By Charlie Goss
Novels have a distinct flavor of story in our society. Christians will undoubtedly wander into the influence of a novel sooner or later, through a friend’s comments or a story brought to the big screen. But what about a more proactive take? Let’s explore the value that reading novels bring to our Christian journey in spiritual formation.
Novels help us see the Christian faith in action through the decisions, words, and inner thoughts of characters in real-life settings. Consider the steadfast faith of the persecuted slave Tom in the classic novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He withstands incredible pain under the face of oppression and deliberates how best to share his faith with others around him. Tom’s example motivates Christians to strive toward Christ no matter what. Even the thoughts of non-believing characters can help us understand how to reach similarly wired people in real life.
Novels also probe fascinating questions in the mind of the reader. What echoes of the divine shine through even in the bleak competitiveness of The Hunger Games? How is it that one act of grace by the bishop in Les Misérables has such an impact? Because novels are written words and not visual images on a screen, they enliven the mind in a unique way. These questions become back doors of entry into familiar Christian truths. Like Scripture itself, asking questions of novels is a surefire technique for spiritual formation.
Novels teach us to root for good and reject evil. Would any reader for a minute consider rooting for Sauron and the Orcs to succeed in Middle Earth? Though God isn’t mentioned in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the value, preciousness, and precariousness of good is on full display; readers are dying for good to prevail. Christians also long for Christ to return and usher in his kingdom. If an entire art form has the potential to activate this longing, why not take advantage?
Finally, novels remind us of the ultimate story arc for the universe: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Novels generally follow this pattern. A character exists, has a lack, struggles to overcome difficult circumstances to achieve a goal, and then gets to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Likewise, each Christian is a character in God’s ultimate story. Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, we must overcome trials of various kinds as we approach our consummation: the marriage supper of the Lamb and eternity in heaven. The struggle of our favorite novel characters to succeed encourages us to keep pressing on toward our own goal of Christlikeness.
If you want a creative, unique, and perhaps unexpected avenue for spiritual formation, then be sure to include novels in your routine. Of course, not every novel will echo Christ as elegantly as the next, so choose wisely. With a good novel in hand, you will appreciate even more God’s amazing gift of story and the written word.
Charlie Goss is a writer, analyst, worshipper of God, and evangelical storyteller residing in scenic Lynchburg, VA. He is the author of Secular to Sacred: A Contemporary Novel and holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University School of Divinity. He enjoys writing about Christian living, singleness, perspective, and culture. His website is www.charliegosswriter.com and his novel can be purchased on Amazon (in print or Kindle format).