The Heart of Christian Romance

OH SEEKERS!!! I am so very glad to be here with you all today! My first ‘community’ of Christian authors started here when Mary Connealy introduced me to this wonderful, passionate, and…crazy bunch of encouraging writers over seven years ago. How? Well, it started when I read one of Mary’s books and thought “Oh my goodness!! She writes Christian ROMANCE novels!! That’s what I write. I didn’t even know there was such a thing.”
 
Meeting Audra and Julie followed after that and then Ruthy – and all of them wrote these amazing novels of redemption, hope, healing, and…um…ROMANCE (some a bit steamier than others…ahem…Julie “Kissing Queen” Lessman)
 
So, with that intro in mind, I’m excited to chat with you all today about a topic very near and dear to my heart.
 
Romance in fiction…. Particularly romance in fiction written by Christians. 

Are you ready?
 
Let’s do this!
 
The big story of the Bible is all about relationship. God’s relationship with his creation…and then out of that relationship we find almost every conceivable example of relationships and how they work well. We also learn how they can be dysfunctional – because, let’s face it, we live in a dysfunctional world. Which is why I think lots of Christian fiction is moving toward a more ‘realistic’ description of life in novels.
 

The real world is messy. Our hearts are messy. And…our relationships are messy – so we really need stories that bring hope in the middle of all the mess.
 
What I’d love to do today is encourage a healthy dialogue about this topic of realistic writing in one of our most intimate relationships we experience – the romantic kind.
 
First off, the word ‘romance’ is not in the Bible, but here is Harper Collins Dictionary’s definition: the actions and feelings of people who are in love, especially behavior that is very caring or affectionate.
 
(A Side Note: the Bible does have A LOT to say about love)
 
I think this definition encompasses what lots of us want to see when we choose to read romance. Deep down, even in the secular world, the books that have a romantic story at the core (not just the physical intimacy portion) are the ones that show the ‘affection’ and ‘caring’ as an outpouring of love.
 
Why is that?
 
Because we all love…Love.
 
We crave it.
 

Our souls were made for love. First and foremost, we were made for the Creator-creature love, but the Bible clearly portrays various forms of God’s relationship-love to his people. Father-child, Savior-saved, Friend-friend, Groom-bride, Lover- beloved, and lots more.
 
Since we’re talking about the ‘romance’ type love, then let’s focus on Scriptures view of the Groom-bride and Lover-beloved relationships to see what God says about it.
 
The best representation of this kind of love in the Bible is in Song of Solomon, but beware: if you understand the imagery depicted in this book, you’re going to find it’s super-duper intimate in its descriptions. The Lover in S of S gives us a good clue of how ‘romance’ is shown in a man and woman’s relationship and…it is shown in a physical way.
 
It’s really cool how God uses a “story” through Song of Solomon to teach a deeper truth about Christ’s pursuant, faithful, tender, passionate love for his people. 

Christianity Today says it like this: The Bible “presents God himself as a lover and his courting of creation the Great Romance.”
 
It’s pretty clear through the story of Song of Solomon that the Lover and the Beloved are enthralled with each other. They both seek each other out and long to be together. And this ‘love’, this romance, between the Lover and his bride is not just words or sweet dialogue, it’s displayed through very clear actions – to show to us the beauty and happy purpose that romance plays in the lives of two people (within God’s best plan).
 
How does this information play out in fiction?
 
Years ago, there wasn’t a distinction like ABA and CBA. Actually, CBA is fairly new in the grand scheme of fiction. Books like Jane Eyre and even Chronicles of Narnia, both written from a Christian worldview, were on the shelves next to Frankenstein and Philip Pullman (okay, Pullman is a more recent author, but you get my point). “Real life” was portrayed in Charles Dickens in all its gory mess, and people, Christians and nonChristians alike, picked up the books and read them. (which I HOPE is still our goal as we write quality fiction to any reader).
 
Nowadays, though, our media is soaked with its ‘brand’ of romance, which can leave a rather hollow and hopeless heart behind, but…they do a great job of making their stories relevant to the culture and selling their definition to a world desperately searching for love.
We, as Christian authors, should tell an even better and more realistic story because we have the deeper secret behind what is God’s ‘best’ for romance…and the ultimate answer for our love-hungry hearts.
 
In a recent interview, I was posed with this question:
 
Some people have a problem with Christian romance, what would you say to them? 
I gave the interviewer the short version, but I’d like to flesh out the answer a little, particularly as it relates to the accusation that romance in fiction ‘tempts people to sin.”
 
This is a serious declaration and one that causes me to ask two specific question.

1.)  Did the author glorify God in what they wrote? I think there ARE boundaries in writing romance. As an author, my words and influence is bigger than I can imagine, so as I write romance I not only want it to be winsome, organic to my story, and beautiful, I want it to glorify God. As authors, we need to be accountable and prayerfully consider what and how we write romance. It’s definitely not a ‘free for all’.
 
For example – I’m a mom of teens – and (at least once) have had the ‘what’s too far’ talk with my kids as it refers to dating-relationships, however our main question to our kids is “what’s the attitude of your heart and how can you keep your attitude in-line with God’s, even in romantic relationships?”
 
We, as Christian writers, have a chance to promote romance God’s way!
 
Otherwise, people can certainly find plenty of other books to read that will help desensitize them to sex-outside-of-marriage, abuse, and lots more. Julie Lessman says it much better than I ever could in her article here. http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2009/05/life-on-edge.html.
 
If we’re writing romance from a Godly perspective, we must make sure any actions we write about that are outside what God says is okay, must have consequences to them (either internally, externally, or both) So…if I have two people who sleep together outside of marriage (and one or both are professing Christians), then I need to show the consequences of that choice and not play it off as ‘oh well, that stuff just happens.” There are spiritual ramifications when we step outside of God’s ‘best’ for us, and if I’m trying to show God’s best through my novel, I’m presenting those consequences.
 
There are natural ‘guardrails’ up on my heart as I write because I profess to have the Holy Spirit guiding my words. One of the gauges I put up for myself is “Can I let my daughter read what I’ve written and feel unashamed about what she learns about me and her Savior?”
 
I love writing romantic scenes…organic and realistic ones that flow out of the story. If kissing is a natural progression for my characters and story, then I’ll write kisses. If my characters are newlyweds, then I want the world to see how exquisite the romance between two people who love Jesus can be…just like the intricate beauty displayed in Song of Solomon.
I write romance scenes to show the beauty of a man and woman’s love relationship, not for the purpose of writing sex (I’m a closed-door writer, btw…but I close the door after some good kissing).
 
Plus, we can make our stories relevant without making them raunchy.
 

Remember, as authors, we’re telling a STORY. As authors who want to write authentic and relevant stories that impact our culture, we need to make them realistic.
Two people who are in love will do more than hold hands (unless they’re a distinct minority). How can I show this growing expression of love in a way that displays the beauty of love God’s way? That’s the goal: Keeping Heaven’s love and expectations in mind while writing earthly romance.
 
Jesus used stories to help teach greater concepts and God uses romance as a beautiful example of his love for his Bride. The closest relationships most of us experience are those of spouses and families and, for me, this is an amazing and poignant canvas on which to paint a picture of love and hope.
 
It’s just another reason why we love fairytales. They call to our imaginations and our child-like wonder and hit at some of the deepest longings of our hearts. Rescue, good winning over evil, miracles, and a happily-ever-after…TRUE love. How much more beautiful to take our God-given imaginations and our understanding of His sacrificing love for us and show it through the guise and intimacy of a romance?

2.)  Does the reader have issues within their own lives that might cause them to be particularly sensitive to certain aspects of the story – so much so that it’s not the book that’s the really issue, but the heart of the reader. (ex. He/she struggles with dissatisfaction, temptations of their own, etc)
 
For example, I don’t read thrillers, as a rule. I get highly agitated and nervous when I read them, so I don’t. It’s not the author’s job to write something different than a thriller, it’s MY job to choose NOT to read a thriller. That’s on me! Not them.

I think this is a very serious question to consider as we read novels. Many times, as Christians, we focus so much on the external ‘sin options’ around us that we forget how sin influences us from within – without external motives at all sometimes. What might we be struggling with in our own hearts/spirits that manifests itself when we read a romantic scene in fiction?

So in summary????  (Yep, I finally got here. Can you tell I’m influenced a little bit by a certain Kissing Queen? ;-)
 
God created romance and he said “It is good”.
 
He uses story to not only celebrate the beauty of a man and woman’s most intimate relationship, but uses that very intimacy as an example of His love for His Church.
 
The Bible is quite explicit on showing how romance, designed by God, is to be enjoyed with a passion blessed by God. Novels, written by Christians, have reflected their culture for years and influenced them without losing the parameters God’s set in place.
 
And…an author is responsible for their intentions behind what they write to glorify God, but a reader is also responsible for their heart attitudes in what they read.
It’s basically a team approach to bring great fiction to a world who is desperately searching for TRUE love.
 
So…what are your thoughts about romance in Christian fiction? 

GIVEAWAY!

Leave your comment to place your name in the hat for a copy of my newest release, Just the Way You Are – a Britallachian romance that has LOTS of good kisses in it! Romantic Times hailed it a Top Pick and gave it 4 ½ stars!! 



 


 

ABOUT PEPPER:

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. She writes both historical and contemporary romance. Her two most recent releases, The Thorn Healer and Just the Way You Are, both received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars.  You can get to know Pepper on Facebook, or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley, or Instagram.