Should Christians Write Fantasy?

Im a Christian that enjoys fantasy but I dont try to justify it. One can not say "its ok as long as it doesnt cause anyone to go  astray". There is no way you can tell what effects your action has in another part of the nation or world. I do say this however, can a Chritian write a sex novel? Sex is real, the couples can even be married! Why should his artistic talents be blocked by an "irrational fear"?

I'm not a Christian, but I was raised by extremely religious parents. (I've read the bible a few times too.) If you are a Christian writing fantasy and telling people that magic is real and they should practice witchcraft/wizardry...obviously that conflicts with Christian belief. On the other hand, writing about witches in a fantasy book actually promotes the belief that witches/magic is not real. 

I'm a christian and believe wholeheartedly in Christ Jesus and what he did and does for mankind. I feel as long as my writings don't persuade others to believe any differently, and the word of God is not degraded or changed, then its alright. My novels (Sci/fi/Fantasy Action Adventure)are imaginative and inspired by an imagination that was given to me by God and can be used for His purposes, which are to bring all who will, to the wonders found while seeking his truths in the Bible. 

It's not that Christian shouldn't write fantasy. It's that most of them should put their faith past them. From my experience, there's nothing blocking creativity more than an irrational fear of a certain topic caused by your religion or otherwise an ideology. If you can't look past the prohibition of imaginary practice (I think we can all agree, magic is not real) because of a rule written over 2,000 years ago, then I'm sorry, but you probably shouldn't be a speculative fiction writer.

I am a Christian, and this has been a serious problem for me. I've always loved fantasy and wanted to write fantasy, but my family was very conservative and always tried to get me to write something different. When I tried saying I would write "Christian fantasy" like C.S. Lewis, my grandmother looked at me like I had just cussed at her.

Now, my stories have developed to where many Christian publishing houses wouldn't touch it, but it still includes major themes from my faith. It's violent, full of sorcerous cannibals, and replete with demons who claim to be gods. These are things that many Christians would absolutely hate in a story, but I feel do not compromise the greater themes of redemption and divine intention for life.Essentially, the question Christians need to ask is "Why am I writing fantasy, and what kind of magic needs is included?" I am personally opposed to necromancy as used by protagonists, but I understand that some may disagree. The kind of magic that is condemned in the Bible is divination and necromancy. Divination, seeking to contravene the power of God by  seeking out mystical truths, open us to demonic forces, and necromancy, speaking to the dead, does the same.

 It all depends on how the fantasy world is set up, and that's the wonderful part of writing fantasy. If we're writing about a world with a pantheon of gods, well, some may be able to do that. It all depends on how it is done and what is the point of the story.

As an atheist thinking hypothetically, i simply cannot understand why a decent loving god would have a problem with this, especially as (if he did create the universe) he seems to have created the universe without any real magic in it. so any mention of such things in the bible is just due to the superstitions of the time, and any magic in books cannot be compared to anything in real life, other than metaphorically.

People who say that Christians shouldn't write fantasy are raving idiots IMO. 

Outstanding article Tony! 

Why shouldn't we be able to? And who's really going to stop us. If someone doesn't think a Christian shouldn't write/read fantasy, then they won't buy our books. But yet they still sell. I consider myself very solid in my belief in God. I've loved C.S. Lewis since I was a kid and have torn through so many fantasy (and sci-fi books, the social engineering and indoctrination in some of those could almost be viewed as more threatening than magic and dragons) books since then I stopped buying hard copies cause I'd need a room just for a library. No kidding. we're talking walls of books here. 

My pastor asked me once when I was a teenage why I read what I did (I think I was in a Harry Potter phase at the time and the whole church had it out for me). I told him it wasn't real and as long as I remembered that, I was good. He didn't know what to make of that...

Anyways, God gave us imaginations and individual gifts. If that means I want to turn the dream of an elephant that fell a apart like a sponge into a story, so be it. If I want to work a Christian message in there and Christians want to ban it, it's their loss. I'm more interested in reaching out to the unsaved anyways.

I believe this...since it is not for us to judge others...then why not? Nothing is impossible with God and we are all here to experience, to help other souls learn. So why can't Christians write fantasy?

1. Are they a legit Christian? 2. Can they write? 3. If God told them to do it, take it up with Him.

I believe that most literature is tinged with some amount of bias, whether religious or otherwise. As human beings, we can't help but add in these inclinations to our writing because they mean something. It is not wrong for Christians to write fantasy so long as it is categorized and marketed based on the content. 

For  more answers  about magic and miracles and the difference between the two, check out my blog on http://ezrascrollofscribes.wordpress.com. I tried commenting it here but it want post.

At the risk of offending, I think the very definition of 'magic' is open to question. What about Jesus' miracles? What about the miracles that are attributed to some of the disciples? What about the contest between Moses and the Egyptian magicians? Who is to say which 'magic' comes from God and which from an evil source? (If, in fact, anything in creation can exist without the the agency of God) Surely it is simply down to how the ability is used - as ever, God allows us free will in the exercise of whatever talents we have or in the use of the resources we have to hand.

And however divinely inspired the Bible may be, it bears the stamp of its times. I was shocked to realise that the 5,000 who were fed were all men ('they were five thousand, and women and children' it says). So, in such a patriarchally-inclined society, who is to say that if the 'Son' of God had been a woman and performed the miracles that Jesus did, that she might not have been burned as a witch...? So, similarly, perhaps the perception of what power comes from God and what is 'sorcery' may be culturally biased, and little to do with the truth. With 'magic' and with writing, God gives the gift, and it's good - the rest depends on the user.

Thomas More said that God created man (apologies to the ladies) to 'serve him wittily, in the tangle of his mind' - I'm quite sure that includes a few dragons and unicorns.

(I am not a Christian, by the way, and use the term 'God' for convenience.)

The way I see it, if you build a shrine to Voldemort or Dumbledore and start genuinely worshiping their deceased spirit, then maybe you've gone a bit too far. If you enjoy the books and the movies and you got a t-shirt at the theme park, there's nothing wrong with that. 

I'm a Christian and I love to read and to write fantasy. It's called fantasy for a reason--i.e. it's fantastical, not real. God gave us imaginations--I think He's pleased when we use our imaginations for something that brings delight to others.

Utterly ridiculous. Although I'm not a Christian myself, and perhaps that's why I don't see it as a problem, if Christians couldn't write fantasy, we'd be bereft of the visions of two of literature's great fantasists---J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

I think that it's a personal decision, not a hard and fast rule. Christians should allow the Spirit to guide them. If you idolize fantasy, the occult and other practices that may glorify evil, perhaps you should reconsider writing about them. This is the same as drinking alcohol, smoking or gambling. The reason they are frowned upon in the Bible is because they can lure the faithful away from God, who cares for people's souls. Apart from Christian fiction, I write paranormal, that is, Time Travel, and sci-fi. It's the message behind the story that's important to me and I feel comfortable doing  it.

As a Christian, I've never struggled with the magical aspects of my fantasy, or even with the fantasy gods I've used.  But I've struggled with the moral implications of the violence in some of my writing.  I do my best, however, to portray that violence with the emotional overtones that are right for the moment, the emotions that most readers would normally want to feel about the events being portrayed, and not to bring my readers to glorify a character's horrible actions.

Why does it matter? Just leave em be and they'll let us

Well, why shouldn't they?

Depends on the particular interpretation of "Christian" and "Fantasy." both of these terms are fairly widely and variously interpreted.

Good comment, Jeff Ogden.

@TerriRochenski 2/2 so maybe someday I'll write it. ;)

@TerriRochenski That's a really great post. I've actually had a draft of 'Should Christians write romance with all the spicy stuff....' 1/2

CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien were two of the major influences that prepared me to be a Christian. Tolkien believed we are little makers made in the image of The Maker. He called fantasy writing "Sub-creation". Both he and Lewis felt fantasy was a means of helping people gain a truer vision of what "reality" is actually about. The magic warned about in the Bible is nothing like the magic in most fantasy stories. The Bible forbids consorting with demons, calling on familiar spirits, speaking with the dead, and trying to divine the future. There's a reason Tolkien chose "The Necromancer" as a nickname for Sauron.

As an atheist, not my place to comment one way or the other.

I'd also like to add that I find it a bit insulting and belittling when people refer to my beliefs as "magic and fantasy". Come on guys, let's not be condescending, you don't have to believe, but you also don't have to be a jerk about it.

Many christians have reservations about writing fantasy because the Bible makes it clear that christians are to steer clear of magic, soothsayers, pagan gods anything along those lines. It's not a matter of CAN christians, it's SHOULD they? Is writing fantasy endorsing/promoting/being involved in magic and things that the Bible tells us we shouldn't? That's the question many christians find themselves asking. It may be difficult with someone with dissimilar beliefs(or who believes the Bible is just magic and fairy tales anyway) to rationalize but I would put it akin to say a person taking a role in a movie that was derogatory to their race/gender/sexuality. CAN they do it? Yes, of course. But is it in the best interest of the group you represent? Can you just chalk it up to entertainment and not worry about it, or is it more serious than that? That my friends is the dilemma.

It's not the religion that is important. It is the stories they are writing and the worlds that inhabit them that is important. A writer is a writer, first. When I choose a book, I choose the stories and the worlds that inhabit the writer. It is a great privilege to be part of this offering. Choosing a book isn't about choosing a religion. It is about accepting the worlds within the writer. A writer write to live in the worlds that are living within him/herself. He/She's giving a life and a voice to them. Writers are creators, and freeing those stories and those worlds (sometimes secrets one) asks both courage and peace from the writer. Writing stories is universal. Which mean, univers-all ! The writer's living in the paradigm of creator/creature. Writing is a very personal thing. Just like religion. If one shares stories, one shares what is within the Self.

I'm a Christian and I thoroghly enjoy fantasy. There's nothing wrong with being entertained. Just don't think of it as reality. To me, the Bible is reality. To others it might not be. I can't force anyone to believe it, nor will I insult them if they don't.

Once again, please refrain from insulting people's religious beliefs. We've had to remove several more offensive comments. Even if you disagree with a religious tradition, it is rude and uncivil to publicly deride those who practice it.

Christians DO write Fantasy. And many do a damn fine job of it. What did you call CS Lewis, a Buddist?? Many of our classic fantasy stories were written by Christians. And I saw that as an avid Pagan, mind

On that note, for the sake of inclusivity, it should be noted that both Judaism and Islam also explicitly ban witchcraft. So, more correctly, the title of this article should be "Should followers of Abrahamic religions write fantasy?"

While I'm not Christian myself (I'm a religious Jew) I don't see why this should be a problem for anyone. After all, in the end a writer isn't practicing witchcraft or whatever, they're just writing it. It is called fiction after all. 

@booksbyjason @mythicscribes Why not? I do! #amwriting

@robynchoi absolutely correct on both counts @mythicscribes

@tomstronach ha ha I'm not going to disagree!