Christian Worldview—Day 6

So Christian worldview in fiction is not Christian characters doing “Christian” things like going to church or not swearing. Nor is it Christian characters doing sinful things just like everyone else. It is not the protagonist being or becoming a lover of God or of his neighbor. It is not even the protagonist holding to or developing a Christian philosophy of life.

Let me clarify that none of those things prohibits the novel from expressing a Christian worldview. Rather, those things are not required.

So what is? As I mentioned yesterday, the secret, in my estimation, lies in the theme.

Katie made a great observation in her comment yesterday that Jesus told stories without “Christian” characters and his worldview was just fine.

I think it’s interesting to think about Jesus’s worldview. His was a view of the world from God’s perspective. That, I believe, is truly a Christian worldview.

That kind of statement can smack of hubris–I mean, how can a novelist every write make-believe as if viewing the world from God’s perspective.

That’s where the “Bible believing” part I mentioned earlier comes into play. God has revealed Himself and His thoughts about His creation in His word.

As a writer conforms his or her themes to what God has revealed, he or she is writing from a Christian worldview.

Steve in his blog at Old Testament Space Opera has some thoughts on this, concluding with:

It is, however, written from my worldview as a Christian, and has at its core The Creed, an essentially Judeo-Christian faith.

More on theme tomorrow