Thursday, November 11, 2010

Secular Books and the Christian Faith


What do secular books have in common with the Christian faith?

I am an avid reader and a Christian. Most of the books I read are secular books. However, many times I find myself responding to situations, thoughts, ideas, characters, dialogue and plot in these books through my Christian perspective.

Now don't get me wrong: I am not making judgments. Instead, I get a glimpse of what it is like to be a non-Christian in the world today. What are the rest of the folks out there thinking? What do they believe? How would I be able to communicate my own understanding if I were speaking with them?

I also am challenged in my faith. Sometimes what a character thinks or feels makes me clarify my own beliefs. When I am reading nonfiction, I have to stop and articulate my own response. By the end of every book I read, I have grown in some ways in my Christian life.

This leads me to contemplate what in the world secular books have in common with a Christian life such as mine. So here is my attempt to answer that question:

The top ten things secular books may have in common with the Christian faith:

  1. Responding to life circumstances. 

  2. A belief system.

  3. Making choices.

  4. Being a part of something bigger than yourself.

  5. Suffering.

  6. Recovering from mistakes.

  7. Relationships.

  8. Understanding.

  9. Interpreting.

  10. Love.

What could you add to this list?

Happy Reading!


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