My Theory of the Five Types
For a while now, I’ve been thinking about the different types of Christian fiction stories, for any medium, especially through discussions I have had with my brother in film school. Mostly, I’ve been concerned with what makes a story “Christian” but also how our faith can inform the stories we tell. Because I like systemizing things, I came up with Five Types of Christian Fiction. I think these can help us think and better able us to write fiction, but as I’m still trying to figure this all out, I welcome any feedback you have.
The big reason this has been on my mind is that I’m shopping around my middle-grade novel Super Jake, and I can’t decide if I should look exclusively for a Christian publisher or query secular traditional publishers too. You see, some faith elements and Christian morals play a role in the story, but explicit Christian messages are minor. The characters are Believers, and they pray once or twice, but there is never a scene at church nor a sermon. There is never a description of the Gospel. The story doesn’t revolve around someone coming to faith.
So is it Christian?
My short answer, based on the Five Types is: “kind of.”
The Continuum
Imagine a continuum, a spectrum, of potentially Christian stories.
On one side you have a very explicitly Christian story—faith solves some or all of the problems, God is talked about a lot, or a character grows spiritually. Then on the complete opposite side, you have a story that on the surface doesn’t scream “Christian.” It might be family-friendly, but nothing would necessarily tell you that the author is Christian since there isn’t an explicit faith-based message.
This is the Christian Fiction Continuum. If you are a Christian writer, chances are your story falls somewhere on the line between those two extremes. Each “type” is defined by what part of the story your faith informs. As I said, it works on a continuum, progressing from Type 1 which isn’t explicitly Christian to more and more Christian elements. As well, the higher Types tend to incorporate elements from the lower numbers, like a snowball in a cartoon picking up more snow and getting larger.
This Christian Fiction continuum is only for Christian authors. If faith doesn’t inform your writing at all, then the Five Types don’t apply to you. Even if a non-Christian author deals with a Christian theme, like redemption, or if their story is an allegory for David and Goliath, that doesn’t earn them a spot on the continuum. The assumption of these five categories is that you are trying to have your Christian faith influence the type of writing you put out.
Yet one other quick caveat about the continuum: it’s based on how explicit the Christianity is, not based on what will impact people the most, and it’s especially not about how Christian you are. Another way to think about the continuum is by viewing it from the lens of a secular publisher. By and large, a secular publisher is going to be less interested in a novel the more explicitly Christian it gets, while a Christian publisher may be less interested in it if it has no faith elements. The continuum measures how obvious Christian faith is in the story being told.
Let’s tackle the description of each of the Five Types. Each asks the question “What element of the story does the faith most influence?”
Type 1 – Faith in the Morality
The least obviously Christian work is the type I call “Faith in the Morality.” This means that your faith is primarily influencing the morality of the story. In other words, your story is “clean.” This might mean your story doesn’t include swearing, sex scenes, or occult themes. It might be family-friendly, with a good G or PG rating.
Your clean work might have serious elements—depression, affairs, or violence—but it handles those subject matters tastefully. There can be a textbook jerk, but you can find ways to display his jerkiness without cussing (or too much cussing) or excessive meanness. Big time Christian literary agent Steve Laube has some interesting thoughts on what makes a clean story that is worth a read. Additionally, generally by the end of the clean story, good guys are rewarded and bad guys are in some way “punished.” The chief complaint, I imagine, of a “Faith in the Morality” story is that it’s too cheesy, too unrealistically clean, or has one-dimensional characters. But it is possible to have clean Christian virtues present and not be lame.
Examples of Type 1 works are bountiful. Go to the Christian books aisle, and you’ll likely find tons of Amish romance novels or historical fiction. These are clean, and might even feature Christian characters, but the message isn’t about faith. You can also find Type 1 books in other sections at the bookstore. Many children’s books, if written by Christian authors, are probably Type 1. My own middle-grade superhero book, the aforementioned Super Jake series, probably best falls into this category (though it could also be Type 2) even though it has some good themes and lessons that in some ways reflect Christianity.
Remember, for someone to create a Type 1 story, their faith must influence their desire to create clean entertainment. Disney movies might be family-friendly and rated PG, but they don’t fall into this category because faith isn’t likely contributing to their decision to create that kind of content. You might really be able to tell a clean book has a Christian behind it when it’s written for adults, but is surprisingly free of language or sex. Especially, I’d imagine, in the romance genre it might be easy to pick out an author motivated by Christian purity, although non-Christian authors might not like erotica either.
In the various Christian writers, filmmakers, and comic creator Facebook groups I’m a part of I see a lot of Type 1s created by people who want alternative content to impure or inappropriate content available in the secular world. Indeed, there are a lot of people who want to “baptize” genres or stories that often feature excessive violence, cursing, or sex. They might redeem zombies by making the stories less gory, or redeem romance by having the characters not sleep together before marriage. All of these would be examples of “Faith in the Morality.”
Type 2 – Faith in the Theme
Now we travel to a slightly more explicit type of Christian storytelling–but only slightly more explicit. In Type 1, faith influences the morality and the level of cleanliness of the work. But in Type 2, “Faith in the Theme,” the overall direction of the story is directly influenced by Christian values or teachings. In this Type faith, though hiding in the background, has something to say about what the story is doing. From this point forward in the continuum, faith will be somewhere intricately in how the story moves and where it ends up.
The theme is the general principle you want to get across, but the message is the specific example of the theme in action (see Type 5), according to author coach K.M. Weiland. Christian themes might include redemption, forgiveness, overcoming pride, leaving paradise / Eden, deciding not to seek revenge, or someone sacrificing themselves for the good of others. All of these things can also be messages in movies made by secular Hollywood or put out in popular books or comics. It’s only in Type 2 when a Christian who might feel a unique obligation from his or her faith to craft a story that subtly teaches one of these virtues.
If your story has a good faith-based lesson but the story doesn’t directly promote Christianity, then it could be a Type 2. Type 2 stories can be published or produced by non-Christian companies who like the story and can sell it to an audience wider than only the Christian market. But Type 2 stories shouldn’t be preachy. If they are too preachy, they might more likely be Type 4s or 5s, since Type 2s are defined by having more hidden Christian connections.
One of the best examples of Type 2 stories is The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkien designed the books with Christian themes including overcoming temptation, selflessness, and even the idea of life as a journey with trials and tribulations that require the help of others. But The Lord of the Rings is not a one-to-one allegory. Frodo might be the ring bearer in a way similar to Jesus as the cross-bearer, but at other times Frodo is very unlike Christ. Someone could easily read the books or watch the movies and never know the Christian intentions behind them.
Another example is It’s a Wonderful Life. While the story requires Christian elements to work (like the existence of God and angels), the actual story isn’t exclusively Christian. It’s a story of redemption and about how our lives have meaning. That’ll preach even to not Christians. It’s a Wonderful Life is a Type 2 because it incorporates Christian-based themes without requiring the audience to have faith.
Type 3 – Faith in the Allegory
“Faith in the Allegory” stories are very similar to “Faith in the Theme” stories except they are just a tad more explicit. They are often either retellings of Biblical stories set in a different time period or they are completely set in a fantasy land. Type 3 builds on Type 2 by not just having faith as a part of the story’s theme, but as a part of the story’s plot structure.
Again, it bears mentioning that the secular world borrows from Biblical sources all the time, but that doesn’t mean they fall on this list. Even at a public school, my junior year English teacher taught us about the “Christ-type,” a type of figure who appears in literature and sacrifices themselves for others. Type 3 goes doesn’t incorporate literary tropes because they are cool, but because they serve the message.
C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series, especially The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are great examples of Type 3 Christian fiction. As many people know, Aslan is a kind of allegory for Jesus. [Lewis, however, defined allegory a little differently than most and preferred to call the Narnia series “supposals.”] Of course, if you play “Spot the difference,” you’ll find plenty. But it’s clear to anyone familiar with the Biblical narrative and the Narnia books that Lewis is retelling and reimagining the Bible through events occurring in a fantasy land. The plot itself doesn’t showcase Christian faith directly, but faith clearly influences the story’s main beats in a more explicit way than something like Lord of the Rings.
Many of Ted Dekker’s books are allegorical—like his Circle Series or the Lost Books series—which feature a fantasy land that mirrors the Biblical narrative in fantastical ways. Liz Curtis Higgs also has her Lowlands of Scotland series which is a retelling of Jacob, Rachel, Leah, and Dinah’s story from the Bible but is set in late 1700s Scotland. As another example in a different medium, my mom has used allegorical stories in her talks to illustrate teaching points when she’s spoken at a Lady’s retreat.
“Faith in the Allegory” books could easily be presented in front of non-believing audiences with little qualms. People have loved The Chronicles of Narnia for years—Christians and non-Christians alike—even though it’s not hard to see the Christian message. However, in Type 3 stories, you often only find the “faith” if you have the “key.” The key, in this case, is a knowledge of the Biblical narrative or some external knowledge. In the Lowlands of Scotland, for instance, you are told in the book description that this is a retelling). Also in Ted Dekker’s fantasy series, a character compares the real world’s God to the fantasy world’s god named Elyon, so you could probably make the connection fast.
But because using allegory is often more explicit then having Christian themes, secular publishers may reject it for being too Christian. It all depends on what level of explicitness you have achieved, and how many liberties you’ve taken with the allegory. Retellings of a Biblical story might only catch the eye of Christian publishers, while more fantastical takes might allow you to reach a wider audience.
Type 4 – Faith in the Plot
Type 1 introduced faith in the language and descriptions of the story. Type 2 introduced faith in the thematic choices. Type 3 introduced faith in the structure of the plot. Now, Type 4 introduces faith as explicitly tied into the content. Of course, you could have mentioned God, church, or prayer in any of the other types—but in Type 4, it goes beyond a mere mention and becomes a larger part of the story.
The easiest way to explain Type 4 is to spoil Type 5. In Type 5, faith solves the problems, the story often involves someone coming to faith, and the whole overall message is about faith. Type 4 is almost to that point but is toned down; Type 4 stories use faith as a major driving force in the plot, but the main takeaway might not necessarily be about faith (though it could be a Christian theme – see Type 2).
Type 4 stories might center around a clergy or missionary, it usually has at least one dedicated Christian person as either main or supporting characters, and the plot probably revolves around religion in some way. It’s Type 4s, I image, that will spark the most debates over “Is it a Christian movies/book/story?” because often it tows a fine line between just having themes (Type 2 or 3) and have an explicit Christian message (Type 5).
It’s easiest to describe this category with examples. The Book of Eli comes to mind as a possible answer, since the movie is about the main character protecting a Bible—it’s his special mission from God, essentially. The movie Hacksaw Ridge (which is based on a true story) tells the story of a Christian soldier in WWII who refuses to kill anyone, but manages to save the lives of 75 people—a great example of how his faith catalyzes the plot and moves the story. But even still, the message isn’t simply “you should be a Christian.” The book and movie Silence is also centered largely around faith, being about missionaries to Japan. Yet because the movie doesn’t “settle” questions it brings up about faith, it stays in Type 4 instead of moves on to Type 5. Recently, I read a great book called The Lost Book of the Grail written by Charlie Lovett, which features a character who loves to go to church but doesn’t believe in God who meets a character who believes in God but doesn’t like to go to church—yet the ending left any final faith decisions in question. All of these heavily involve faith matters but don’t necessarily get into the territory of preaching. There are often faith themes, but the central message isn’t a sermon with a call to repent and be baptized.
For some reason, I see that a lot of Type 4 stories are very edgy or serious. The three movies I mentioned (The Book of Eli, Hacksaw Ridge, and Silence) are all rated R! (Some Type 4 movies and books might also be so-called “blasphemous” stories. See my article on why I think blasphemy is good for Christians to hear). While your could have a Type 5 movie with serious elements, you aren’t going to find many of them that are rated R, probably because their conservative Christian target demographic doesn’t like sex, violence, or language. I’d love thoughts in the comments on why Type 4 movies might be so edgy, moving a long way from their Type 1 roots.
Type 5 – Faith in the Message
Finally, we reach the most explicit Christian story. It’s Type 5. “Faith in the Message.” As the description of Type 4 already discussed, Type 5 stories are typically trying to get you to believe, change your behavior, or grow in your faith. At this point, everything is on the table. There is often little subtly. While in Type 3, I said you needed a “key” to understand the faith element in the story, here in Type 5 you have everything (or close to everything) you need.
Type 5 stories typically feature a character or characters leaving a sinful former way of life and becoming a good person. There is usually a wiser (often older) Christian who dispenses advice and wisdom. A conversion from unbelief to belief or a prayer to recommit a person’s faith is almost always present. Typically, a person coming to faith or growing closer to God is what solves the problem of the story. All the other types are also incorporated someway in this sort of story.
A “Faith in the Message” story will have a hard time being published or distributed by a secular publisher. Of course, we’ve seen recently the power of Christian movies as a slew of popular ones have come out in theaters over the last few years. But these are still (largely) made by Christian companies and they appeal most to believers already (despite their conversion themes). Movies that are made by the bigger secular companies definitely fall under Type 4, not 5.
Type 5 stories you are almost always going to find in the Christian section at the store. Examples include anything by the Kendrick Brothers—movies like Fireproof, Courageous, or War Room. Heaven is for Real is an example of a movie that tries to get you to believe in the supernatural power of God. God’s Not Dead and The Case for Christ feature atheists coming to belief in God. Stories that tell Bible stories, like movies about Jesus’ life, are probably examples of Type 5. For a book example, I recommend my friend Kevin Micuch’s book Quickening Ceres which is quality Christian science fiction that features faith in the plot and a central message about faith.
I believe Type 5 is the only true “Christian story” type. Once you get to this point you are going to need to label it Christian, because there is no hiding it. The other Types can go under the radar, but not Type 5. Some Type 4 stories might need the Christian label, but they typically can get around that by downplaying the Christian message or having a complex and interesting story that doesn’t end up in a conversion. Type 5s are wholeheartedly Christian and the story always shows the importance of faith in Christ (see Karen Ball’s definition of a Christian book, but also her discussion of Christian books just giving “pat” answers ).
Which One is Best?
Here’s the thing, fellow writers and creators: there is no best Type! In fact we need all of them! As has been described, your audience gets narrower when you climb the Type ladder, but the explicitness of your Christian message grows. How you decide to balance that is up to you.
For me, I want to write in all five categories. Faith influences all the writing I do, but how that faith is manifested is always different depending on what kind of story I want to tell, what is my message, and who is my audience. But you might be different. Maybe you’d like to camp out at “Faith in the Theme” and make your books thematically but not exclusively Christian. Go for it! Maybe you feel called to make unashamedly Christian movies. Awesome! (Just don’t make them super cheesy.) Whatever stance shapes your writing is okay.
What if you don’t like any of the Types? Well, that’s a tough one. I believe as a Christian your faith should influence your art—if it doesn’t, I have some serious questions! Yet I can understand someone working in the world of secular entertainment having a tough time importing faith elements into the stories they create. But I bet there is some way they can influence the creative process. Maybe they can tone down on graphic depictions, or maybe they can include a faith-based theme. Maybe you can secretly design a story mimicking a Biblical narrative. It depends on your situation. My initial thought is that as a Christian, you can’t and shouldn’t avoid using one of the five strategies in whatever you create.
Take Paul’s advice in all of those. As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He also says something similar in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” No matter what direction you go, write your stories to the glory of God.
Your Thoughts Now
What do you think? Are their more than Five Types? Are their other examples of stories that you can think of that fit in any of the categories? Let me know your feedback in the comments below!
