I've read a bit more Christian nonfiction in recent years. Some have been devotions like the one I read during Advent last Christmas, but I've enjoyed some topical Christian nonfiction like this book:

The Road Away from God by Jonathan Martin

It's no easy journey disentangling the good news of the gospel from the toxic theologies that have rendered Jesus unrecognizable. It's no wonder the church has sent many walking. In The Road Away from God, Jonathan Martin reimagines Luke's story of two disillusioned disciples walking the Emmaus road away from the holy city where they had watched their hope die a gruesome death right before their eyes. For anyone who is feeling their faith unravel, reckoning with religious trauma, or walking the long road of deconstruction, Martin speaks compassionate hope into the journey of today's disillusioned disciples, revealing that the resurrected Christ is profoundly present with them--even on what seems to be the road away from God.

Buy The Road Away from God at Amazon

Read my review.

Do you read Christian literature? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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