Speculative Faith Reading Group 8: The Stone Table

In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” how has Aslan’s death affected you, and how does it affect you now? How do other stories’ heroes’ deaths remind you of Christ’s ultimate death?
— E. Stephen Burnett in July 2012 —

The Spiritual Villain

Bane vs. The Joker: in stories, the scariest villains are not the ones who kill the most, leer the most, or have the worst weapons. Instead the scariest villains have spiritual impact on the main characters, or we as readers and viewers.
— E. Stephen Burnett in July 2012 —

Speculative Faith Reading Group 7: Aslan Springs Forth

In these two chapters, watch for this contrast: of the wrong sort of “seriousness” — the manipulative, duty-driven dominance of the Witch — versus the joyful, holy, righteous seriousness that Aslan brings.
— E. Stephen Burnett in July 2012 —

Shining Light In ‘The Dark Knight’

“You’ll hunt me; you’ll condemn me,” Batman says at the end of The Dark Knight. “That’s what needs to happen.” Some Christians cried: “No it’s not! Heroes don’t lie!” They miss the point.
— E. Stephen Burnett in July 2012 —

The Sword Endures

With all the different kinds of speculative stories, with fantastic weapons and wars, why is the symbol and themes of the sword so transcendent?
— Rebecca P. Minor in July 2012 —

Speculative Faith Reading Group 6: Greed and Gifts

In these two chapters of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” we see good and evil even more clearly — along with God-exalting, reality-reflecting truths of what really causes evil, and the seriousness of fighting it.
— E. Stephen Burnett in July 2012 —

Sex, Violence and Dark Events

I understand that some readers are made very uncomfortable reading “graphic horror and implied sexual abuse,” but does that mean neither can ever be acceptable elements in Christian fiction, regardless of the purpose they might serve in that fiction? Should Christian authors of speculative fiction – or any fiction – refrain from putting “dark and violent things” into their novels as a matter of principle?
— Karen Hancock in July 2012 —

Speculative Faith Reading Group 1: Entering The ‘Wardrobe’

This week I’m starting a reading group at my church for “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” You’re invited to join. How does this story honor God, and how can we learn from C.S. Lewis’s success at redeeming pagan myth for His glory?
— E. Stephen Burnett in May 2012 —

Sex In The Story 1: Shooting Up Heroine

Action heroine Black Widow is annoying some fans of the forthcoming “Avengers” film. How come? Is a story’s female character only strong if she is fighting men or bad guys?
— E. Stephen Burnett in February 2012 —

Magic Realism, Part 4

A writer cannot achieve his purpose. The reader must. So the purpose must be well communicated, then endorsed by readers. So why put a seeming out-of-place event in a story, or even base a story around one?
— C.L. Dyck in February 2012 —

The “Alien Work” Of God Part IV

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Not this blog series. At least, I hope none of you think that. But I’ve noticed a pattern. Whenever I sit down to write one of these columns, NASA announces that they’ve found more extra-solar planets.
— John Otte in December 2011 —

Why I Wrote ‘The Harry Potter Bible Study’

Pastor Jared Moore: “I wrote ‘The Harry Potter Bible Study’ because I’m trying to encourage Christians to approach their cultures with the same method of interpretation they use when reading Scripture. I believe Christians should be consistent. Please allow me to explain.”
— Jared Moore in December 2011 —

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 5

In the New Earth, as here in the Old, we won’t worship things, but worship Christ *with* things. Those may include our speculative stories, maybe even resurrected from this world. Four more reasons why this speculation is based on Scriptural promises about the After-world.
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2011 —

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 4

Based on Scripture, we can know that God loves stories, we can worship Him now through stories, and we’re destined to worship Him for eternity in many of the same ways. Of course, we can’t take any thing with us after death. Yet our God is a God of resurrection.
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2011 —

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 3

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for God’s Word — His perfect written revelation that He has promised will last forever, even into the New Earth. What would it be like to read the Bible then? How can that eternal perspective help us enjoy His Story now?
— E. Stephen Burnett in November 2011 —

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 2

Christians have three main views about the afterlife, all within Gospel faith. But should we even bother with studying and anticipating Heaven? What do we and don’t we know about Heaven from the Bible? Should we speculate about that world?
— E. Stephen Burnett in November 2011 —

Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 1

“Your job and your hobbies have no eternal value.” Why do many Christians suspect that belief is true?
— E. Stephen Burnett in November 2011 —
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