Warren Hately asked Killarney Traynor:

How does an American Christian fiction writer differ from other types of authors?

Killarney Traynor Generally speaking, authors who promote themselves as American Christian fiction writers adhere to a Christian - usually interdenominational - viewpoint: avoid certain elements (extreme violence or sexuality, for instance) in their books, and feature a theme that encourages faith-filled living. A lot mainstream Christian Fiction is light fare, some tending to be almost escapist.

But not all Christian authors avoid the dark side of the human condition, nor do they fit into the Christian Fiction 'mold': JRR Tolkien, Flannery O'Connor, Michael O'Brien, Graham Greene, Dorothy L. Sayers, among many, depict the darker side of humanity to great effect while still using their works to explore and explain the faith. Faith shapes the author as much as (and perhaps more than) education, location, or circumstance, influencing their work in ways that they aren't always aware of.

I guess my answer to the question would be that Christian authors (who write as Christians) use their works to explore and perhaps promote Christian values and themes, such as hope, love, and faith in the unseen. The difference is in the point-of-view: Christians view the world through the Gospel message, others may not. Its as simple and complicated as that.

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