by Jason Joyner | May 16, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of
The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath–waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.
Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their
ORCHARD OF HOPE.
Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie…forever.
In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.
Let this riveting novel take you along to experience unexpected love, new life, and renewed faith amid life’s trials.
by Jason Joyner | May 15, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, books, fiction, music
(For reference: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6)
Time to wrap up this topic before it becomes “Day 33”. Helps me to have something to say each day, but I don’t want to end up rambling either. Today is mainly scattershot, dealing with a few separate issues.
1. Looks like I was anticipating what CCM Magazine was doing. Now instead of CCM standing for “contemporary Christian music,” it stands for “Christ. Community. Music.” They will be discussing musicians who are Christians, not just ones that publish under “Christian” labels to Christian book stores. Here’s CCM’s announcement, and a response at a Christianity Today blog, as well as a listing of some of the musicians that don’t fall under the CCM label.
2. Becky asked about false teaching. Good question! Next? (Just kidding)
Again I think it comes back to realizing that pop culture shouldn’t be where we get our discipleship and daily bread. This issue can get very tricky because some groups consider speaking in tongues as “false teaching” whereas Pentecostals hold that dear as a Biblical teaching. I know she is referring to major issues like the person/deity of Jesus. I think that major Christian publications will probably catch a lot of these. A prominent preacher, Carlton Pearson, who had released gospel albums and had performed with Carmen, started teaching universal salvation. Quickly this was reported in Charisma magazine, and most national figures he associated with pulled away from him.
I think my point is that it is not up to us as consumers to be the Holy Spirit for the artists. There is a fine line on this issue, for sure. The review of The Light of Eidon mentioned on day 2 suggested there was an inappropriate bedroom scene and the book should be avoided. I argue that the scene was NOT inappropriate (the scene doesn’t have anatomical references, and is the literary equivalent of 2 people kissing on scene while the camera fades) , but perhaps more than some people (mainly young kids) should read. I would like to see a reviewer say, “Hey, this book has [this], be careful” rather than the way it was handled in the above example. What if it was more explicit? It does get trickier there. I don’t pretend to have all the answers in this case. I think we know when something is grossly wrong, but The DaVinci Code might prove me wrong. Of course, Dan Brown is not a Christian producing art, which is my premise…
3. There is a real movement to try and encourage excellence in Christian fiction and music. Why not? Should we do anything less than our best for our Lord?
There has been a stigma with these arenas that Christian fiction or music was synonymous with lesser quality – that the art was merely packaging for a sermon. There are a lot of conversations on the web regarding letting our creativity be for art’s sake first of all. I’ve touched on that in this series, and just a few places that discuss this include Infuze, Faith in Fiction, and the Master’s Artist, as well as many individual blogs. I love the conversations at these places, and want to see some tangible results from it all.
However, I have sensed a critical spirit creeping up as a reaction to the “lesser quality” charge. It is almost that, to get away from this label, we can’t acknowledge or enjoy lesser works. In certain circles, it is almost a badge of shame to say you liked the Left Behind books. Were they high literature? No. Did I read some? Yes, until I grew tired of the formulaic delivery in each book. Should I be snooty over someone who read and enjoyed them? Hopefully those who read Left Behind have moved on to read more Christian fiction.
Is the quality label fair? I’ve seen plenty of bad books and music in the secular arena, yet Christians get unfairly stigmatized in my opinion. There used to be less choice in the CBA, but this has really begun to change over the last several years.
Mark Bertrand had a timely post called “Bring on Bad” where he admitted that bad books can be fun and serve a purpose, with a link to a Sunday Times article “Why Not the Worst?” (may require free registration) that also discusses the same topic. Now Mark is a paragon of good taste and a good voice for improving our craft, to aspire to the classics and not just good enough to get published. I don’t want to tarnish his image here 😉 . But it touched on this feeling of criticalness I’ve been feeling in some circles.
When I did 9 months of Bible school, one of the best things I did was to bring a few old Louis L’amour novels. I’d read them many times when young. After months of studying and living and breathing Biblical times, it was a real treasure to sit down with something unrelated, something I didn’t have to really think about, and enjoy it. They followed the L’amour formula to a tee, but it was nice to have such a mental break.
I want to see Christians produce the highest quality fiction, music, paintings, films, or whatever medium they choose to create in, as we are motivated by the greatest Creator. But we don’t have to get too uptight about it either.
—
Have I said enough now? I think so. Fire away with questions, comments, concerns, quibbles, or complaints.
by Jason Joyner | May 15, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, books, fiction, music
(For reference: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6)
Time to wrap up this topic before it becomes “Day 33”. Helps me to have something to say each day, but I don’t want to end up rambling either. Today is mainly scattershot, dealing with a few separate issues.
1. Looks like I was anticipating what CCM Magazine was doing. Now instead of CCM standing for “contemporary Christian music,” it stands for “Christ. Community. Music.” They will be discussing musicians who are Christians, not just ones that publish under “Christian” labels to Christian book stores. Here’s CCM’s announcement, and a response at a Christianity Today blog, as well as a listing of some of the musicians that don’t fall under the CCM label.
2. Becky asked about false teaching. Good question! Next? (Just kidding)
Again I think it comes back to realizing that pop culture shouldn’t be where we get our discipleship and daily bread. This issue can get very tricky because some groups consider speaking in tongues as “false teaching” whereas Pentecostals hold that dear as a Biblical teaching. I know she is referring to major issues like the person/deity of Jesus. I think that major Christian publications will probably catch a lot of these. A prominent preacher, Carlton Pearson, who had released gospel albums and had performed with Carmen, started teaching universal salvation. Quickly this was reported in Charisma magazine, and most national figures he associated with pulled away from him.
I think my point is that it is not up to us as consumers to be the Holy Spirit for the artists. There is a fine line on this issue, for sure. The review of The Light of Eidon mentioned on day 2 suggested there was an inappropriate bedroom scene and the book should be avoided. I argue that the scene was NOT inappropriate (the scene doesn’t have anatomical references, and is the literary equivalent of 2 people kissing on scene while the camera fades) , but perhaps more than some people (mainly young kids) should read. I would like to see a reviewer say, “Hey, this book has [this], be careful” rather than the way it was handled in the above example. What if it was more explicit? It does get trickier there. I don’t pretend to have all the answers in this case. I think we know when something is grossly wrong, but The DaVinci Code might prove me wrong. Of course, Dan Brown is not a Christian producing art, which is my premise…
3. There is a real movement to try and encourage excellence in Christian fiction and music. Why not? Should we do anything less than our best for our Lord?
There has been a stigma with these arenas that Christian fiction or music was synonymous with lesser quality – that the art was merely packaging for a sermon. There are a lot of conversations on the web regarding letting our creativity be for art’s sake first of all. I’ve touched on that in this series, and just a few places that discuss this include Infuze, Faith in Fiction, and the Master’s Artist, as well as many individual blogs. I love the conversations at these places, and want to see some tangible results from it all.
However, I have sensed a critical spirit creeping up as a reaction to the “lesser quality” charge. It is almost that, to get away from this label, we can’t acknowledge or enjoy lesser works. In certain circles, it is almost a badge of shame to say you liked the Left Behind books. Were they high literature? No. Did I read some? Yes, until I grew tired of the formulaic delivery in each book. Should I be snooty over someone who read and enjoyed them? Hopefully those who read Left Behind have moved on to read more Christian fiction.
Is the quality label fair? I’ve seen plenty of bad books and music in the secular arena, yet Christians get unfairly stigmatized in my opinion. There used to be less choice in the CBA, but this has really begun to change over the last several years.
Mark Bertrand had a timely post called “Bring on Bad” where he admitted that bad books can be fun and serve a purpose, with a link to a Sunday Times article “Why Not the Worst?” (may require free registration) that also discusses the same topic. Now Mark is a paragon of good taste and a good voice for improving our craft, to aspire to the classics and not just good enough to get published. I don’t want to tarnish his image here 😉 . But it touched on this feeling of criticalness I’ve been feeling in some circles.
When I did 9 months of Bible school, one of the best things I did was to bring a few old Louis L’amour novels. I’d read them many times when young. After months of studying and living and breathing Biblical times, it was a real treasure to sit down with something unrelated, something I didn’t have to really think about, and enjoy it. They followed the L’amour formula to a tee, but it was nice to have such a mental break.
I want to see Christians produce the highest quality fiction, music, paintings, films, or whatever medium they choose to create in, as we are motivated by the greatest Creator. But we don’t have to get too uptight about it either.
—
Have I said enough now? I think so. Fire away with questions, comments, concerns, quibbles, or complaints.
by Jason Joyner | May 12, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
RANSOMED DREAMS
(Multnomah April 16, 2007)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid Blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms’ Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drama. Tragedy. Thriller. Romance. Can these four actually go together? Amy Wallace’s meaty first book of the Defenders of Hope Series, RANSOMED DREAMS, has successfully united these genres.
It is one of those books that after you read a little and put it down, the desire to see what will happen next is so strong that it will occupy your thoughts, compelling you to make the time to finish. But watch out! It is best consumed where no one will hear you cry because, if you have children, it will hit you like a stab in the gut and wrench you with a twist of the knife.
Although the subject at first depresses, the characters are so real and likable that you need to see what will become of them.
This book will NOT bore you.
BACK COVER COPY:
Chained To Yesterday
When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.
Forgiveness Unlocks the Future
An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.
The Past Is the Key
A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?
ENDORSEMENTS:
Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market
~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void
Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn’t let go until the deeply satisfying ending.
~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants
by Jason Joyner | May 12, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
RANSOMED DREAMS
(Multnomah April 16, 2007)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid Blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms’ Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drama. Tragedy. Thriller. Romance. Can these four actually go together? Amy Wallace’s meaty first book of the Defenders of Hope Series, RANSOMED DREAMS, has successfully united these genres.
It is one of those books that after you read a little and put it down, the desire to see what will happen next is so strong that it will occupy your thoughts, compelling you to make the time to finish. But watch out! It is best consumed where no one will hear you cry because, if you have children, it will hit you like a stab in the gut and wrench you with a twist of the knife.
Although the subject at first depresses, the characters are so real and likable that you need to see what will become of them.
This book will NOT bore you.
BACK COVER COPY:
Chained To Yesterday
When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.
Forgiveness Unlocks the Future
An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.
The Past Is the Key
A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?
ENDORSEMENTS:
Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market
~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void
Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn’t let go until the deeply satisfying ending.
~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants
by Jason Joyner | May 11, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, books, fiction, music, writing craft
It’s amazing how sick kids and internet connection problems will kill your posting schedule. Be that as it may, here’s day 6 of “The Christian Marketplace”. (Once again, to see the discussion: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5)
I ended the last day with the point “Give [the artist] the freedom to make the [art] they want, whether their main motivation is creative or spiritual.” My theme was the idea of letting the artist proceed with the major motivation that is driving them. If a band’s goal is to make a worship album, then I would want them to make the best worship album they can. If they are writing about some of the hard questions in life, then make it to the glory of God, even if it doesn’t answer the questions in 2 verses, a bridge, and the chorus.
The church has always struggled with a balance of the sacred and the worldly in art. How long were artists not allowed to draw the human body or other aspects of creation so as to “not have any idols”? Then again, how many artists had God as their motivation to make some of the greatest works of art in Western civilization?
Today Christians struggle with the idea that if they don’t try to use art as a vehicle for the gospel, then they are not truly “using their gifts for God.” I don’t think I agree with that. I did a little series back in September on Art and the Bible. In that I discussed how esteemed Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer didn’t believe it either. If you create art with the only idea of carrying a message, he said it is little more than a tract. However, he felt a body of work would reveal a person’s worldview.
Again, Becky had a pertinent comment:
The pastor (Allistair Begg) described two errors–one being Christians who isolate from the culture to cling to the truth and the other those who participate in the culture at the price of truth. In the first instance, he said, the Christians have the truth but no one to share it with. In the second, they have lots of people, but have lost the truth to give them.
This is true, but I would hope that any Christian worth his salt (pun intented) would find a way to speak of Jesus, whether through their lives or their art. I know that I could not write without at some point speaking of my faith. However, I am not prepared to make that the defining principle for anyone else.
Again, I use the example (again, which is extreme) of Britney Spears. In her early days she tried to say that her faith could co-exist with her sexual persona. Unfortunately we have seen how that has played out. I don’t pretend to know what the eternal state of her soul is, but it is obvious by the fruit that she is having problems. A different artist is Carrie Underwood. She sings standard country music songs about cheatin’ and lyin’, but her biggest hit is still “Jesus Take the Wheel”. Also, even though I am not a country music fan, she does not seem to be cancelling out her witness by having public problems like Ms. Spears.
Am I beating a dead horse yet, or is this making sense? I guess my overall admonition would be that, in the field of pop culture, we (as a consuming audience) need to let Christian artists follow their call as best they are able, and give them grace if they do something artistically that doesn’t follow with our “preferred career course” for them. If Third Day wants to make a kicking rock album because they feel the freedom to, then by all means! If Ted Dekker writes a stunning novel that doesn’t spell out the gospel by page 300, because he has an artistic vision of what he is trying to accomplish, then kudos for him. If you don’t like it, leave it, don’t stumble over it, and see if you can pick up with them later. Michael W. Smith followed Amy Grant’s example in the early 90’s of writing wholesome love and pop songs, and had some mainstream success. However, that phase of his career has passed, and now he is writing the most worshipful music I’ve seen from him. This proves my point – over his storied career he probably has lost people on the way, only to pick them up later. If not, then he picks up new ones.
I don’t think I’ve exhausted this topic, but I believe I’m about done for the time being. Tomorrow I just want to wrap up some loose ends dealing with the question of “false teaching” and quality vs. the joy of bad books!
