Category: Lorehaven

What spiritual purpose does fiction serve in our lives?

That’s one of the big ideas of the podcast I (Zack) co-host, called Fantastical Truth. Although it’s technically a hobby, the podcast is something I take seriously as a medium for discipleship. We hold weekly discussions about Christian novels, pop-culture, and pressing cultural issues…all through a gospel-centered lens.

We recently hit a milestone for our show: 125 episodes! We’ve been blessed by many great discussions with Christian authors and other guests. So, I would love to share with you my ten favorite episodes so far. Please take a listen and let me know if any of them minister to you.

My Top Ten List

125. Why Do ‘False Prophets’ Predict Doom for Movie Theaters and Other Cultural Experiences?

Christians often sound negative about popular culture, but some secular critics seemed to forget that God made humans to gather in public and celebrate stories.

113. What If You Learned Bible Lessons from Singing Veggies and Dead Sea Squirrels? | with Mike Nawrocki

From absent hairbrushes, to kitchen-based boy bands, to Merle and Pearl Squirrel freshly thawed from the first century, Mike Nawrocki shares his stories.

100. What If You Traveled to A Place of Wonder, Excitement, and Discovery? | Adventures in Odyssey with Phil Lollar

This Christian-made audio drama series explores fantastical themes in a small town with big personalities, delighting generations of fans since 1987.

88. Can We Positively Engage Culture in a Negative World? | with Bethel McGrew, aka Esther O’Reilly

The world has changed. We feel it in the earth. We smell it in the air. It’s no longer positive or neutral, but negative toward Christianity.

84. How Did Bestselling Christian Novels Build Evangelical Culture? | Reading Evangelicals with Daniel Silliman

Christianity Today news editor Daniel Silliman explores why fans loved top Christian fiction, including This Present Darkness, Left Behind, and The Shack.

83. How Can Fans Heal from Stories That ‘Wreck’ Us? | with Marian Jacobs

Some authors brag they want to “wreck you, the reader,” yet Christ promises a happy end that redeems all our harms.

81. Should Christians Use ‘Clean Fiction’ to Fight a Dirty World?

“Clean fiction” may leave out nasty elements like sex and self-worship, but poses other risks for Christians.

50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 1

Fiction isn’t just optional for Christian readers, but a God-given gift we actually need to grow as redeemed people.

7. How Does Jesus Define and Redeem His Gift of Imagination? | with Brian Godawa

Novelist and nonfiction author Brian Godawa joins our team to explore the epic theme of imagination in light of Scripture.

2. What Do We Mean By Saying ‘It’s A Christian Story’?

Let’s explore a big debate: Should we look for the “Christian label” on Christian-made novels, movies, music and other creations?

You can find Fantastical Truth on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and most other podcast players. I hope these episodes will be a blessing to you on your commute, in the carpool line, at the gym, or whenever you need something encouraging to listen to.

Our next update will be all the great things God did at our recent Cru22 staff conference. Thank you for your prayers and partnership in ministry.

I’ve recently begun writing monthly articles for Lorehaven.com, which explores Biblical truth in fantastic stories. My hope with these articles is to leverage the common ground of fiction and fandom for God’s glory. Books and movies are often easy places to start a spiritual conversation. This is especially true with internationals, as entertainment media is one of America’s top exports. There is broad familiarity around the globe with the stories our country produces.

My first article is entitled, “How God Uses Story Villains for Our Good,” where I look at the ways in which God speaks truth (often uncomfortable, hard truth) to us through the “bad guys” in fiction. Here are some excerpts:

On a basic level, villains run the show and provide contrast to the hero. Stories can’t exist without them, and the worse the bad guy, the greater the triumph of the good guy. Beyond this truth, story villains reveal God’s good purpose for our lives.
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One of the most loving actions God does is to show us our sin. Otherwise, sin would destroy us. After Jesus’s ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to “convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8, CSB). God gave this conviction personally to Cain, warning him: “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Unfortunately Cain didn’t listen, and we know the rest of his story. Sin ended one life and ruined another.
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Story villains show us pictures of people who have completely turned away from God’s ways and whom God may have delivered over to their own evil plans. This clear portrayal of a life apart from God is crucial. Too often, sin blinds us and lulls us into complacency. Villains, therefore, are a gracious reminder of the pervasiveness and destructiveness of sin.

Continue Reading…

I hope you enjoy this article and pray that it could even equip you to have a spiritual conversation with someone in your life. Feel free to share the article with a friend, family member, or neighbor and use these suggested discussion questions:

• Which villains do you like?
• Why do you relate to them?
• What uncomfortable things do they reveal about you?