Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Christians and Secular Books

Charles Finny once said "I cannot believe that a person who has ever known the love of God can relish a secular novel" and denounced many great writers.  I'm sure many Christians, past and present, share this view.  Charles Colson, however, provides and excellent response to that statement in his book The One Year Devotions for People of Purpose

Many writers of secular books weave profound Christian themes into their works, and interestingly enough, these works have brought people to Christ when the Bible didn't.  This was the case with Louise Cowan, coauthor of Invitation to the Classics.  After reading numerous theological works and the Bible, she did not return to the faith.  It was eventually the works of Shakespeare and The Brothers Karamazov  by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that allowed her to see the truth of the Gospel.  Colson shares another story of a Russian girl who was converted by reading literature when she was not allowed to read the Bible. 

Is it possible that we as Christians have put God in a box, thinking that he only speaks through His Word and His children?  Although this is very often the case, by the above stories we can also see that God works way outside of that.  He can reach the lost through the work of unbelievers, who may not have intended to bring glory to Him whatsoever.  I have found no indication that Dostoyevsky was a Christian, (although he may have been) and God used him to bring souls to Himself.

There is power in story.  I have often found that novels can teach me just as much as a book out of the Spiritual Growth section.  Jesus Himself often used parables to teach people spiritual ideas.  Louise Cowan explained how literature brought her to where she is. "Not until a literary work of art awakened my imaginative faculties could the possibility of a larger context and reason alone engage my mind. . . . I had to be transformed in the way that literature transforms--by story, image, symbol--before I could see the simple truths of the Gospel."

Don't underestimate the power of story and literary works.  They can teach us much about our world and lead others to their Creator.


  1. I do have a difficult time navigating through this though. In my personal story, before I knew Christ, I was strongly opposed to anything that literally gave Jesus His proper place. What I do know for sure, is that truth is truth, no matter what form it reveals itself. What is secular anyway? Are the heaven's secular? Is creation secular? They don't literally spell out the name of Christ, but they do proclaim the greatness of our God. Is my laptop secular? How about my carpet? If my carpet is secular, can I walk on it?
    Much of the Bible is in itself, story; especially the Old Testament. We find stories about real people, what they did and what came out of the lives they lived. If we took out all of the stories from the Bible, what would be left?

    Truth seekers find truth.

  2. Kevin,

    I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Perhaps you could clarify. But I agree with your question, what is secular? What defines a book as secular? What about music? Some is distinctly Christian, some is not. I think when many Christians use the term secular, they mean worldly.

    Truth seekers find truth, but is it possible that people stumble upon truth without seeking out, or even when they're trying to deny it?