Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Thu, 23 Jul 1992 00:23:03 EST
From:         Kerry Stephenson <KSTE@PURCCVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Christian Fiction (long)
              22 Jul 1992 19:46:19 GMT from <mueller@OWLNET.RICE.EDU>

Since somebody asked:

I have only recently begun reading Christian fiction.  Before I was a
Christian, I read a great deal of fiction, but after I met Christ I
had little interest in it.  However, working in a Christian bookstore
has given me the opportunity to find some that I consider quite edifying
and well written.  Below are some brief reviews.

AngelWalk, Fallen Angel, and Stedfast, by Roger Elwood.  I have found
Elwood's allegorical fiction to be far superior to his straight novels
(which, IMHO, lack adequate character development.)  The Angel trilogy is
terrific, and has some scenes that are so moving and so powerful, they
made me cry.  The first, AngelWalk, is about an angel who is still doubting
whether God should have kicked Lucifer out of heaven.  So God tells him
to go wandering the Earth to see what the Devil has done.  He does, in
a series of powerful vignettes on the sorry state of human civilization.
The second, Fallen Angel, is similar, and also very good.  The third and
latest, Stedfast, is about an angel whose job is to escort those who
are dying into Heaven--there is a chapter in here about an Operation
Rescue-type activist that is extremely beautiful and moving, and
a chapter about a dog that is terribly effective.  Highest recommendations
for all three.

A Haunt of Jackals, by Paul DeParrie.  Paul DeParrie is a prolife worker
who often writes with Mary Pride.  This novel is a taut thriller about
perfectly ordinary people caught in a very common series of events.  It
follows a woman who finds she is pregnant and must decide what to do.
There are many real-life events detailed here disguised as fiction, and
it is a very good glimpse into the people and forces involved in the
abortion controversy.  Also, the unborn child is treated as a character.
Absolutely stunning.

Blood Upon the Rose, by Paul DeParrie.  This one is more action-oriented
than Haunt of Jackals, involving a man who kidnaps a child about to be
starved to death at the behest of his parents.  Most of it is about
his adventures in evading the authorities, but there is a good bit of
politics thrown in, and the ending is quite surprising.  (NOTE:  the
two DeParrie novels, Prophet, and Tilly--by Frank Peretti also--
are essentially the only entries in what might be termed the genre of
hard-core prolife fiction.  But I understand that more is on the way.)

A Thorn in the Flesh.  This follows a father's quest to find his missing
son and to discover who killed his son's friends.  The son and his friends
are developmentally disabled, and the relationship between father and son
and between the father and his other "normal" son are finely drawn and
very effective.  The story raises many questions about guilt and morality,
though it never quite crosses into the "conversion" genre.  The faith
is largely implied, but the solutions reached are Christ-centered.  I
cannot recall the author's name right now, but he is a co-editor of the
NIV Student Bible.  This is his first adult novel, and it is a great
beginning.

The Voice, by Michael (?) Youssef.  This may have been originally released
under the title "Mastermind," and the cover now has the subtitle "A novel
of the New World Order."  This is an end-times scenario that follows the
development of a secret cabal of high-powered people in the media, politics,
and finance.  It is very fast-paced and holds the reader's interest all
the way to the end.  Along the way, there is a good bit of prophetic
fulfillment (which, as near as I can tell, is Biblically accurate), and
many questions are raised regarding universalism, morality, and
the demands of true faith.

The Illuminati, by Larry Burkett.  Yes, that's right.  Burkett the
economist (author of the best-selling The Coming Economic Earthquake).
This is another end-times novel, and it follows the development of the
Illuminati (surprise) as they gradually take over the world.  Burkett
uses his economic knowledge to strengthen the plot, and he writes extremely
well (I admit I didn't expect much in fiction from an economist!)  This
novel raises interesting problems regarding the universality of computer-
generated financial transactions, demonstrating in a very clear way the
ways in which a globally interconnected financial system could prove to
be a highly dangerous proposition.

The Calling, by David Lawrence.  Excellent political thriller about a
Messianic politician convinced he is to be the savior of the world.
Interestingly, he runs as an independent (long before Perot came on
the scene).  Intriguing examination of the concept of being called
by God, the necessity of certainty in pursuing such a calling, and
the moral connections between religion and politics.

Well, that's all for now.  There's a new one out called Death
Trip that I've only had a chance to glance at.  Looks interesting,
though.  It's about a religious leader investigating Near Death
Experiences and trying to prove the existence of an afterlife.
(But things, apparently, go rather wrong in the process.)

BTW, on the non-fiction front, I would appreciate others' impressions
of Watchman Nee.  I've been glancing at some of his stuff, and it looks
good, but I haven't had a chance to read any of it through yet.

                                            Love, INC,
                                                   ---Kerry
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