Passion in christian books

Well, as a christian who partakes in some Christian fiction, but admittedly not very much, what I have seen for the most part seems to end with the FMC and MMC (if unmarried) sealing their engagement with a handshake and a ring, and only then permitting themselves a kiss. That's what I've seen anyway.

In my own historical tradition, between married folks anything goes as long as both consent. Now whether you'd want to write, um, extreme passion between marrieds, and still have the idea of getting it published by a religious publisher such as Multnomah, Crossway, Bethany House, etc ... that might be quite another kettle of fish.

I am contemplating the same dilemna. May God guide us both/all. I am trying to write a book that the general public and Christians would both read that has the God vs evil question, of which passion and morality is a very big part of. That has had me very slow this year because I am debating the alternatives still. Perhaps we write it both ways and see what we are willing to submit and/or a publisher is willing to accept.

Bless you as you write...wish I was a winner already, but consistent discipline hasn't been my thing thus far. I seem to thrive on a close coming deadline. It has been challenging, but fun this year.

Help me, Lord, and thank you that you have already and are still! SO FUN TO WALK WITH HIM in NANOWRIMO. Good to have comrades on the same trek! Again, blessings! To God be the Glory!

Haven't read any of Fr. Andrew Greeley's novels, have you? Definitely on the steamy side (not the Fr. Blackie set, the others). But he writes out of a profoundly-held theology that the body is good and holy. If you come from any other starting place, it can get darn right messy.

Shannon

Thanks - hadn't considered reading one of his books. Will pick up a couple at the book store today.

Any suggestions?

Robin of mytwoblessings

Thanks you guys. Appreciate the input. I could write it steamy but then would be too embarrassed to have my husband or parents read. I don't want it too pure, because it is a love story after all and the characters have intense feelings. Will find the middle road and see what happens. Thanks

Robin

Some publishers have specific guidelines on what you can and can't do - I used to have a link for Harlequin's (which included some "Christian Romance" lines), but the link seems to have expired. You'll probably find a lot of the publishers have fairly good guidelines on their websites anyway.

Personally I'd say Christian fiction should be realistic and look at the consequences of us being fallen people (and the fact that Christians too do things wrong sometimes). I think it's far better to write about a couple who are passionate and have to work to contain / channel that passion rather than pretending that good people shouldn't feel like that about each other. That would not be a great recipe for marriage ... But I'm not a publisher.

Many publishers of Christian fiction have such strict guidelines on content that they would reject the Bible for being inappropriate - too much nudity, sex, drinking, violence, etc.

In my stories, I like portraying happy married couples, including letting the reader know that said couple has a healthy sex life. I very much like the way they expressed it at the Weekend to Remember marriage conference; we should not be embarrassed to discuss what God was not embarrassed to create.

In that, I think we need to remain sensitive to our audience and let them know just enough detail to be aware of what goes on, without giving graphic detail that might prove excessive. However, the world already has this false image of Christians being "puritanical" on sex - unimaginative, not passionate, infrequent, guilt-ridden, procreative only, etc. - and such attitudes are based on poor interpretation of Biblical passages. God created sex for the couple to enjoy, and in our fiction I think we can show Christian couples that are able to partake of the blessing we were given.

I think it also appropriate to illustrate non-married Christian couples struggling with the same desires and the standard of morality that the Bible has clearly given us. Purposing to wait for the wedding before the bedding does not make the desires disappear, and the desire itself is not sin. Our characters should struggle with their passions, and depending on how the story needs to progress, we can illustrate them as either triumphing over temptation, or we can illustrate them falling and yet still managing to get back on the right path in their relationship with God.

You know, kind of like that character David did...

There is a wonderful essay in psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's book of lectures, Further Along The Road Less Traveled, where he makes the point that in his opinion true spirituality and sexuality are intertwined ... that you don't find one without the other, and that the more a person is alive to God spiritually, the more they are likely to be alive to passion physically.

I wish I could remember which one of the eight chapters it was, but it is an amazing thesis and very convincing. Alive is alive and dead is dead.

Z

PS Another amazing book: Passionate Marriage: Sex, Love, and Intimacy in Emotionally Committed Relationships by David Schnarch. This secular book is a totally different understanding of what is healthy which I find to be very spiritual and helpful.

To me, sinful sex is sex without devotional love (as in I will stand by you even if you'll die tomorrow). The most powerful symbol of love, romantic or fillial, is not the kiss or the caress or even the hug, it is the smile and the laugh. If your characters can make one another laugh while tear-streaks are still wet on their cheeks, then their love has a fighting chance. The question you should ask yourself is whether or not marriage is an actual sacrament to one or both of the MCs. Most Protestants <3 marriage, but only consider it symbolic. Catholics, on the other hand, hold marriage to be as great a sacrament as ordination (joining the Priesthood). There's also the issue of birth control, which some Catholics are even iffy about these days. I think you'll be fine as far as going with the flow is concerned, but then again, I'm not a dissenter when it comes to steamy romance novels because I don't read steamy romance novels anyway.