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Is It Deceptive to Not Label a Christian Book “Christian”?

So I’m on record about being suspicious of Amazon reviews. But the disparity of reviews concerning James Rubart’s new book Rooms, takes the issue to another level. Apparently, Amazon offered a free download of the book without indicating it was a” Christian” book and many readers felt deceived. Which is why the reviews (as you can see below) are either 5 star or 1 star, with little middle ground. Why is this? And do the objectors have a point?

I have heard many good things from trustworthy reviewers about Rubart’s book. I haven’t read it, so I can’t comment on the story itself. Still, I find the disparity of opinions fascinating. Is this book that polarizing? Or do the 1-star reviewers have a genuine reason to be pissed off? Here’s a sampling of some of their points:

  • New Kindle Reader — “Suckered again, I hate being manipulated into reading pseudo-Christian material. If I want to read this type of genre I will choose to do so. Amazon, don’t sucker me in with a freebie like this and not allow me at least to have an idea of it’s content.”
  • Richard Tracey — “…I am getting aggravated with Amazon for not identifying Christian books at the outset. I respect Christians and Christianity but I am not a Christian. I don’t like ordering a book only to find that I am being preached too.”
  • Lex — “Is there no end to so-called Christian witnessing? The write up for this book was intriguing. A thriller. A strange house. Not a single word about God or religion. By chapter three it became obvious, by chapter six, I was running to the toilet to throw-up! No. It is after all the christian way.”
  • Em Librarian — “…please please please, Amazon, start labeling free kindle books as Christian Fiction! Stop trying to convert me!”
  • Betty Cravens — “I am not into Christian literature and had I known this book fell into that genre I would not have downloaded it. Good thing it was a freebee or I would be mad.”
  • A Customer — “Why must I waste hours of my time on a book that clearly has ulterior motives. If it’s Christian literature- JUST SAY SO!”

There are many more angry reviews like this, and the threads are even worse. The question I’m asking is, Do these readers have a point?

Sadly, this is not the first time Christians have been accused of “stealth.” No, I’m not inferring Amazon had a “hidden agenda” or that the publisher was trying to sucker punch readers with a sermon. I just don’t think we should be surprised by the angry response. Like it or not, Christians have earned a reputation for trying to get their message in under the radar. Deal with it, people.

Nevertheless, a quick glance at the cover of Rooms should dispel notions about deception in advertising. Robert Liparulo (not an atheist) blurbs the book as “Part The Screwtape Letters, part The Shack.” That’s on the top of the front cover. Hello. Earth to readers. The last time I checked both Screwtape and The Shack dealt with *gasp* spiritual themes. Furthermore, the tagline on the back cover asks, “What would you find if you walked into the rooms of your soul?” Soul. Okay, this is about my soul. The protag’s “faith” (or lack thereof) is also mentioned on the back cover, and the word “spiritual” is referenced more than once. In fact, James Scott Bell (not an atheist) calls the book “A profound spiritual tale…” I dunno. Faith. Soul. Spiritual. Maybe people should not be so eager for free downloads that they ignore a book’s obvious theme.

And while I’m at it, would the dissenters have been as perturbed if the religion in Rooms was New Age or humanistic? I doubt it. In fact, many novels or films are driven by specific religious, political, or philosophical worldviews. For instance, James Cameron openly stated that his epic Avatar is an ode to anti-capitalistic environmentalism. Question: Is it deceptive for the studio and participating theaters to NOT announce the political, pantheistic “agenda” of Avatar? Apparently, the gazillions of viewers didn’t seem to think so. Besides, do we really want Amazon spelling out all the religious, political, or philosophical “agendas” of every book. I hope not.

So, back to my question: Do these reviewers have a point? I think they do.  If anything, the disparity of reviews should remind us of the tenuous connection between Christians and the culture at large. We want our books in the hands of seekers. But, in case you haven’t noticed, they know we want to convert them! Granted, some of the reviews of Rooms are not actually reviews, but reactions toward Christianity. This should be expected. In fact, it may prove that the author did his job. Nevertheless, this is the tightrope Christian fiction must walk. Are we targeting believers or seekers? Should we be explicit or subtle? If we want to be evangelistic, to sow seeds, then we must be less explicit. But the moment we start quoting Bible verses and showing our hand (i.e., “you, the reader, need Jesus”), the more we should expect responses like the ones above. Will some be touched? Yes. Will others be mad? Yes. There’s just no way around the disparity of responses.

So is it deceptive to not label a Christian book “Christian”? It might depend upon what side of the fence you fall on. Believers have been forced to uncover the “message” behind films, books, and music for decades. So maybe it’s time the rest of the world caught up.

{ 22 comments… add one }
  • Vic DiGital May 5, 2010, 6:51 AM

    It’s a fine line.

    It seems awfully counterproductive to potentially infuriate readers you’re trying to convince of the glory of Jesus. But at the same time, you don’t want the message to be dismissed before it ever even has a chance to get heard.

    On these sorts of things, I tend to look at them if I had gotten to a key point in a book and found out it was a heavy Mormon or Scientology evangelical tool. Would I be angry like the reviewers you quoted? No. I’d roll my eyes and based on if it was a good book or not, I’d consider finishing the book and mentally labeling it “fantasy”.

    Really, EVERY book written has the author’s personal agendas layered in them somewhere. I’m sure Newt Gingrach’s books are friendly towards Republican ideas. Your book is your soapbox, and if people don’t like what you’re saying, they’ll vote by ignoring it.

    That said, Christians have an extra difficulty of needing to overcome the “pushy” or “sneaky” labels, so at the end of the day, is it okay to stealthily gain new converts at the expense of angering an almost equal number of people?

    As to the indicators on this particularly book that it was a Christian book, it’s not entirely forthcoming about its intent. You have to know what “The Shack” is to know that that means “Christian”. Even The Shack was pretty stealthy in its true intentions, so even if you read the blurb on the back cover, you might not get that it’s overtly Christian. Words like “soul” and “spiritual” and “faith” are sneaky words Christians use to hedge their bets on trying to appeal to people who may believe in SOMEthing, even if it’s not the Judeo-Christian God.

    The problem ultimately becomes that a Christian book (or movie) can’t ever really be art for its own sake. At some point in the book, there has to be a Come to Jesus moment, or else it’s missed its opportunity. As a Christian, I’d hate to think I’d written something that had done a great job at laying the groundwork for a potential conversion, but then I stopped short of presenting the whole process of salvation. If that’s the case, my book may as well have been a New Age or fantasy book.

    You’re always going to anger some people. It’s just now they have a chance at publicly sharing that anger and influencing others.

    It’s a fine line.

    Vic DiGital

    • Mike Duran May 6, 2010, 5:32 AM

      Vic, thanks for commenting. I was tracking with you until you said that in a Christian book or film there “has to be a Come to Jesus moment, or else it’s missed its opportunity.” If we demand that “Christian art” always contains a straight-forward, evangelistic pitch, we force it into a box and simply make it a tool for propaganda. Coming to Christ is not just a single event; it is a process — a process that involves revelation of existential emptiness, conviction of sin, yearning for beauty, and wooing of grace. There is planting and watering and cultivation. Christian books and films should speak to all those different stages. But if we narrow our art to an evangelistic pitch, non-Christians have a good reason to avoid our stuff.

      If you have the time, I’d direct you to several conversations and posts on this blog. First, Overstreet on Christian Fiction (see especially Jeffrey’s responses in the thread) and Art & Evangelism: The Great Divide. Thanks for commenting!

      • Vic DiGital May 7, 2010, 12:04 AM

        I agree with everything you say about how it SHOULD be this way. We plant the seed and let God do the watering and cultivating when the time is right. The whole “Come to Jesus” moment is the problem I have with 99.9999% of Christian films (I’m just assuming that there’s at least .0001% out there that don’t have this kind of moment), in that having that moment totally undercuts the value of the film as a piece of art or entertainment. And that moment always always always makes me roll my eyes. Even “Fireproof”, which wasn’t entirely bad “for a Christian film”, ham-handedly presented the conversion moment. I’ve never seen it done convincingly. Haven’t read enough Christian novels to know if it works better in print.

        But, the only point of defense I’ll make for the need to take a Christian film (or book) all the way through the process of salvation is the many many scary discussions I have had with people about the old TV show, “Touched By an Angel”. Scary in that the conversation (with the curious “spiritual” viewer) always ended up with that person thinking they had been presented with what it takes to be saved. Believe in angels, believe in a “God”, do good things, etc. That show came so close and created a fertile ground of “spirituality”. But in talking to each of them, they all ended up resistant to the idea of Jesus, because Touched By an Angel seemed to present a great way to touch God, without having to do all the boring and strict Christianity stuff. I did my best to gently explain how the final step in that process is Jesus, not angels. In my estimation, Satan’s most joyful triumph (in the scope of this topic), is someone who gets right to the edge of believing in, or at least understanding who Jesus is, but stops RIGHT THERE, thinking they are done. One can know who God is, and believe in Him and pray to Him, but in the end, if they don’t accept Jesus, then all that heartfelt praying and believing was for naught. It’s not our responsibility to SAVE anyone, and it’s certainly beyond our power. But imagine a worst-case scenario where your book or movie or TV show is a gigantic hit, and it potentially leaves people stranded on the side of salvation’s road thinking they’ve learned all they need to learn about God.

        Of course, in the end, it’s ultimately up to God how that seed of ‘spirituality” might blossom into a quest for Jesus, and who knows how many Christians can trace their lineage back to being Touched By an Angel? I just know that as a creator of Christian content (working on the script, anyway!), I would hate to think that I brought someone close to the precipice of salvation, but that they never took the next step because it wasn’t presented to them, at least in my film that they watched. It would almost feel like telling someone about a great and powerful entity that could let them live forever in a place called Heaven, but didn’t tell them who it was, or how to find Him, instead relying on everyone else to present the details. (“It’s not MY job to save them!”)

        One final, sideways note on this, and I’ll shut up. When I was a new Christian, and seeking out novels with a Christian theme or focus, I inevitably came across a few that featured Jesus and His disciples during the events of the Gospels. At first, I was extremely excited about that, looking forward to a more interesting portrayal of the events than the boring old Bible. I got to read about ‘extended’ scenes and additional bits of dialogue to the stuff I was already familiar with. Jesus explaining things to a disciple more clearly than He did in in the passage as we know it. New, never-before-seen conversations between young Jesus and Mary! Chapters showing what Judas was doing off-screen, and why he made the choices he did. Lots of stuff like that. I thought it was great and looked for more books like that. I found a book about Stephen and everything leading up to (and beyond) his stoning. But I got the OPPOSITE reaction from reading that (and then a retroactively bad reaction to the first novels I had read and been so moved by). These books were putting words into the mouth of Jesus that he never said. There were new nuances to what Jesus said that never happened. It scared me because I found myself BELIEVING these things, and wishing they were so. I really wanted some of what I read to be 100% accurate. And to this day, despite actively trying to put those well-intentioned, but totally mad-made stories out of my head, I still find many of my views colored by those novels I read and sometimes having to remind myself that a conversation between Jesus and Peter or someone ENDS where it ends on the page, and any other words Jesus says are pure, (and I contend, dangerous) fiction.

        So that debate inside of me extends now to any form of Christian “Art”.
        Does it almost immediately destroy the ART of a work of fiction by including the “Steps of Salvation”? Absolutely. But at the same time, as a Christian, is it okay for us to pose the question but not supply the answer to what it takes to be saved? I fully admit I don’t have ANY answer. I’ve never seen it done convincingly, on film, at least. Of course, there’s no really convincing way to visually show the end result of an abstract internal change.

        Thanks again. Great topic for debate.

        • Tim Ward July 2, 2010, 6:54 AM

          Great discussion here Vic and Mike! I’ve been struggling with the same issue of putting that final piece into my fiction. Actually, I kind of wish you wouldn’t have commented Vic, because your point about worst case scenario challenges me 😉

          So, I’ll address it. If I write a book where someone is saved by grace, but don’t mention a Savior God, when people research me, they will discover that I am a Christian either by my blog, getting to know me personally, or if I get any non-fiction published. Even if we don’t present the final step, somewhere in our public lives we will.

          What about having a character that has been converted already living as a testimony throughout the book? There’s a fine line we can walk on where we show the source of his strength without making him a preacher.

  • Nicole May 5, 2010, 6:55 AM

    I find it amazing that these folks couldn’t translate the “code” words you mentioned, Mike. I mean, c’mon. Yet they could decide the novel “preached” at them with a spiritual message and felt “tricked” by Amazon.
    I’ve discussed the dilemma of Christian novels being labeled and writing for the lost vs. the saved. To write vague enough to “entertain” or attempt to “reach” the unbeliever, an author practically has to eliminate any real reference to who God is. “Good” vs. evil is just that. If the parallels get too specific, that part of them which recognizes “the message” gets indignant about being “preached to”. Forget the fact that Cameron makes no bones about preaching his religion in Avatar. Because they want to embrace his concepts, that film is inoffensive to them.
    It’s a good thing we can’t actually save a single soul, but it is our responsibility to share Jesus specifically how the Lord designs for us to do as writers.
    I decided awhile back that this precise example you’ve given is why it’s probably a good idea to have the Christian book sections in stores because some people just can’t stand the gospel. It is an offense to them no matter how vague or how deliberate–as Jesus said it would be . . .

  • xdpaul May 5, 2010, 7:16 AM

    Last time I checked, being “subtle as a serpent” is not just a compliment, but a command! – Matthew 10:16

    I sure hope they think we’re snakes when they catch on to our tricks, or we aren’t doing our job. Doesn’t mean we should forget the command to be doves, as well, but this is exactly what this issue looks like to me:

    Snakey Dovery.

    Plain snakiness would have been to put “Hot sex! Shocking violence!” on the cover, and delivering a sermon inside.

    Plain doviness would have been to put “Christian Book – Unbelievers Stay Away if Fearful” on the front.

    The first would have been read and rejected as a lie. The second would not have been read.

    That Jesus. He’s a crafty God.

  • xdpaul May 5, 2010, 7:46 AM

    On the other hand, if the novel is, in fact, not a novel, but a parable, fable or teaching story, then that might be seen as deceptive – as it is a different genre more in line with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior or even the Shack.

    There is a distinct, but sometimes difficult to describe, difference between philosophy inspired fiction, such as The Glass Bead Game or Perelandra, and philosophy infused fictionalization, such as The Stranger or Ships of Song. In the first, the story is the key product – what a reader will take with them, whether or not the philosophy convinces. In the second, if the philosophy doesn’t take, the story is useless.

    • Mike Duran May 6, 2010, 6:04 AM

      Interesting distinction between “philosophy inspired fiction” and “philosophy infused fictionalization.” In the first case, the story philosophizes. But in the latter, the philosophy IS the story. In that case, the story rises or falls per the philosophy. Is that what you mean?

  • Mark May 5, 2010, 9:54 AM

    The message of something does effect how I feel about it in the end. I may give something few stars if I get a message I hadn’t expected and didn’t like.

    However, I wouldn’t blame Amazon. I’d blame myself for not doing the proper research first. And if it were free? I’d be much less upset.

    I’d also try to review the plot, characters, etc. so that those who might like the message would know about it. My star rating would reflect my true feelings, however.

    I expect to run into things that preach stuff I don’t like. That’s part of living in a free country. I reserve my right to not like them for that reason. But I also wouldn’t expect them to change their message to suit me or blame the middleman for not warning me properly.

  • Nicole May 5, 2010, 11:34 AM

    (But, Mark, that would be sensible.)

  • Rebecca LuElla Miller May 5, 2010, 4:07 PM

    Interesting discussion. I wonder how “subtle” the Christian message was in this particular book. I mean if nearly half of the reviewers saw it as a clear Christian message, then perhaps the real problem is in the crafting of the theme. That’s just a guess on my part.

    I’ve read that some non-Christians felt hoodwinked when they found out Narnia had Christian symbolism, but somehow it’s managed to capture a large share of readers and moviegoers anyway.

    Of course there is a growing negative reaction to Christians and Christianity. All else is to be tolerated. Christianity, on the other hand, can be hated.

    So I think possibly some of the reaction could be because the readers felt targeted for the message (rather than the characters being the ones who learn something new or grow internally), and some could be because the readers aren’t going to tolerate anything Christian. An interesting time we live in.

    Becky

  • James L. Rubart May 5, 2010, 8:40 PM

    Great post, Mike.

    I was asked the other day how I go about weaving my faith into my novels. I told them I don’t ever think about it. ROOMS is overtly Christian. My next novel, Book of Days, is less so. I didn’t write either one with an agenda. I just tell the story that won’t stop pounding around in my brain till I write it down.

    It has fascinated me to see how many atheists suggested “warning labels” for Christian fiction. Ridiculous. I saw no warning labels on The Golden Compass for its atheism.

    And does it take a genius level intellect to read the synopsis of ROOMS on the Kindle page on Amazon? I believe lines like, “But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny,” make it abudantly clear it is a book with God involved.

    And anyone who reads my author endorsements (which yes, are on the Kindle version) can clearly see it’s a Christian book.

    In the end, because I’m a follower of of Jesus, I’m going to go down the path He’s leading me on and try to let God handle the rest of it.

    Jim

    • Mike Duran May 6, 2010, 8:23 AM

      Thanks for commenting, Jim! I was thinking how weird it must be to have your first book encounter such controversy. But if God is leading you, then you have to trust He’s also steered you into this storm. I was also wondering how much of the controversy, you think, surrounds the book’s message as opposed to, what many claim, was Amazon’s intentional concealment of the book’s genre. Blessings!

  • Nicole May 5, 2010, 8:43 PM

    Amen, Jim: unashamed.

    Yeah, what about warning labels on secular humanism . . .

  • Ronie May 6, 2010, 9:19 AM

    Excellent points, Mike! I emailed Jim Monday and told him the 1-star ratings had me laughing. He surely ruffled some feathers. And like you, I saw the same points. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize words as Christian. What infuriates me is that several of them said they didn’t finish reading the book–so how can a book that didn’t get read earn a 1-star review? This, I think, goes to the issue of their feelings toward the faith message, not the content of the book (since they didn’t read it!).

    And for the record–there is not doubt on well-crafted the theme of Jim’s book is. Look at the number of 50-star reviews! It’s an EXCELLENT read that literally–no, I’m not kidding–changed my life!

    I always go through the sample chapters of free books (samples are available on every book) from Amazon. If I’m not pulled into the story within the first chapter, I don’t download it. And I certainly don’t slam the author or the book which I never read!

    GREAT post, Mike! Thanks!!

  • Mark May 6, 2010, 1:04 PM

    Good post. I don’t think there was deception – all you have to do is read the book description and you can tell it is a Christian book – sounds like people were too lazy or excuse my bluntness – too dumb – to see it was a Christian book.

    On the topic of warning labels – I do think so-called Christian books that have curse words in, which is becoming all too common nowadays – should have warning labels.

  • Richard Mabry May 6, 2010, 1:29 PM

    Mike,
    Thanks for a thought-provoking post. Until all the volumes on Amazon carry labels such as “Warning: contains profanity, sex, violence, atheistic comments,” I think the playing field is pretty level.

  • Mick May 6, 2010, 2:18 PM

    Great points, Mike! This is exactly why I always wear my T-shirt that identifies me, in case I run into some atheists…

    But all of this makes me wish I had a computer program I could plug atheists into to make them become Christians. Anyone got a lead about something like this? We could call it the Happy Sinner Game or something fun like that and then strap them in and zap them!

    I mean, what else can we really do to override the ire of people angered by spiritual content?

    A Christian-making machine. Think about it.

  • Cathy West May 10, 2010, 12:46 PM

    Interesting discussion. I knew the book was “Christian” themed before I bought it, because I’m in that group of authors trying to convert the world to Christianity through books that deceive people into reading them. Gimme a break. I always read a back cover, and most times will read endorsements within before making a final purchase. I knew I was going to buy Rooms anyway, because I’d heard good things and was excited to read it. To be honest, I almost didn’t buy it because of it was compared to The Shack, and I’m one of about three people in the world apparently, who didn’t like The Shack. But I am halfway through Rooms now, and it is definitely a wonderful piece of art. I think the question to ask of these irate readers ‘suckered’ in to reading a Christian novel is “Why are you so mad? No, really, let’s talk about this.” I doubt any would, but it might be an interesting discussion!

  • Dennis May 22, 2015, 1:36 AM

    Someone commented on atheists not knocking Muslims only Christians and the same as they go on about Lord Jesus but not Satan maybe they are friends I sure he will have work for them when they die chief stokers?

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