Christian literature
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Christian literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian world view. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.
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Scripture
While falling within the strict definition of literature, The Bible is not generally considered literature. However, the Bible has been treated and appreciated as literature; the King James Version in particular has long been considered a masterpiece of English prose, whatever may be thought of its religious significance. Several retellings of the Bible, or parts of the Bible, have also been made with the aim of emphasising its literary qualities.
Christian non-fiction
Letters, theological treatises and other instructive and devotional works have been produced by Christian authors since the times of Jesus. For early Christian times almost all writing would be non-fiction, including letters, biblical commentaries, doctrinal works and hagiography. See Patristics.
Since the invention of the printing press non-fictional literature has been used for the dissemination of the Christian message, and also for disseminating different viewpoints within Christianity. The tract (a small pamphlet containing an explanation of some point, or an appeal to the reader) was in use at the time of the Reformation and continues to be used as a part of proselytization.
Christian fiction
Christian fiction is sometimes harder to define than Christian non-fiction. Christian themes are not always explicit. There is sometimes argument as to whether the works of a Christian author are necessarily Christian fiction. For example while there are undoubted Christian themes within The Lord of the Rings, many would not consider this to be a work of Christian fiction.
For many centuries fiction has been written based on Christian ideas. Early examples include Paradise Lost, Dante's Inferno and The Pilgrim's Progress.
More modern examples include the works of G. K. Chesterton, George Macdonald and C.S. Lewis.
In the last few decades the existence of a Christian subculture, particularly in North America, has given rise to a specific genre of Christian novel, written by and for Christians and generally with explicit Christian themes. Such novels are often marketed exclusively to Christians and sold in Christian bookshops. The Christy Awards honour excellence in this genre.
In the late 20th century, with the rise of the Christian Right in American society, Christian-themed fiction has thrived. Examples include the works of Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Randy Alcorn and Janette Oke.
Within the field of Christian fiction smaller niche markets have emerged aimed at specific denominations, notably Catholic Fiction and Latter Day Saints Fiction. There are also Christian fiction that is aimed a wider mainstream audiences such as the best selling Left Behind series.
Christian poetry
Christian theatre
Throughout the medieval period churches in Europe frequently performed mystery plays, retelling the stories of the Bible. These became widespread in Europe by the end of the fifteenth century. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries these developed into the Morality play, an allegorical play intended to exhort the audience to the virtuous life.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries theatre was generally seen as wicked, and the church made attempts to suppress it.(Citation Needed) In the twentieth century churches, particularly evangelical churches, rediscovered the use of theatre as a form of outreach and as a valid art form.
Notable works
(philosophy, plays, lyrical poetry, biography, narrative writings, novels included, most of the theological and hagiographical works are not included )
- Bible (c. 1400 BC - AD 100) - numerous authors
- The Book of Job in the Bible (c. 1500 - 1000 BC) - unknown author
- Psalms in the Bible, hymns, poems (c. 1000 BC) - David
- Life of St. Anthony English translation from Greek (c. 360) - Athanasius of Alexandria
- The Life of Paulus the First Hermit English translation from Latin (c. 374-375) - St. Jerome
- The Life of St. Hilarion English translation from Latin (c. 390) - St. Jerome
- The Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk English translation from Latin (c. 391) - St. Jerome
- Liber Peristephanon (c. 406) - Prudentius
- Psychomachia (c. 406) - Prudentius
- The Confessions of St. Augustine (397-398 AD) - Augustine of Hippo
- City of God (412) - Augustine of Hippo
- The Easter Song English translation from Latin, first epic of Christendom (c. 450) - Coelius Sedulius
- De spiritualis historiae gestis English translation from Latin (c. 510) - Avitus of Vienne
- The Life of Charlemagne English translation from Latin (c. 825) - Einhard
- Life of St Francis of Assisi English translation from Latin (c. 1260) - Bonaventure
- Golden Legend English translation from Latin (c. 1260) - Jacobus de Voragine
- Summa Theologica (1274) - Thomas Aquinas
- The Divine Comedy (1308-1321) - Dante Alighieri
- My Secret Book Imaginary dialogue with St Augustine (1343) - Petrarch
- Imitation of Christ (1418) - Thomas à Kempis
- Christiad (1535) epic - Marco Girolamo Vida
- Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536) - John Calvin
- The City of the Sun utopian work (1602) - Tommaso Campanella
- Lucifer (1654) - Joost van den Vondel
- Paradise Lost (1667) - John Milton
- Paradise Regained (1671) - John Milton
- The Pilgrim's Progress (1678) - John Bunyan
- The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints (1756) hagiography - Alban Butler
- The Messiah (1748-1773) - Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
- Faust (1808) - Johann Wolfgang Goethe
- The Christian Faith (1820) - Friedrich Schleiermacher
- Cain (1821) - Lord Byron
- Heaven and Earth (1821) - Lord Byron
- A Christmas Carol (1843) - Charles Dickens
- Christiad (1847) epic poem - William Alexander
- The Tragedy of Man (1860) (play) - Imre Madách
- Moses (1861) (play) - Imre Madách
- At the Back of the North Wind (1871) - George MacDonald
- The Temptation of Saint Anthony (Flaubert) (1874) - Gustave Flaubert
- Daily Light on the Daily Path (c.1875) - published by Bagster & Sons
- Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) - Lew Wallace
- The Brothers Karamazov (1880) - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Quo Vadis (1895) (novel) - Henryk Sienkiewicz
- In His Steps (1896) - Charles Monroe Sheldon
- Orthodoxy (1908) - G. K. Chesterton
- The Great Controversy(1911)-Ellen G.White
- Saint Francis of Assisi (1923) - G. K. Chesterton
- Joseph and His Brothers (1933 - 1943) - Thomas Mann
- The Screwtape Letters (1942) - C. S. Lewis
- The Robe (1942) - Lloyd C. Douglas
- The Great Divorce (1945) - C. S. Lewis
- Doctor Faustus (1947) - Thomas Mann
- The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956) - C. S. Lewis
- The Holy Sinner (Der Erwählte) (1951) - Thomas Mann
- An Angel Comes to Babylon (play) (1953) - Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1953) (novel) - Nikos Kazantzakis
- Christ Recrucified (The Greek Passion) (1954) - Nikos Kazantzakis
- Hinds' Feet on High Places (1955) - Hannah Hurnard
- Saint Francis (1956) (novel) - Nikos Kazantzakis
- The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961) - Irving Stone
- The Cross and the Switchblade (1962) - David Wilkerson
- The Gold Coffin (1964) - Ferenc Móra
- The Master and Margarita (1967) - Mikhail Bulgakov
- The God Who Is There - Francis Schaeffer
- A Christian Manifesto (1981) - Francis Schaeffer
- How Now Shall We Live (1999) - Charles Colson
- Present Reformation of the Church - Noel Woodroffe
See also