Some Links On Faith And Literature
By T. H. Wright
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Some helpful thoughts! Let us not seek a legalistic community where we do not engage with the world, but let us seek understanding so that we be both compassionate and zealous for the truth.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-ways-christians-read-books-non-believers/
UPDATE: 20191012
A great point about all Christian writing. What makes our writing different is our Christian worldview and the presuppositions we bring to our writing. Furthermore, since all things in existence come from God’s own creative act, even those things most far from him are “Christ-haunted.”
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/every-story-literature-christ-haunted/
UPDATE 20191014
Interesting thoughts about how to process the cultural shifts made by the Internet. Not unlike the argument I made in my poem, “The Search Engine Lament”, the book under review by Greg Bailey discusses how having a vast swath of information makes us process the information we have less.
Even companies are marketing in this way, arguing against information overload. (There was another company which marketed against it based on the idea that our brains would freeze because of how much information, but I can only seem to find Bing’s.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1AwFY6MuwE
There are reasons to also criticize the Internet beyond reading (ex. reduced ability to socialize in person, time wasting on vain applications, quickly becoming distracted or bored), but there is a good challenge here: is more information better for us? If not, how do we wisely and properly utilize the Internet?
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/sven-birkerts-gutenberg-elegies-read-deeply/
UPDATE: 20200427
This article speaks well about how literature in general, and specifically fiction, should be judged for its quality, not its author. If we consider other articles like https://www.redemption.studio/t/why-every-story-and-all-of-literature-is-christ-haunted/749/2, we will need to consider how to share our Christian perspective without having to make every piece of art utilitarian.
WARNING: The author freely quotes language that many Christians would find unacceptable. While I do not support such language, such is how nonbelievers talk. (On whether the author is a believer or not I cannot speak, but the perspective shared is valuable.)
https://quillette.com/2020/04/27/the-purpose-of-imaginative-fiction/
UPDATE: 20200509
Dr. Matthew Franck recommends some of the earliest science fiction novels available and explains what makes science fiction compelling and beneficial as a genre.
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/05/62983/
Dr. Matthew Franck offers his suggestions in the historical fiction genre. One of which sits on my shelf, waiting its turn!
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/05/63273/
UPDATE: 20200725
After the long series of posts I have been making, this was a most timely read! I will have to reconsider the way I have been thinking.
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/07/61568/
Further, a complimentary video helps to put the content of the article into perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLiPPtxKRAA