Christian influences in Fantasy writing

[Jaeh]

Oh! Another thing:

Ask yourself who's your audience. There are some Christian fiction out there that are definitely meant to be read by Christians themselves, hence it's all preachy.

But, if you're going for...well, everyone... pretty much what they just said.

[Lanodantheon]

Oh! Another thing:

Ask yourself who's your audience. There are some Christian fiction out there that are definitely meant to be read by Christians themselves, hence it's all preachy.

But, if you're going for...well, everyone... pretty much what they just said.

That's a really good point. Never forget your target audience/genre.

[Delarith]

Another series nobody has yet mentioned starts with a book called Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff.  Its part of a series called wizard in rhyme if you can find it anywhere.

[Paynesgrey]

Is that from his series that started with A Warlock In Spite of Himself?

[Figging Mint]

The series in question started with Her Majesty's Wizard.   HMW is an alt-history based on a premise of magic working and an overt good/evil duality that is the basis for determining the consequences of free will actions.    There is even a secret 'nuclear' option where free will is removed if there isn't sufficient evidence for good existing for its own sake in the world.

A Wizard in Spite of Himself is the start of a different series, a /future/ history with a far less black/white good/evil background duality.    That series includes explicit moral issue examination, sometimes between 'wizard' and robot horse, sometimes between other talking heads, and usually at least one social-issue takeaway from each book.     It sounds a little patronizing as I describe it but it is quite decently done.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Apparently there are several scientific studies that indicate, like universal facial recognition of emotions in comic books is cross-cultural and genetically wired, a universal genetic need seems to exist for certain story lines. We simply crave these stories told over and over again in countless re-envisioning. There is a reason that the bible, Gilgamesh,and  Baelwolf, Homer story lines continue to be re-invented.

One might posit, though, that there is also a reason why monotheism, sfaik, has only been invented once, and polytheism independently all over the place, in terms of which shapes of stories human brains resonate with.

[Ratstar]

Read the Hyperion Cantos from Dan Simmons.
A sci-fi tale loosely based (at least in framework) on the Canterbury Tales.  In the 3rd and 4th books (a bastardization of) Christianity becomes the focus.  Becomes a story of faith vs organized religion.  Don't know if it matches what you are looking for but a brilliant read either way.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Good luck.

[Enchantedwater]

I have to second the cautionary advice above with a very simple sentiment. Focus on the values you want to shine through rather than drawing parallels between your writing and the bible stories. Most of the time a writer tries to get allegorical with scripture they end up beating the audience over the head with it. This is why I like Jim's portrayal of Michael so much. He is a paladin played straight, but he doesn't become a figure preaching from a pulpit. Instead Michael is christian by example, one which has more to do with what he stands for than what church he goes to every Sunday. If you want to portray christian idealogies positively, please don't make it thinly veiled evangelism or a grown-up version of veggie tales.

Yeah. It's the thinly veiled evangelism that annoys me! And I am a Christian too!

[LDWriter2]

Joining in a bit late which means some of this may have been said already so please pardon me if that is true, but I just wanted to say that there are various types of preaching. Some involve moral preaching, Star Trek The Next Generation did some of that as has many books I've read. I think even Butcher gets into that now and then. Some types are spiritual preaching--as in eastern mysticism and New age stuff, etc.--I've read books with that type. Then there is what I might call opposite preaching from Christian. There are definitely some UF writers that do that. Then of course there is Christian preaching. Like the other types some of that is overt and some is subtle.

As has been stated it depends on your audience, some would love the more overt type. Frank Perritti (I probably blew his last name but I think it's close) is one who does it more overtly at least in his first two books. JRR Tolken did it very subtly. Supposedly he said he didn't put in any but I think he should have said on purpose. There are most definitely christian types in LotR. C.S. Lewis did it more on purpose I think in the Narnia Chronicles and in his SF trilogy.

Recently I saw a Christian series for YA or even MG dealing with dragons. So there are many Christian fantasies that are aimed at Christians but then again there are some who have written mainstream who have the characters reacting to moral issues differently than many non-christian writers do but in most of the plot there's no difference.   

[The Corvidian]

To those who mentioned Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien where friends.

[mdodd]

To those who mentioned Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien where friends.

Both part of The Inklings, a club of sorts, while authors discussed their work.

[LDWriter2]

To those who mentioned Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien where friends.

Can't say about anyone else but I knew that. And I may have the two mixed up. One said something along the lines that he didn't write his book as a Christian metaphor or that he didn't put in any Christian symbols but in either case it's still in each series anyway. Tolken or Lewis couldn't  help it. Which was I think my original point.

[Yeratel]

There isn't any overt Christianity in the Perelandra stories, but C.S. Lewis' basic morality comes through, and the planetary spirits seem angelic in nature.
Jim Butcher is quoting C.S. Lewis through the voice of the Archangel Uriel when he says to Harry, "You are a soul; you have a body."

[LDWriter2]

There isn't any overt Christianity in the Perelandra stories, but C.S. Lewis' basic morality comes through, and the planetary spirits seem angelic in nature.
Jim Butcher is quoting C.S. Lewis through the voice of the Archangel Uriel when he says to Harry, "You are a soul; you have a body."

But I think there is, well maybe not very overt--you kinda have to read between the lines but I still believe it's there.

As you said the planetary spirits as angels, the whole Adam and Eve on another planet thing, the ending that sounds basically like it was taken from the Second Coming of Christ prophecies. But as I said it's not super overt.   

[Paynesgrey]

There isn't any overt Christianity in the Perelandra stories, but C.S. Lewis' basic morality comes through, and the planetary spirits seem angelic in nature.
Jim Butcher is quoting C.S. Lewis through the voice of the Archangel Uriel when he says to Harry, "You are a soul; you have a body."

I'd be hesitant on ascribing anything in regards to morality to Jim's quote there.  Sounds to me more like the character's using it to explain that in the Dresdenverse, the soul is what makes up your identity, self, etc, while the body is just the earthly walking around suit it drives until going elsewhere. 

Which naturally leads us to speculation on exactly how things work with the beings that don't have souls, if sentience isn't the hallmarks of soul ownership in the Dresdenverse, what is?  Kind of reminds me of the buffyverse, where when a vamp takes someone, the soul goes away, leaving a demon-run shell that still has that person's memories, but is in no way actually that same person.  I'm guessing the Red Court works that way.