I've been thinking about genres lately. One genre that I really enjoy is Biblical fiction. But how can we, as writers, write fictional tales based on a factual -- and holy -- book? Today Mesu Andrews tackles the tough questions. ~ Angie
Biblical
Fiction.
The term itself seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? The Bible is truth! Not
fiction. Every biblical fiction author I’ve met would whole-heartedly agree. We
write about the absolute Truth of God’s Word, adding the context of culture,
history, and supporting characters to create a story that will imprint the
message of Scripture on readers’ hearts.
So how much biblical fact qualifies as biblical fiction, and how can we ensure fiction never overshadows biblical facts?
Our first step is to recognize the wide spectrum of
storytelling style in this genre. In Jill Eileen Smith’s first series, Wives of King David, she wrote the
familiar biblical stories of Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba in bold strokes of
fabulous detail. These women’s lives were well-documented in Scripture, and
Jill brought the setting and culture alive with her research.
On the other hand, Davis Bunn and Janette Oke wrote
a series, Acts of Faith, in which
most of the characters were fictional, but they placed them in the early days
after Jesus’ resurrection. Using real biblical characters as minor players and
scriptural events as secondary to the plot, these proven masters of the craft
wrote a series of biblical fiction that tugged at New Testament lovers’
heartstrings.
Both strategies would be deemed biblical fiction. The
reader must determine which style of storytelling he/she desires. Which leads
us to the crux of the issue:
Why write
biblical fiction when the stories are already written in the Bible?
The Bible is the most exciting Book ever written! Each
story is full of emotion and tension. Each character experiences crisis at a
gut-wrenching level and makes life-altering choices.
But 99% of us don’t feel
that excitement when we read the Bible, do we?
Why? Because most of us
don’t understand the context in which
the words were written.
We don’t know the author or the audience, the occasion
of the writing, or the standing of nations at that time. We’re thinking of our
grocery list, a soccer game, the lost car keys.
The real
value of biblical fiction is to place readers in the setting of the characters.
Smell their smells, taste their tastes, hear their sounds. When we realize biblical
characters didn’t live in a bubble, but they were surrounded by real people
like us, it helps us identify with them more readily and allows God’s Word to
sink more deeply into our hearts. Bible characters were surrounded by hundreds
of people not recorded in Scripture, lived hundreds of days not chronicled, and
imagined a gazillion dreams never expressed. But that imagination has purpose.
Good biblical fiction
should always rouse the reader's
curiosity and drive them back to God's Word for answers. A novel is never a
substitute for Scripture. It's a bridge to transport the reader into the cultural
setting in order to learn from the stories in God’s Word.
I believe all inspirational fiction differs from the
general market because it seeks to do more than entertain. Christian fiction
seeks to inspire. As a biblical fiction
author, I hope to entertain, inspire, and
educate. My husband uses this fabulous word with his classes, and I’m
stealing the term. I hope biblical fiction provides…Edu-tainment!
What are your thoughts on
biblical fiction? What elements make up good biblical fiction? What authors do
you enjoy most?
Mesu Andrews is an author and speaker who has
devoted herself to passionate study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep love for
God’s Word, Andrews brings the biblical world alive for her audiences. Mesu and
her husband, Roy, have two grown children and (Praise God!) a growing number of
grandkids. They live in Washington, where Roy teaches at Multnomah University.
They have a Rottweiler-pitbull named Bouzer who keeps Mesu company while she
writes. She's published two books, Love
Amid the Ashes and Love's
Sacred Song. Two more are scheduled for release with Revell in
March of 2013 and 2014.
Love's Sacred Song was released March 1, 2012. For young King Solomon wisdom came as God’s gift, but sacred love was forged through passion’s fire.
Check out the Love's Sacred Song book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYCpTmNVCQo
