Mike Duran's Blog, page 7

Five Reasons Why Christian Fiction Publishers Have Lost Male Readers (Pt. 1)

It should come as no surprise that the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), the world’s largest Christian Fiction organization, is primarily comprised of females. I say that ‘shouldn’t come as a surprise’ for several reasons, but mostly it has to do with the demographics of reading/publishing and the demographics of the evangelical church.

Exact numbers are difficult to come by, but the disparity between females to males in publishing, as well as evangelical publishing, is indisputable (For example, 78% of publishers are comprised of females. According to this editor, “…most editorial meetings tend to be dominated by women. Saying the ratio is 75/25 is not overstating things. So needless to say when a male editor pitches a book aimed at men, there are perilously few men to read it and give their opinions.”) According to the Spring 2012 ACFW Journal (since discontinued), only 13% of its members were, at that time, men. (You can find a PDF of that edition HERE.) Being a former member, and having attended several ACFW conferences, I can attest to the general accuracy of that figure.

The Christy Awards (the premiere Christian fiction award) is a good example of this demographic disparity. The 2019 awards consisted of 30 Finalists. Of those, 5 were male. (That disparity basically holds up throughout the life of the Christys.) If that figure is indicative of the representation of men writing and/or reading Christian fiction, it means that 1/6th or roughly 16 percent of the Christian fiction market is comprised of men. In an older article entitled In Search of the Male Reader, the author quotes Dave Long, then senior acquisitions editor for Bethany House Publishers, commenting on the problem this gender imbalance creates for male readers. “For guys who might want to read a suspense novel or legal thriller, it’s tough convincing them there are those kinds of books available. The shelves look like they are filled with Amish and historical romances and I think men have either stopped looking or are content with offerings from the general market.” Statistics quoted by Christian Retailing bear that out:

The top Christian fiction genres reported by surveyed readers were historical fiction (66 percent), romance (52 percent), contemporary (51 percent), romantic suspense (50 percent), suspense/thriller/legal thriller (47 percent) and mystery/espionage (45 percent)

With the majority of Christian fiction books comprised of historical, romance, and romantic suspense, it’s not a surprise that Christian men have taken to shopping for their fiction elsewhere.

While a member of the ACFW, I often noted this disparity. In a religious movement that esteemed male leadership, the proliferation of female content seemed incongruous. However, the demographic tilt appeared so organic I eventually concluded it was futile to expect any significant change to the culture. So while I maintain great interest in the trajectory of Christian publishing (and Christian artists in general), I’ve since moved my publishing endeavors to the general market.

Recently, I learned about the ACFW’s attempt to engage more men. A Facebook page dedicated to connecting with male readers was introduced. According to the group’s Statement of Purpose: “The ACFW Men’s Fiction group is for current ACFW members both male and female who write stories designed to reach men and boys for the Kingdom of God.”

While I applaud efforts like this, I’m mostly skeptical. This isn’t because I question the motives or sincerity of those involved, but because I’ve concluded the problem is much bigger and more complex than we tend to concede.

So what are some of factors that have resulted in Christian fiction being predominantly aimed at women? And what has prevented the industry from connecting with more male readers? In this article I want to outline five reasons why I believe Christian fiction publishers have lost/are losing male readers. Below are the first two.

The ‘Gender Gap”

In feminist circles, much is made of apparent discrepancies between men and women in various walks of life. Most of this critique is intended to portray a type of “male privilege” that pervades our society and tips the balance of power to men.

So, for example, during Women’s History month 2017, one used bookstore owner decided to protest the perceived “gender gap” between male and female fiction authors by turning in the spine on all books written by men. A sign posted at the store read, “We’ve silenced male authors, leaving works of women in view.” Such protestations are now fairly common across all industries as narratives of gender and racial diversity are emphasized.

One glaring inconsistency to the claims of a gender gap in publishing is the very real data concerning a biological gender gap between readers. For example, this NPR article notes that “When it comes to fiction, the gender gap is at its widest. Men account for only 20 percent of the fiction market.” In an article entitled What Is It with Boys and Reading? Psychology Today peruses to standard data:

On the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), boys have scored significantly lower than girls in reading at all grade levels every year since 1992 (the first year for which NAEP scores are available).  And the gap grows larger, not smaller, as children get older, such that, by twelfth grade, more than twice as many girls as boys (5% versus 2%) scored as “advanced” in reading on the 2015 NAEP.  Not surprisingly, given these data, boys are also for more likely than girls to be identified as learning disabled in reading.

…these disparities continue into adulthood as well; in 2016, the Pew Research Center survey of adult reading habits concluded that “women are more likely to read books than men,” and noted that 32% of men (versus only 23% of women) surveyed said that they hadn’t read a single book in the past year.

The data are pretty consistent across time, countries and age groups: there is little doubt that, on average, boys read less, and less well, than girls.  (emphasis mine)

Compounding this problematic disparity is the belief among some that “Our society is neutering boys of their maleness at a young age.” That according to “dissident feminist” Camille Paglia in her interview with the Wall Street Journal.

…attempts to deny the biological distinctions between men and women is to blame for much that is wrong with modern society. ‘What you’re seeing is how a civilization commits suicide’ [Paglia] told the Wall Street Journal.

Such “biological distinctions between men and women” are clearly in play when it comes to reading and readers. While this is obviously a larger sociological and biological issue, it remains a very real factor in why Christian fiction publishers are losing male readers — Men simply don’t read as much as women.

Evangelicals don’t read much fiction

According to this study by Barna, evangelicals read differently than the general populace. Whereas, in general, mainstream readers prefer fiction over non-fiction, Christians favor non-fiction over fiction (see graph below). This is somewhat understandable in that Christianity is defined by theology and regularly confronts cultural, philosophical, historical, and political issues. Which could explain why there is significant skeptism among evangelicals regarding fiction and entertainment in general. After all, the Bible is a book of Truth. Why then should Christians bother with make-believe?

Suspicion of fiction may start at the top. Having been on staff with two different churches over an 11 year stretch, I can attest to the fact that many evangelical ministers do not read fiction. Rather, the typical pastor’s library is top-heavy with books on Theology, Administration, Counselling, and Church History. At best, fiction is seen as simple entertainment or diversion. At worst, it is a vehicle to pollute the imagination and shape values of the gullible. Either way, few Christian churches invest much energy into making a case for the arts and storytelling, much less developing a theological apologetic for its value.

In this way, the scarcity of Christian men reading fiction is partly representative of the evangelical church’s suspicion of the medium. (Of course, the gender gap comes into play here as the male mind is more left-brained, analytical, and less emotive. Which is why men who do read tend to gravitate to more non-fiction — practical, professional, theoretical, investigative, biographical, or clinical stuff. Similarly, when men read fiction, it tends to lean to the visceral, speculative, and adventurous — war, espionage, crime, survival, courage, camaraderie, and coming-of-age. )

So one reason Christian publishers are losing male readers is because evangelical churches have not made a compelling case for reading fiction. Even if a Christian man is predisposed to be a reader, it is statistically more likely that he would pick up a book on exercise, self-defense, or true-life survival than epic fantasy or steampunk.

Continued in Pt. 2

The Redemptive Power of Dark & Disturbing Art

Jesus told stories that did not always have a positive or uplifting outcome. Oftentimes, there was ambiguity in their resolve. Sometimes there were images of horror and dread. For example, The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31) ends with the rich man in a “place of torment,” prevented from returning to warn his brethren. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matt. 13:24-30) is explained by Jesus (13:36-43) to refer to “children of the wicked one” who will be cast into an eternal “furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 42). The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats ends similarly bleakly (Matt. 25:31-46), with the unrighteous being banished into “eternal punishment” (vs. 46 NIV).

Jesus was not afraid to scare the hell out of people and use shocking imagery in the process.

Despite all this, much evangelical art and artists eschews images of terror or unease in favor of hope, positivity, and nauseatingly upbeat fare. But in doing so, Christian communicators often neglect the redemptive power that can be found in images and tales of woe.

In a recent podcast interview with the guys at Pop Culture Coram Deo, I shared a bit about my conversion to Christianity. A major step in that process was a shocking realization that evil — more specifically, the Devil — was real. And being that I was steeped in occultism at the time, the evidences of evil were all around me, from Ouija boards to Hindu icons to Satanic symbology. The representations of evil that I’d gathered around me pricked my conscience and became a springboard to repentance. God might have had a wonderful plan for my life, but it was Satan’s plan and his diabolism that set me on the straight and narrow.

Apparently, I’m not the first person to be scared into the Kingdom.

One of the more prominent cases is that of Peter Hitchens, brother of one of the world’s most famous atheists, Christopher. Interestingly enough, Hitchens’ spiritual wake-up call came in the form of a 15th century painting.

In How I found God and peace with my atheist brother, Peter Hitchens chronicled his slide into atheism and back again.

No doubt I should be ashamed to confess that fear played a part in my return to religion, specifically a painting: Rogier van der Weyden’s 15th Century Last Judgement, which I saw in Burgundy while on holiday.

I had scoffed at its mention in the guidebook, but now I gaped, my mouth actually hanging open, at the naked figures fleeing towards the pit of Hell.

These people did not appear remote or from the ancient past; they were my own generation. Because they were naked, they were not imprisoned in their own age by time-bound fashions.

On the contrary, their hair and the set of their faces were entirely in the style of my own time. They were me, and people I knew.

I had a sudden strong sense of religion being a thing of the present day, not imprisoned under thick layers of time. My large catalogue of misdeeds replayed themselves rapidly in my head.

I had absolutely no doubt that I was among the damned, if there were any damned. Van der Weyden was still earning his fee, nearly 500 years after his death.

Of course, there was more to Hitchens’ re-conversion than just an art viewing. Nevertheless, the sense of dread and the conviction that picture evoked is a testament to the power of art. Even after centuries, Van der Weyden “was still earning his fee.” 500 years after his death, his composition still possessed the ability to puncture the mundane, arouse the conscience, and extricate the viewer from their moral malaise.

Rogier Van der Weyden’s “The Last Judgment”

Perhaps Christian art would be better if we spent a little less time being “painters of light” and more being prophets of woe. After all, Jesus’ stories were not always feel-good paeans of positivity. Sometimes His hearers left feeling, like Hitchens, that they were “among the damned.” In this sense, redemptive art isn’t always about angelic choirs and sparkly Easter morns. Sometimes, only the image of the Rich Man in eternal torment can awaken the soul.

My Latest Short Story “Bury Me in the Garden” is Unearthed!

Folk horror is sometimes considered “a subtrope of religious horror,” not for its address of organized religion, per se, but for its appeal to broader folkloric rituals, legends, and mythologies. It’s a very tangible intersection between the Land and its Monsters, Old Word v. New World, if you would.

Interestingly, the genre appears to be trending. Some have called it a “Folk Horror Revival.” Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” (1948) may be one of the most notable contemporary iterations. But with the release of Midsommer, Ari Aster’s follow-up to the profoundly disturbing Hereditary, the director continues the cultivation of a genre that appears to hold an odd perennial appeal. Films like The Witch, Kill List, The Ritual, and, of course, The Wicker Man, the 1973 folk horror classic, are all parts a growing canon of stories that concern themselves with the collision of paganism and contemporary culture. Or in the case of the Wicker Man, paganism v. Christianity.

My short story, Bury Me in the Garden, is very much in that vein. It concerns a Midwestern lad named Owen who stumbles upon evidences of ritualistic magic in the small town of Stafford. With a little digging (pun intended), Owen learns that his father’s crops have roots in something much older than the both of them. And the irrigation is quite costly.

The story is included in a new anthology entitled Other Voices, Other Tombs, published by the fine folks at Cemetery Gates Media. But perhaps what excites me most about appearing in this volume is the fine selection of writers I’m published alongside. Folks like Bram Stoker award winners, Kealan Patrick Burke and Mercedes Yardley, friends Kevin Lucia and (recently interview) CW Briar, and others.

Anyway, I’m really thrilled about the story and the antho! You purchase a copy, either paper or digital, of Other Voices, Other Tombs HERE.

Christian Spec-Fic Titles are Multiplying Thanks to Indie Publishing

Despite the recent closing of 170 Lifeway bookstores, Christian readers remain optimistic about the market. An article in Forbes magazine reflected this optimism stating,

Christian and faith-based books are a bright spot in the overall publishing industry.

The “bright spot,” according to the author, is that Christian buyers are loyal to the brand and could support independent booksellers of that genre. Another article in Publishers Weekly conveyed similar positivity, but from another angle. The headline read Indie Authors Find Firm Footing in the Christian Market.

Amid the shrinking Christian retail space of today… readers who shop online are more willing to try indie authors. This, coupled with the ease of publishing platforms such as CreateSpace and fewer openings on traditional publisher lists, has led to a growing number of Christian authors acting as their own publisher.

Indeed, independent publishing has played a significant role in bolstering or sustaining Christian fiction. Yet neither article seemed to connect the two.

One genre (or sub-genre) that has greatly benefited from the boon of indie publishing is Christian speculative fiction. Again, and rather glaringly, neither of the above-mentioned articles note the increase of Christian spec titles and how that growth has been fueled by indie publishing. Not only is this a significant oversight, it’s consistent with the historical unease between Christian fiction and the speculative genre.

For that, a bit of history…

My first-ever book contract was with Strang Communications back in 2011. It was a two-book deal for stand-alone novels in the speculative genre (both horror / thriller). At the time, Strang was the largest Charismatic publisher in North America. The bulk of their catalog was non-fiction titles. However, they had a line of fiction. Oddly enough, their fiction titles skewed between Prairie Romance and Amish fiction, and Speculative (mostly Horror / Thriller). Talk about strange bedfellows! Anyway, the name of this imprint was Realms.

The circuit I’d taken to get to Strang was quite wide. My then-agent had shopped my first title, The Resurrection, throughout the Christian publishing industry. While it garnered some interest, the story never found a home. With limited connections in the general market, my agent and I eventually agreed to part ways. It was a pretty low time in my career. Until I submitted to Strang, which accepted unagented manuscripts, and was offered a contract. (Such is the roller coaster of publishing.) Shortly thereafter, Strang changed its name to Charisma House. Their Realms imprint remains, still publishing the Amish, Prairie Romance novels. However, they’ve ceased publishing speculative novels and their Fiction line remains quite sparse.

There’s likely several things that contributed to my first novel’s rocky trek. Most obvious is that it may, admittedly, not have been good enough for a top tier publisher. However, other factors were in play. At the time, I was an unpublished, new author. Novelists without a sales record and existing readership are always a risk for a publisher. Another factor was that The Resurrection was an uneasy fit for the Christian market. Not only did the story contain a ghost (and ghosts are anathema in evangelical circles… unless they are demons), but it had some language and spiritual ambiguity. Finally, the genre of Speculative Fiction had a tenuous place in the Christian market. It just didn’t sell. At least, not in the way that it did in the general market.

So it was not uncommon, in those early days, for Christian spec fans to lament the lack of representation in the Christian market. This goes as far back as Dave Long’s faith *in* fiction blog (2004-2010), where aspiring, sometimes disgruntled (I use the term loosely) Christian authors, mulled the state of Christian Fiction. (Dave has since shut down that blog, deleted most older posts, and become a senior editor at Bethany House.) At that time, the FiF gang became a vibrant network of aspiring Christian authors, most unpublished, many of whom went on to various degrees of publishing success. At the time, Women’s Fiction, Historical Romance and Amish, dominated the shelves, as they do now, while Sci-Fi, Epic Fantasy, and Horror were mostly on the margins. The tide seemed to change a bit when Dave signed T.L Hines to a two-book contract with BH, both in the speculative genre. Hines’ Waking Lazarus (2006) became a big deal for the FiF crowd, especially those in the group pining for more speculative Christian fare. But the success was short-lived. Many unforeseen changes were afoot in the publishing industry, not the least of which was a looming recession.

I wrote often about the subject of Christian spec-fic in those days, mainly to ask how a genre that was so wildly popular in mainstream culture could be so under-represented in the Christian market. One such article, Why “Supernatural Fiction” is Under-Represented in Christian Bookstores, received enough traffic to be linked at the popular sci-fi website io9 in a post entitled, Christian Readers Demand More Science Fiction. Why Won’t Christian Publishers Listen? Yet the discussion was just getting started.

More and more Christian authors and readers began expressing concern for the under-representation of spec titles for Christian readers. While the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) gatekeepers assured readers that there was no market for spec titles in Christian circles, readers countered that there were few titles to actually choose from! Still, the rumblings continued.

The launch of Marcher Lord Press in 2008 was a significant milestone.

Marcher Lord Press logo circa 2008

Founded by Jeff Gerke, MLP was a POD (Print-On-Demand) venue. POD technology was one of the developments that have since re-shaped the publishing world. Of note is that Gerke had spearheaded the Realms imprint at Strang. While MLP has since changed hands and been renamed (now Enclave Publishing), the publisher has retained the POD model and still promotes itself as the premier platform for “Christian Fantasy and Science Fiction.” This is important in that the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction is not a mainstream traditional publisher. While some CBA publishers retain slots for spec titles, those spaces are quite small in relation to their catalog. Enclave, on the other hand, publishes spec exclusively.

MLP’s model and vision would become one of the first big developments in the intersection of Christian publishing, the speculative genres, and indie publishing.

Realm Makers logo circa 2012

Another important development in the growth of Christian and faith-themed speculative content was the launch of Realm Makers.

The RM About page summarizes nicely:

Realm Makers began in 2012, when founder Becky Minor’s vision of creating a faith-friendly event where writers could celebrate all things science fiction and fantasy kicked into motion. Online discussions made it clear that Christian writers of speculative fiction didn’t have a place or event where they could really feel at home. Everyone agreed…the “spec fic” crowd was a couple shades too weird for the established Christian writers conferences, and the comic con scene wasn’t really the right fit for most either.

And hence, Realm Makers was born.

These “online discussions” were an extension of an ongoing, rather passionate discussion among Christian writers and readers of speculative titles. Much of that discussion occurred in response to CBA catalogs and the ACFW conference.

ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is the largest organization of Christian fiction writers. ACFW advertises itself as “The Voice of Christian Fiction” and, indeed, its yearly conference never fails to attract some of the biggest name agents, editors, and publishing houses in the industry. However, after attending two ACFW conferences in my early career, it was clear that fans of spec-fic were in the minority. Typically very few editors and agents repped spec, and few (if any!) workshops were dedicated to fans and writers of the genre. ACFW was/is undoubtedly representative of the contemporary Christian fiction market. Which is why spec-fic fans have always had an uneasy alliance with it. How could ACFW claim to be THE voice of Christian fiction while giving such little voice to Christian fans of speculative lit?

While it’s unfair to suggest that the RM conference was entirely a reaction to the ACFW’s/CBA’s under-representation of speculative fiction, that under-representation indeed played a part. Realm Makers was specifically birthed in response to the lack of speculative fiction in mainstream Christian publishing.

As someone once said, “Life always finds a way.” Spec-fic fans, like any other genre fans, inevitably found a way to cluster. ComicCon, DragonCon, Anime Expo, and the numerous sub-groups spawned therein are evidence of the healthy evolution of geekdom. In the simplest sense, RM was the natural migration of a niche culture of readers and writers into a more organic fold.

But while RM provided the platform, indie publishing fueled the growth, giving authors not only the means to get their Christian spec stories into print, but attracting a potential fan base.

Now in its 7th year, RM has grown from 60 attendees to well over 300 annually. Not only do they host a traveling bookstore but their consortium boasts over 1600 members. Without a doubt, indie technology has played a part in the group’s success. When you consider that Enclave remains an independent outlet as well as the number of titles represented in the RM bookstore that are published independently and/or by small presses (by my estimates a good half), it is easy to surmise how integral the technology is to the Christian author/market.

But the increase of Christian spec titles is not limited to RM. Across the board, independent are impacting the shape of Christian fiction.

For example, of the current top 20 Amazon Best Sellers in Christian Science Fiction 11 titles are self or indie published (in fact, 4 of the trad published titles are part of the Left Behind series, a Tyndale publication). A similar pattern in Amazon Best Sellers in Christian Fantasy as 14 of the titles are independently published.

What’s interesting about this is that mainstream CBA publishers have done little to alter their approach to the spec titles. For instance, Christian Book Expo’s top 25 Christian Fiction Bestsellers for April 2019 lists 0 speculative novels (the closest titles are the prophecy-themed mysteries by Rosenberg and Cahn). The PW article notes as much, citing Sarah Bolme, director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA), formerly the Christian Small Publishers Association,

‘The Christian market didn’t [initially] embrace indies like the general market did,’ Bolme told PW. ‘Stores knew that books from certain publishers were theologically sound, but retailers weren’t sure about indie books.’

Christian publishers’ lag in adopting new technologies (and genres!) is quite telling. In fact, it is this very resistance to change which has motivated many authors to publish independently. Heather Day Gilbert is a good example.

As mentioned in the PW article, Heather first went the indie route in 2013. Her most recent novel, Guilt by Association, was shortlisted for a Christy Award in 2018. Perhaps even more interesting is what motivated Heather to pursue independent publishing in the first place. It started with God’s Daughter, a Viking-themed story which adhered to CBA guidelines and spring-boarded off the then-trending popularity of Vikings. But after pitching the story to numerous CBA publishers, Heather opted to publish independently. Nine-plus books, and a Christy nom later, her career is going strong. While Heather’s Viking stories were not exactly speculative, her career arc is a good example of a dynamic that is buoying the Christian publishing industry.

Another evidence of the growth of Christian spec-fic are magazine’s like Lorehaven. Founder E. Stephen Burnett’s vision is illustrative of the breadth of the genre. Not only does the mag feature new speculative fare (many of which are indie published), but a broad range of articles which address subjects ranging from theology, to pop culture, to story craft. Not only is Lorehaven published independently, it captures the vision that entrepreneurial, determined writers and readers of faith-themed fiction have been casting for over a decade.

Faith-themed fiction titles are multiplying. And indie publishing has fueled that multiplication. The ability to now publish content that the mainstream CBA market won’t — whether it’s stories about vampires, vikings, space aliens, dragons, fairies, or ghosts — is playing a part in giving once-unnoticed stories/authors a platform and making Christian publishing “a bright spot” in the industry.

Novelist C.W. Briar on Water Spirits, the Horror Genre, and Christians in the Arts

MIKE: Thanks for visiting CW! You’ve just released your second book, Whispers from the Depths, which you published with Janeen Ippolito, a mutual friend. I love what she’s doing over there at Uncommon Universes Press. Can you share with us a bit about how this story found a home there and what your experience with UUP has been like?

CW: I was there when UUP’s announced their formation at Realm Makers. I liked their vision, and we have similar tastes. My favorite books are dark but hopeful, and sprinkling in some humor and wonder doesn’t hurt. I like creepy, mature stories that aren’t simply character torture. If you read UUP’s mission on their website, you’ll see a lot of overlap.

They caught my interest, but small presses come and go. I watched as they grew during their first couple years, and I saw professionalism on their part, so I felt good about submitting Whispers From The Depths.

I’ve enjoyed working with them, and I’ve tried to not be too much of a headache. Janeen was an excellent coach with the initial edit of Whispers, and she deserves credit for the positive response the book has received. Overall, the team is working hard to match the quality of the big dogs (more so than some small presses, if I’m being honest).

UUP is ambitious but sensible. They still have room to grow,
but they’re headed in the right direction. It will be exciting to see where
they are five years from now.

MIKE: I’ve got to ask you about your cover. It’s quite beautiful. Did you have any input on the design? And does the amulet or symbols pictured there have any specific orientation to your story’s fictional world?

CW: I pitched a cover concept, the publisher thanked me for my brilliant ideas, then promptly used none of them.

All right, I’m exaggerating. Julia Busko (the design consultant) did listen to me, and she genuinely understood the tone and heart of the story before reaching out to artists. That’s what really matters. I’m not a cover artist, and neither are most authors, so it’s wise to not get overly attached to our design concepts. The artists bring in additional inspiration, and there’s a good chance it’s better than what we’ll conjure.

UUP went with Jenny Zemanek of Seedlings Design Studio, which was awesome. Her covers have caught my eye at bookstores on multiple occasions. They proposed the runic design, and I suggested a few tweaks to the final art.

Jenny and Julia chose the sigil based on the book’s
Beowulf/Viking influence. It’s the Vegvísir symbol, which supposedly has Viking
connections (that authenticity is debated, by the way).  It’s a runic compass meant to give sailors
protection. That synced well with my world, where water spirits are a constant
threat to ships. Also, runes are used as magical seals in the book, including
one that’s similar to Vegvísir.

MIKE: You’ve recently been on a book tour. In fact, you were in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy this weekend for a book signing. Writers typically have a love/hate relationship with book signings. While we love to meet fans and introduce readers to our works, hawking books can have tremendous ups and downs. What’s your experience been so far? Anything you’re learning about authorship, good or bad, from your current tour?

CW: I really enjoy the face-to-face interactions, whether it’s at a signing or a convention. I’m more of an introvert, but I still have fun engaging with readers. The only downside is that those events eat into family time, but the personal connections are special, so I’ll definitely keep doing them.

Unfortunately, the sober reality is that signings are an
inefficient way to grow a large fan base. Signings are only lucrative to big
name authors, and everyone else is happy if direct sales are enough to afford
coffee after table costs. Marketing, networking, and writing new books tend to
be a bigger influence on career growth.

These last few months have been a big leap in regards to
marketing. I’ll be doing more signings, especially in New York and PA.  I’m still very much a small fish in a giant
pond, and I’m working out the best ways to be noticed by readers. Anonymity is
an author’s true competition, and it’s a hard fight to overcome it.

MIKE: Whispers From the Depths surrounds water spirits and a people who command them. The mythologies and folklore regarding water spirits are fairly rich. Where did your research take you regarding the subject? Did you learn anything new or unusual? And what kind of twists did you add to the fables?

CW: Water is unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Ancient cultures had stories to explain the ships that vanished. In the Bible, water is symbolic of chaos, whether you’re talking about God separating land from sea, or Jonah being thrown overboard, or the calm sea of glass in Heaven.

I’ve seen for myself how destructive water can be. Search
online for the 2011 flood in Binghamton and Owego to see what my community has
dealt with.

At some point, storms make water untamable. There’s a sense of
helplessness against a determined storm, and that challenge is ripe for mythic
representation. In Whispers, you don’t see the spirits, but you see their violent
handiwork, and you feel their frigid presence. The fluidity of water gave me a
lot of creative freedom in depicting the spirits’ wrath. I joked with my
publisher that I found new ways to kill people with water.

I can’t say the spirits came from a specific fable or story.
They’re an amalgamation of cultural creations, taking on the flavor of Nordic
and Mediterranean legends rather than direct representation. If you look at the
reactions to the spirits, though, you’ll find real world parallels in the book.
The Whisperers subdue the chaos without ever really controlling it. The Resk
cult is more fearful of the chaos, and various followers try to either crush
it, appease it, or ignore it. If you want some cultural depths to plumb, look
to the contrasting worldviews and reactions among the characters.

MIKE: We first met at Realm Makers, the spec-fic conference for people of faith. Can you tell me how faith meshes with genres of dark fantasy and horror? (Whispers From the Depths is categorized as Dark Fantasy / Horror). When you scan the horizon of religious fiction, it includes lots of sentimentalized women’s literature – Romance, Historical, Amish fiction, etc. As a result, many Christian readers tend to see stories containing dark and evil subject matter as verboten. So how do you, as a person of faith, approach horror / dark fantasy in a way that doesn’t contradict your religious or biblical convictions?

CW: Modern American Christianity’s relationship with horror fiction is complex, as you’re well aware, Mike. I mention “modern American Christianity” because we’ve not
always had this stigma with horror, and it’s not a universal reaction. In the
grand scheme of things, it really is a niche view, but it’s one with an
oversized impact on genre writers. Fellow Christians from past generations
recognized horror’s value as an entertaining and safe way to learn hard lessons
(“safe” as in fiction being a gentler teacher than real life). The original
fairy tales for children were more Coraline than Disney.

The modern aversion to horror comes from several factors, one of which is personal taste. It’s perfectly acceptable for individuals to say “I don’t like scary stuff.” I’m fine with that. I do think it’s beneficial for comfy-cozy readers to occasionally challenge themselves with a harder story, just as I think horror readers should balance their intake with some lighter fare, but there’s nothing objectively wrong with liking bonnet romance.

It’s a very different thing, however, to say that no one
should read horror, and that’s the line between personal taste to genre
ignorance. That’s also the point where I have to speak up in defense of my
work. The ignorance is due to outsiders stereotyping all horror as a
masochistic torture-fest with gratuitous sex scenes. Sometimes it is that, but
horror is diverse. Those black-and-white Godzilla films we now show kids are
still technically a genre of horror.

Horror can be an instructive genre, one that warns about the
consequences of evil actions and ideas. It provides a thrilling experience,
much like a roller coaster. It also allows us to be inspired by characters who
overcome the direst of situations.

Some will concede those points but argue that horror
desensitizes us to the death and suffering (that’s debatable), I’d argue that
tidy, predictable shows like CSI do the same thing in a different sort of way.
Is making every TV death bloodless and unfelt beneficial to our perspective of
reality?

American Christianity has other quirks. People will invite
missionaries into their churches and be inspired by their real-life horror
stories, then cry foul when fiction depicts the same horrors. Churchgoers will
watch dark movies about surviving war or Mother Nature, then get into a tizzy
over horror movies depicting the same struggle in a fictional setting.

Which brings me to the other factor at play: shallow
theological application. I was one of those kids warned about Dungeons &
Dragons by people who knew nothing about Dungeons & Dragons. There are some
Bible verses that warn us against unwise interactions with the supernatural.
Some preachers who had no interest in understanding the nuances of horror and
fantasy have applied those verses pell-mell to anything fantastical or scary.
Parishioners have echoed that teaching to varying degrees, often without really
grasping the target of their scorn.

Bottom line: I think scripture warns us about engaging with
real spiritual forces, not observing phony creations in phony worlds. Worse
still, crying wolf over exaggerated threats probably makes the jaded public
more susceptible to real threats.

How do I approach dark fantasy and horror in a way that
doesn’t contradict my faith? I keep in mind the Imago Dei, the inherent value of people, as I write my characters.
I keep in mind that evil is really evil. I recognize that evil is scary, but
not everything scary is evil, and scary can be fun. I use the weightiness of
dark fiction as a backdrop for inspiring character stories. Edgier content is
purposeful rather than an opportunity to simply throw blood or sex on a page.

MIKE: As you probably know, I’m very interested in the subject of Christians in the arts and spend a lot of time discussing the intersections of theology and culture. My experience is that Christian creatives tend to struggle with their place in both the world and the church. I mean, what is the place of novelists, artists, screenwriters, or filmmakers in the Body of Christ? Are we simply to make art that mimics and appeals to Christian culture? Oftentimes, the church-goer who likes cosplay, enjoys sci-fi or horror films, or develops video games, has difficulty finding a fit in the Church. This is obviously a huge subject, but what advice would you give to a fellow Christian creative who is seeking to utilize their creative bent to God’s glory, in the local church and/or the world?

CW: First, a lot of the Church’s artistic members don’t feel fully embraced, and that’s a problem. I’ve been more fortunate. My current church has fostered artistic growth without constricting what we said with our art. Other churches are oblivious or even antagonistic to the needs to Christian creatives who don’t fit in standard molds. That’s an area where we, the Church, can be more attentive and supportive.

For us Christian artists, we have absurd numbers of debates about conveying message through art. Should our creations be overt and direct in their Christian themes, or should our faith be merely our personal foundation as we create? Should we write for Christians, or everyone else? Should Jesus be on the page, or should the things that Jesus said were good (love, forgiveness, etc.) be on the page. To that I say “All of the above.”

We’re overthinking this. There are thousands of Christian
creatives in the world. Choose the path that’s right for you, and let other
creatives worry about other audience demographics. I write for the general
market, which means people who have zero interest in church should still be
able to enjoy my work. I’m drawn to monster stories. I’m not the person to
write your clean religious fiction. Others are welcome to saturate that market,
and they will.

One bit of advice for Christians trying to enter the general
fiction market is this: there’s a major hurdle, and it’s self-inflicted. It’s
our language. If you’ve been in church for a while, there’s a solid chance you
sound alien to everyone else. I’ve seen it over and over.

It’s like this one church sign I pass during my daily commute.
The people in that church put half of the message on the front of the sign,
half on the back. That means I get half of a message in the morning, then the
other half nine hours later, after I’ve forgotten the rest.

Drivers like me never get the whole message because no one in
that church is seeing it through our eyes. Many Christian writers do the same
thing, not accounting for the audience’s point-of-view. As a result, characters
have motivations and use phrases that sound alien to someone who only enters
churches for weddings. Audience perspective also has to be accounted for in the
themes we chose and how we address them.

Someone will probably say that means “becoming like the world” (speaking of churchy phrases…). That’s not it at all. What I mean is that I’ve seen plenty of Christian authors struggle to gain traction in the general market, and they lament reviews calling their books preachy or unrelatable. That problem is often because they don’t recognize their own “churchy” accent after decades as a Christian. And they’re upset at the drivers for not reading a sign they can’t read.

Mike: Thanks for visiting. CW. And please make sure to check out the author’s latest release, a Publisher’s Weekly starred review item, Whispers From the Depths.

Solarpunk’s World of Eco-Communism

Munashichi, Future Economic View of Innocence, 2015

Literary subgenres morph at incredible speeds. The reasons why are embedded in a complex web of social, political, psychological, literary, technological, and pop-cultural forces. The genre of Fantasy is a good example of an ever-expanding universe of subgenres which intersect, coalesce, and transmutate into wildly different forms — from Fantasy, to High Fantasy, to Epic Fantasy, Grimdark to Noblebright Fantasy, to Alternate Universe Fantasy, to Sci-Fi Fantasy, to Urban Fantasy, to Paranormal Fantasy. The list is long and open-ended.

Perhaps it’s our penchant for cataloging and quantifying everything. So stories that were once simply labeled Romance are now sifted down to particular elemental components (Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance, Romantic Comedy, Paranormal Romance, Gay Romance, Multicultural Romance, etc., etc.). Whatever the forces behind such atomization, one of the underlying components that drives the formation of many subgenres is worldview — how the reader/writer sees, or wants to see, the world.

In the case of Solarpunk, one of the latest genre iterations, an optimistic eco-centric humanism is the driving worldview behind the speculative world.

TV Tropes defines Solarpunk in this way:

Solarpunk is a genre of Speculative Fiction that focuses on craftsmanship, community, and technology powered by renewable energy, wrapped up in a coating of Art Nouveaublended with African and Asian aesthetics. It envisions a free and egalitarian world with a slight bend toward social anarchism. Standing as both a reaction to the nihilism of Cyber Punk and a solution to a lot of the problems we face in the world, Solar punk works look toward a brighter future (“solar”) while deliberately subverting the systems that keep that brighter future from happening (“punk”).

At the site Solarpunk Anarchist, this definition is considerably developed:

Solarpunk is a (mostly) aesthetic-cultural and (sometimes) ethical-political tendency which attempts to negate the dominant idea which grips popular consciousness: that the future must be grim, or at least grim for the mass of people and nonhuman forms of life on the planet. Looking at the millennia-old rift between human society and the natural world, it sets as its ethical foundation the necessity of mending this rift, transforming our relation to the planet by transcending those social structures which lead to systemic ecocide.

It draws a lot from the philosophy of social ecology, which also focused on mending this rift by restructuring society to function more like ecology: non-hierarchical, cooperative, diverse, and seeking balance.
Solarpunk’s vision is of an ecological society beyond war, domination, and artificial scarcity; where everything is powered by green energy and a culture of hierarchy and exclusion has been replaced by a culture founded on radical inclusiveness, unity-in-diversity, free cooperation, participatory democracy, and personal self-realisation.

This would be a world of decentralised eco-cities, 3D printing, vertical farms, solar glass windows, wild or inventive forms of dress and design, and a vibrant cosmopolitan aesthetic; where technology is no longer used to exploit the natural world, but to automate away needless human labour and to help restore the damage the Oil Age has already done. Solarpunk desires societies of polycultural ethnic diversity and gender liberation, where each person is able to actualise themselves in societal environment of free experimentation and communal caring; and driven by an overriding ethos of compassionate rationalism, where science and reason are not seen as antithetical to imagination and spirituality, but as concepts which bring out the best in each other.

While other describe Solarpunk simply as science fiction that is not “depressing,” the genre apparently leans into more than just an upbeat vibe. There is also an “ethical-political tendency” to “negate [a] dominant idea” and “transcend[] those social structures which lead to systemic ecocide.” Whereas eco-fiction (which includes the more recent climate fiction) tends to frame more dystopian, apocalyptic warnings to the genre message, Solarpunk chooses a more humanistic approach. Or as the TV Tropes definition puts it, “Solar punk works look toward a brighter future.”

In this sense, the genre is much more than simply “entertainment.” Rather, it is a visionary movement of a hopeful future. For example, the Solarpunk Anarchist page on Facebook recently linked to the article entitled Solarpunk wants to save the world.

Solarpunk is the first creative movement consciously and positively responding to the Anthropocene. When no place on Earth is free from humanity’s hedonism, Solarpunk proposes that humans can learn to live in harmony with the planet once again.

Solarpunk is a literary movement, a hashtag, a flag, and a statement of intent about the future we hope to create. It is an imagining wherein all humans live in balance with our finite environment, where local communities thrive, diversity is embraced, and the world is a beautiful green utopia.

Image as found at The Green Left

In this sense, Solarpunk is a hopeful reaction against the grim narratives of dystopian tales. In the same way that Noblebright was a reaction against Grimdark, Solarpunk is a reaction against Cyberpunk, or more broadly, Dystopian fiction.

As I’ve suggested before, dystopian conceits aren’t always bad; in fact in some way, they may envision a biblical worldview. In my piece, Christian Worldview and Dystopia I wrote:

…our inclination to envision a dystopian future has roots in a very biblical worldview.

The Bible does not paint a rosy picture about the fate of mankind. Whether it’s Jesus warning about natural and cosmological catastrophes, plagues, and times of great deception, or the apostle John’s hellacious account of the end of the age, Scripture paints a picture of things getting worse before they get better.  Apparently, all our peace accords, technological advances, and therapeutic skills still land us in Armageddon. Far from Shangri la, we end up in an arena, pitted against God, nature and, each other. No amount of firepower or psychobabble can stave of these approaching hoofbeats.

The genre of dystopian books and films reinforces a vital biblical theme — Man is broken. No amount of moral or technological “tweaks” can correct the malfunction that is Us.

If this is true, it presents problems for the Solarpunk genre… from a biblical perspective. While a “green utopia” would seem to be a noble biblical goal, it’s the machinations of how we get there that’s the problem.

In his essay, On the Political Dimensions of Solarpunk, Andrew Dana Hudson writes,

Whatever solarpunk is, it is deeply political. Politics is the practice of determining the arrangements through which we distribute resources and otherwise relate to each other. In other words, who makes the stuff, who gets the stuff, and how we are expected to treat both people and stuff.

Nearly every piece of solarpunk content I’ve seen or read suggests that the solarpunk future is a result of nuanced choices about such arrangements, not wild technological advancements. The very name “solarpunk” implies that scientific breakthroughs alone won’t fix our environmental, social and economic problems. After all, it posits a world of solar-energy abundance and then argues that we will still have need of punks. No magical tech fixes for us. We’ll have to do it the hard way: with politics.

If you smell a rat in Hudson’s conclusion, it’s because there is one. Apparently, the implementation of a Solarpunk society reads something like a Green New Deal, one in which “we distribute resources” and reconfigure thinking as to “how we are expected to treat both people and stuff. “

If this sounds dangerously close to a sort of “eco-communism,” you’d be correct.

In Solarpunk is Not Your Political Agenda, the author anticipates some making the connection between Solarpunk and communism. In an appeal to the Solarpunk community, the author cautions against using communist language and symbols to represent the genre, especially in its early stage, but rather to keep that political debate for “back stage.”

If solarpunk is about including everyone on the Earth in a positive, optimistic future where we work together to focus on saving the planet, then let’s focus on saving the planet right now in our visuals, and save the political debate for “back stage”

In the comments, we argued how this would be enabling capitalism’s continued corruption, but I argued how, given that communism is still technically illegal to practice in the US (for example), using symbols that represent it so blatantly on our art could turn huge portions of the population off before Solarpunk even has a chance to take off as a “for-everyone” future.

And that’s the beauty: Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, Anarchy and probably every type of -ism will still exist in a solar punk future. There’ll probably even be rebels that drive gas vehicles just out of protest. That’s the beauty of keeping the ideological “image” of Solarpunk wide-open. So people who want other ideologies in their solarpunk future will not feel excluded, looking at art like what’s below and thinking they’re not meant for Solarpunk because they’re not X, Y or Z.

While extending the possibility of peaceful coexistence between communists, socialists, capitalists, and anarchists may make for good fiction, it’s little more than a mirage. History has proven that some ideologies cannot coexist.

In this, Hudson’s conclusion hews much closer to the social and political ramifications of this green utopia:

A solarpunk culture would strive to dissolve every form of social hierarchy and domination – whether based on class, race, gender, sexuality, ability, or species – dispersing the power some individuals or groups wield over others and thus increasing the aggregate freedom of all; empowering the disempowered and including the excluded. It is rooted in the legacy of such liberatory movements as anti-authoritarian socialism, feminism, racial justice, queer and trans liberation, disability struggles, animal liberation, and digital freedom projects.

Dissolving “every form of social hierarchy and domination – whether based on class, race, gender, sexuality, ability, or species” is a lofty goal. But how does one enforce “the aggregate freedom of all”? Who decides what power needs “dispersed”? And how does a society enforce the abolition of money, racism, homophobia, capitalism, or private property without violence? But without such enforcement, a Solarpunk future is utopian fiction.

Unless, of course, something like a Solarpunk KGB was created. And maybe Solarpunk workcamps, Solarpunk sensitivity training, and Solarpunk re-education centers. Come to think of it, maybe I’ve discovered a new subgenre — the Solarpunk Resistance.

The One Topic That’s “Off Limits” to YA Authors

A constant topic of debate among my Christian novelist friends has to do with market aim — Should they aim for the mainstream market or the Christian market? One reason that many Christian writers choose to publish in the Christian market is because of a perceived hostility toward religious themes in the general market. According to that sentiment, you can’t write about God or explicit Gospel content without running the risk of censure. Well, it turns out that’s not true. At least, not exactly.

A recent article in the NY Times confirms that “religion is the last taboo” in YA fiction. In Is Any Topic Off-Limits When You Write for Teenagers? Maybe Just One, YA author Donna Freitas writes,

Of course, it’s for all the right reasons that talk of religion in the mainstream Y.A. publishing world makes people nervous. We worry someone might be trying to convert or indoctrinate teenagers; we resist preachiness about certain moral perspectives. Religions and religious people have done and still do reprehensible things in our world, to women, to children, to some of the people I care most deeply about.

Calls for censorship of novels for children and young adults typically arise from religiously affiliated quarters; Harry Potter has been banned because of fears of witchcraft, and His Dark Materials has been banned because Philip Pullman is an outspoken atheist.

Talk of religion makes me twitchy for all those reasons, and because I am feminist, liberal, pro-L.G.B.T.Q. Religion can make me enraged, dismayed, disgusted.

And yet, it is a part of me. Maybe one of the best parts.

According to Freitas, “talk of religion in mainstream. Y.A.” is indeed something we should be concerned about. But why? Is it because religion has done unimagineable harm to humans or foistered precepts that have poisoned generations of innocent souls? Sort of. “We worry someone might be trying to convert or indoctrinate teenagers; we resist preachiness about certain moral perspectives.”

“Certain moral perspectives.” This is the phrase of import here.

Let’s assume for a moment that indoctrinating teenagers with “certain moral perspectives” is above the gatekeepers of mainstream YA. I mean, their aim is simply to entertain and tell a good story. It’s only religious folks who have such nefarious aims. So what kind of “indoctrination” of our young adults should we fear from religious authors? What “moral perspectives” might taint their sensibilities? Apparently it’s those “perspectives” that counter Freitas’. “Talk of religion makes me twitchy… because I am feminist, liberal, pro-L.G.B.T.Q. Religion can make me enraged, dismayed, disgusted.”

In other words, the “indoctrination” or “moral perspectives” that make mainstream YAers “twitchy” are those that are not shared by the “feminist, liberal, pro-L.G.B.T.Q” ally.

Interestingly, Freitas’ advice is not that we should ban religious content from YA lit, but that we should only ban certain content to ensure that it conforms to a specific “moral perspective.”

To ignore religion in Y.A. cedes the entire conversation about religion and spirituality, and all that it stands for, to exactly the kind of intolerant voices that Y.A. publishing has fought so hard against. Teenage readers search for themselves in books. The world of Y.A. is an activist one — an ideal sphere in which to interrupt the toxic religion-speak and attitudes that dominate our politics and culture at the moment, and to model the kind of spiritual longing so many young adults harbor, often secretly. Like me, they learn to be ashamed of it.

Central to the author’s argument here is an appropriate caricature of the particular religion she fears. What religion is that? Well, pretty much any religion that is counter to her “feminist, liberal, pro-L.G.B.T.Q.” one. Elsewhere in the article she describes this toxic religion as “conservative, antisex and intolerant.”

Make no mistake, the “religion” that the author is inferring is “off-limits” in YA fiction is traditional evangelicalism. You know, the kind that is “conservative, antisex and intolerant.” But is there any other kind?

I suppose it should hearten Christian authors to know that there are those in the YA community who will cede some religious topics for inclusion in the genre. What should concern us, however, is that that concession demands conformity. We may write about religion in YA lit, but only providing that it hews closely to progressive values. The “God” of YA fiction must be LGBTQ-affirming, inclusive of all religions, and theologically ambiguous. The only “moral perspective” an author is allowed to convey in YA are perspectives that don’t make others “twitchy.”

If only I could get God to comply with those demands.

Bottom line: Religion IS off-limits in YA fiction… unless it caricatures conservative believers as narrow-minded bigots and their morality as toxic, bigoted, hate.

Though I’m not a big fan of the Christian fiction market, it’s articles like Freitas that remind us why so many conservative evangelical writers do not cross over. Not only is there a vocal disdain in the industry against the type of religion many of these authors practice, but there is a contrary “moral perspective” that they are required to embrace.

Is Evil “Hereditary”?

What follows contains major spoilers…

First-time writer/director Ari Aster has described his debut feature film, “Hereditary,” as a “family drama that dissolves into a nightmare.” Indeed, the “nightmare” it descends into is one of familial dysfunction, inherited trauma, grisly deaths, and ritual paganism.

But it’s the fated, inescapable draw of evil that most lingers in this tale of horror.

“Hereditary” is receiving a lot of favorable reviews, as well as being cited in many year-end “best-of” lists. The film’s arc begins with the passing of Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family. As her daughter Annie’s family deals with their grief, they begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The most sinister, we eventually learn, is not an inherited psychotic pathology (as the viewer is wont to believe), but a covenant with a pagan god named King Paimon. Annie’s son and daughter both become hosts for Paimon, per Ellen’s pact with his cult (and Annie’s reckless seances). The film is a slow descent into the family’s gruesome sacrifice for this possession, leading to the enshrinement of Paimon in his new residency. (For a fuller recap of the film’s weird, wild summation, read THIS.)

Interestingly enough (and perhaps this is part of my own discomfort with the film), King Paimon is not a fictional deity. Rather it has historical rootage. For example, the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley is alleged to have summoned the spirit. Paimon is described as a “desert spirit,” literally a “djinn” or genie. The Den of Geek expounded upon the mythology in The Real Story of King Paimon:

King Paimon is one of Lucifer’s most obedient devotees, rules 200 legions of angels, is connected to the tree of death and first appeared in an anonymously written grimoire from the mid-1600s called Lesser Key of Solomon. 

Of course, “Hereditary” is not the first film to utilize real-world (?) entities or explore the intersection of contemporary culture with old world paganism. Such films have a perennial appeal (see: “The Ritual” and “Kill List“), with the original “Wicker Man” perched at the top of that totem. What “Hereditary” does rather effectively is to tether this external evil (a matriarchal pledge to a demon) with a sense of existential (even genetic!) destiny.

And that’s where, for me, the film veered into very dark, unbiblical terrain.

Some might argue that stories about demons, pagan cults, and ritual sacrifice are always dark, unbiblical terrain. Elsewhere, I have suggested that “horror is an eminently biblical genre and that …many horror tropes are indeed compatible with a biblical worldview. Employing the grotesque and horrific in our stories can be a powerful tool in expressing the true nature of reality and the afterlife, and awakening spiritual and moral sensibilities to the world around and beyond us.” So what disqualifies “Hereditary” from such redemptive themes, cautionary or otherwise, or spurring a possible “moral awakening” in its viewers? It is not in the gore or the demonic, but in the existential inevitability.

An article in The Schmooze tips us off to the worldview of the director, and this rather bleak spiritual dead end, noting a “lack of Christian imagery” in the film.

Several critics, including both Vox and Newsweek, have observed that some of the uniqueness of “Hereditary” derives from a lack of Christian imagery and its unusual approach to the Occult. Aster [the director] has an answer for that. “Maybe the lack of Christian iconography and stuff like that has something to do with the fact that I’m a Jewish guy,” he told Newsweek. And witchcraft? “Ultimately, I have no ties to the occult,” he said. “In any way. I’m just a Jewish guy. I’m just a neurotic Jewish guy.”

This lack of “Christian iconography” is not the norm in films about the occult. For example, the Christian faith of “The Wicker Man’s” protag is front and center. His spiritual impotence is the cautionary center of the film. Bibles, crucifixes, prayers, and holy water are fairly typical when one confronts cinematic devils and the devilish. However, apart from pagan sigils and ciphers, “Hereditary” has no traditional religious symbology.

Thus, no spiritual counter to King Paimon’s body slam.

While stories of despair and darkness can indeed be biblical, framing that despair and darkness in the context of Faith, Hope, and Love provides the necessary balance. Indeed, Evil may sometimes win. But the message of Scripture is that, at the least, there is a Way of escape.

Such a “way of escape” does not exist in “Hereditary.” In fact, the evil in Aster’s film is inescapable… even hereditary.

Pagan practices and cults are real. Demons exist. But the notion that our “heredity” predisposes us to evil or inevitable ends is a concept Scripture challenges. Our destinies are not written by the hands of our forefathers (or foremothers). Pacts with the devil may indeed be generationally tethered, but they are not binding. There’s One who transcends covenants with false gods and genies.

Sadly, such an option was not available for the souls in “Hereditary.”

Chris Morris on Mental Illness in the Church

Mental illness is one of those subjects that the evangelical church has struggled to address. During my time in the pastorate, I came to know several people (probably more) who struggled with mental illness. The culmination of my sense of inadequacy on the subject came when a friend who suffered with schizophrenia committed suicide. It left me with so many questions. The subject of mental illness typically does that… even to Christians. Being a child of God does not make one immune to mental illness. Nor do formulaic or simplistic solutions adequately address the issue. It’s a huge, complicated subject. How does the Bible address mental illness? How do we reconcile having faith in God for healing while seeking medical assistance? To discuss this difficult subject, I’ve invited Chris Morris, editor of the Whispers in the Pews: Voices on Mental Illness in the Church,to field a few questions.

***

MIKE: Chris, thanks for joining us! What led to your interest in the subject of mental illness and the Church?

CHRIS: In large part, my own struggles with mental illnesses led me to become interested in this topic. I also began having conversations with friends and acquaintances about their own stories, and I realized a trend – the Church doesn’t know what to do with mental illnesses. They don’t fit into the neat box most of Christianity has tried to put God into. So those of us in the mental illness community… well, we get shoved to the side. We get put into our own box, and ignored almost entirely.

I had heard one too many stories of friends being ignored or given terrible theological advice, and I had to do something about it. So I began gathering essays from people – some friends and others strangers – who had their own experience with mental illness and the church, and Whispers in the Pews was born.

MIKE: Why do you think the issue of mental illness is so ignored, misunderstood, or even rejected, by Christian ministers and laypeople?

CHRIS: I think there are several reasons. First and foremost, there is not a strong sense of everything being connected in the human existence. In other words, the body impacts the soul impacts the mind impacts the spirit. Nobody questions the legitimacy of butterflies in the stomach as evidence of a nervous mind before a public speaking engagement. But it gets a lot harder for people to swallow when you suggest that a depressed mind might have spiritual consequences. We must learn to have a stronger biblical view of man, which is that we are holistic beings and everything — body, soul, spirit, and mind — is connected.

Beyond the holistic model of man, I think mental illness is ignored because many in the church believe everything has a spiritual answer. In other words, a depressed person would be fine if they just siphoned more joy from the Lord into their life. Similarly, an anxious person should learn to lay their fears down and trust God more, and a person with PTSD from sexual abuse needs to allow forgiveness to flood their soul.

Lastly, and most importantly, mental illness is avoided because it’s hard. Most people don’t want to deal with difficult, particularly if it’s long-term difficult. Those of us in the mental illness community don’t have broken bones, which take six to eight weeks to heal. We have a mental illness that likely won’t go away any time soon. It’s complex to know how to support those whose needs seem to be unending.

MIKE: Many see the Bible as limited in its address of mental illness. In other words, the Bible is concerned with spiritual things; it is not a medical book. As a result, they suggest, we should look to doctors and psychologists for treatment of mental illness, not so much to Scripture. In what way, if any, does the Bible address mental health?

CHRIS: The Bible is not a medical book at its core, and to treat it the same way you might treat a textbook from nursing school is a mistake. Scripture is also more than a book of spiritual guidelines – there are truths about good diets, military strategy, and how to develop good friendships and strong communities. None of these are distinctly spiritual in nature, so it’s important to treat the Bible as the unique book it is.

Mental health conditions are demonstrated in Scripture, and we must recognize that. One could make a strong argument that Elijah the Old Testament prophet was bi-polar. How else does one explain the extreme high of the confrontation with the Baal prophets, immediately followed by him hiding in a cave crying out to God for some proof of His existence? (I Kings 18 – 19)

Jesus Himself was deeply emotional – He cleansed the temple in a fit of rage, He cried at the death of Lazarus, and He sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Taken as individual moments, these could be considered instances of mental instability. Yet instead we hold Jesus up as the model of perfect humanity (and rightly so). This leaves us with the very legitimate question of where to draw the line between deeply felt emotional moments and mental instability.

MIKE: So do you think that bifurcating the Bible and Medicine is the proper approach to such a complex subject?

CHRIS: No. Let’s change the specifics of the illness. Is it wise for the diabetic to ignore his insulin and instead place his faith in Jesus? Of course not. It would be obnoxious to ascribe to such a view. And yet, we are all too quick to apply this very same methodology to mental illnesses.

MIKE: So how do we integrate Scripture and Psychology without denying one or the other?

CHRIS: Entire books have been written on this very topic, and some of these books disagree with each other in their approaches!

Just as the Bible is not fundamentally a medical textbook, it’s also not a psychology textbook. To view the Bible as the only source of valuable information on psychology will end up with a woefully inadequate view of the human psyche. This is what leads to common but unhelpful myths about mental illness and spirituality.

One of the essays in Whispers in the Pews addresses this, titled “Am I a Whole Person?” The author’s pastor states unequivocally that anyone on medication for mental illness should reevaluate their choice and their faith. Here is her response: “But Jesus has not been excluded and shoved out of my anxiety. He’s not waiting to engage with my mental health struggles like an old friend waiting for a wedding invitation. No, I’ve never even needed to invite Jesus into my battles. He’s always been there. Before I knew anxiety, I knew Jesus. I’ve followed Him since I was a very young child. To speak with complete candor, if Jesus had not firmly planted Himself right in the middle of my battle with anxiety, I would not be here to talk about my battles at all.”

MIKE: While it’s sad that pastors react that way, the New Testament DOES describe some problems that we would label as mental illness as spiritual in nature. For example, what we would call schizophrenia often looks like demon possession in the Bible. Is it possible to incorrectly diagnose a problem as medical when it, in fact, is spiritual? 

CHRIS: My experience has been that more people associate epilepsy with demon possession than schizophrenia, but that might be a function of my family’s particular illnesses as well.

As mentioned above, I believe wholeheartedly in a holistic model of man, so this means I believe that there are often multiple sources or roots to a problem. To this end, I have a high value for praying for wisdom over complex medical situations such as mental illnesses. Instead of coming at a person with depression with an assumption they lack faith or have a demon, it is much more valuable to ask the Lord to provide some practical insight into the source of the illness. It’s been my experience that God loves answering these prayers. When we pray with an open mind, there are many positive things that can come out of these circumstances; much more so than entering with preconceived ideas about what causes a particular ailment.

MIKE: So is there a point where reliance upon medication or psychology IS a sign of unbelief? If so, how does one know when they’ve crossed the threshold from trusting God to trusting Science?

CHRIS: I struggle with the idea of unbelief in this context. I don’t tend to think of seeking health in terms of belief or unbelief. Here’s some of my own story as support for this. I’ve been to about a dozen specialists of various types who have all tried to provide me help with my non-neurological seizures. Some have been Christian, some have been atheists, others have been definitively New Age, and a few have been agnostic.

To me, it doesn’t matter what their belief system is, because I am not seeking biblical counseling from them. I am looking for medical guidance based on their years and sometimes decades of experience in their field. While pursuing these experts, I continue to pray for healing, and I continue to have open dialogue with my pastor about the steps I’m taking.

So, it may appear that I don’t have any reliance upon God at all in this pursuit, but the whole enterprise is undergirded in prayer, by me and by many others in my life. There is an understanding that God could choose to heal me in a moment’s notice, but if he doesn’t then I should be looking for other ways to find health. There’s no unbelief, just an approach that allows for multiple answers.

MIKE: That’s very helpful. In conclusion, what advice would you give to church-goers who believer they are struggling with or know someone afflicted by mental illness?

CHRIS: The first thing I would say is to not go it alone. Not only is it unhealthy to try to survive a mental illness alone, it’s not the way God intended us to live. We were built for community, through and through. No single person can ever reach full potential in life or in service if they live it in isolation. There are of course specific risks when dealing with a mental illness, but it’s important to start at the baseline of who God created us to be – not alone.

The next step is to find the person you want to trust with your mental illness. This is an important question, and one that requires a lot of thought. In a perfect world, this would be your pastor, but that’s not always the best choice. As you’ll find if you read Whispers in the Pews, there are many pastors who are ill-equipped to be part of a support system for a person with a mental illness. Use your discernment carefully to choose who you share your story with in the church, and how you ask for help.

Beyond spirituality, there are practical steps to take as well. Talk to your immediate family and tell them what’s happening, as best you can. Commit to getting whatever help you can to rediscover health. In most cases, your family will support you. Once you’ve talked to your family, it’s time to consider professional help. This can be everything from the TalkSpace phone app to a counselor or even a stay in mental health facility. The key is to find the support you need.

***

Chris, thank you SO MUCH for sharing your thoughts and experiences. If you’re reading this and are struggling with mental illness or know others who might be, please consider purchasing a copy of Whispers in the Pews: Voices on Mental Illness in the Church. Once again, thanks for visiting, Chris!

 

Christian Art as General Revelation

“Christian fiction” and “Biblical worldview fiction” are not synonymous. Their differences, however, are not always acknowledged.

“Biblical worldview fiction” is a broad category. It could be applied to much art crafted by believers — film, music, storytelling, etc. The term has come to mean stories that reflect, assume, or allude to foundational biblical truths or realities about our world. For example, a storyworld wherein a monotheistic Deity exists, morals are absolute, humans are flawed and sinful, redemption is possible, the afterlife is real, intelligent invisible agents exist and seek to influence people and events, sin and evil have consequences, human worth is intrinsic, etc., are all elements of a biblical worldview. Biblical worldview fiction is framed by implicit biblical truths.

Christian fiction, on the other hand, is framed by more explicit biblical truths or religious expectations — Christian characters or potential converts, a Gospel message, clear redemptive themes, G/PG content rating, references to Scripture, church, prayer, Bible reading, etc. (Likewise, Christian art could be distinguished from that of a biblical worldview by its explicit religious content.) In this sense, all Christian fiction is written from a biblical worldview. However, stories written from a biblical worldview are not always categorized as “Christian.”

Biblical worldview fiction is significantly broader than the category of Christian fiction. (The diagrams below are slides from presentations I’ve previously used at writers conferences.)

[image error]Many Christians conflate biblical worldview stories with Christian fiction. I once had a discussion with an industry professional who suggested that “Biblical worldview fiction is the same as Christian fiction.” I countered with one simple question: “So can biblical worldview stories contain profanity?” to which they replied, “Absolutely not!” However, profanity and the people who use it can still exist within a biblical worldview.

Christian art is often defined in terms of “clean” and “family-friendly” fare. The absence of vulgarity, gore, violence, and nudity are seen as crucial elements of the genre. However, stories framed within a biblical worldview are not required to be “clean.” Vulgarity, violence, profanity, or sex do not  prevent a worldview from being biblical. Indeed, in real life, very bad things can happen to and through those who profess a biblical worldview.

Whereas many people embrace a biblical worldview (often unbeknownst to them!), Christian art often appeals to only a narrow subset of consumers.

In the diagram above, biblical worldview stories are pictured as existing inside the blue pyramid. That pyramid could be divided into two halves, top to bottom, containing General and Special Revelation. General Revelation is “common grace,” described in Romans 1-3 as an intuitive awareness of God, His attributes, and the Moral structure of the universe. This “awareness” makes Man “without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Special Revelation, however, is a more specific, refined, understanding of God and the Universe. It involves the revelation of Scripture, an awareness of our own guilt before God, a basic understanding of His plan of salvation, repentance, faith, etc.

My going theory is that Christian art (film, fiction, and music) should operate as both General and Special Revelation; it should appeal to implicit biblical worldview elements as well as explicit Gospel truths.

The Psalmist wrote that “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). This is General Revelation. It is evidence for Order and Beauty that is available to all humans. Special Revelation goes hand-in-hand with General Revelation; it builds upon our intuitive sense of God, moral accountability, human worth, judgment, and eternity.

In the same way that “the heavens declare the glory of God,” so should Christian art. But how does Nature proclaim God’s glory? There are no sermons floating about the Milky Way. The Sea does not quote chapter and verse, nor is the Forest preachy. The Mountains are not a Bible tract. However, much Christian art is!

Nevertheless, we’ve come to see Christian film and fiction as a sort of Special Revelation. We demand that its message be explicit, narrow.

This is unhelpful, in my opinion, because it fails to acknowledge the valuable nature of art created from a biblical worldview. It bifurcates art into a Sacred / Secular paradigm, dismissing art that is less explicit as being “un-Christian.”

Biblical worldview art relates more to General Revelation than Special Revelation; it appeals to implicit Gospel concepts
Christian art relates more to Special Revelation than General Revelation; it appeals more to explicit Gospel content

My sense is that Christian writers should write across the spectrum. We should be appealing to General Revelation, sowing seeds into ground that the Holy Spirit is tilling, and providing glimpses of Special Revelation. Readers without an explicitly “Christian” worldview should be able to engage our stories and catch glimpses of the biblical scaffolding.

Much like a religious denomination emphasizes certain doctrinal distinctives (baptism, communion, eschatology, spiritual gifts, etc.) while sharing biblical “essentials” (see: Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed, etc.) with the larger Church, Christian fiction functions more like a denomination within the larger Body of fiction writers / readers. It shares their worldview, but chooses to emphasize specific distinctives. So while all Christian Fiction should contain a biblical worldview, not all Biblical Worldview Fiction will be recognized as CBA-worthy Christian Fiction.

Nevertheless, an explicit biblical message / worldview is just a small part of what constitutes Christian art. What separates most Christian fiction and films from their general market equivalents is NOT just a biblical worldview. It is a G/PG-rated presentation of an explicitly outlined biblical worldview. As much as we’d like to believe that a “Christian worldview” is what distinguishes Christian from secular fare, nowadays, worldview distinctives are really only a small part of what’s required for a story to be considered “Christian fiction.”

My conclusion is that these two elements should not be be viewed as adversarial but as complementary. In the same way that Special Revelation builds upon General Revelation, more explicit Christian art should build upon biblical worldview art.

God’s glory is found in both Nature and Scripture. Likewise, His Truth and Presence should be found, whether implicitly or explicitly, in our art.