In 1995 I interviewed five Protestant publishers while covering a story on trends in Protestant fiction. As Protestants, we were quite proud of our fiction. Bookstores carried our favorite titles. They were available at most libraries. Protestant fiction had inserted itself into the popular culture and staked a solid claim on shelf space.
When I converted, I turned my attention to Catholic fiction, and I immediately had a problem. What exactly is Catholic fiction? There was no clear definition.
One list included literary giants like Flannery O’Connor, J.R.R. Tolkien, Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene because they were writers who also happened to be Catholic. While their books certainly have literary acclaim, the primary goal of their fiction is not to advance their Catholic identity - although they each do this to some degree. Their primary goal is to entertain the reader - which they all do quite successfully. Indeed, they contain some of the best writing in British and American literature.
After a quick glance over another list, I realized that the compiler was defining Catholic fiction from a reader’s viewpoint. Many of the books weren’t even written by Catholics, nor were they about the Catholic faith. They were simply good books with morally sound messages that Catholic readers might appreciate. By this standard, Peter Rabbit would qualify.
A third list narrowed the definition of Catholic fiction to titles that highlight our Catholic identity, but even those authors weren’t always good stewards of Catholic faith. One would think, for example, that books by Father Andrew Greeley would not only explore Catholic identity (as the titles seem to suggest), but also promote fidelity to Catholic teaching. Not so.
Father Joseph Girzone’s book Joshua is another possibility. I read this book many years before converting to the Catholic Church. I would call it Christian fiction, but I didn’t see anything uniquely Catholic about the book.
For Catholics who enjoy reading fiction that promotes a Catholic identity, I suggest Morris L. West’s book The Shoes of the Fisherman and Rumer Godden’s book In This House of Brede. But don’t hand them to a Protestant and expect him to “get” the Catholic faith. While these books are well-written and provide a delightful reading experience about life in a monastery or life at the Vatican, they are not meant for evangelization.
There are a couple of Catholic fiction authors who are quite promising in their effort to evangelize through fiction - Michael D. O'Brien (Father Elijah) and Marcus Grodi (How Firm a Foundation). The only problem is that you probably won’t find them in Borders or your local library. For their books, you’ll have to try Catholic bookstores or go online.
So, we not only have a problem in our definition of Catholic fiction. We also have a problem finding Catholic fiction. In fact, at a local Borders Bookstore, Joshua and its sequel were the only “Catholic” books I could find on the Christian fiction shelf – even though there were hundreds of titles. They were all Protestant!
What is going on here? Well, most secular publishers of Catholic fiction do not label their books as Christian fiction. You will find their titles in the sections labeled science fiction, romance, adventure or mystery, but never on the Christian fiction shelf. In contrast, Protestant publishers have hundreds of fiction titles and they do label their books as Christian fiction. Finally, Catholic publishers rarely publish fiction. When they do market a fiction title, it is primarily marketed to Catholic bookstores or by direct mail.
Before you tell yourself that none of this really matters, consider this. The Protestant Left Behind series has sold over 65 million copies. The Late Great Planet Earth sold over 28 million copies. According to a Publisher’s Weekly survey between 66 and 71 percent of men and women buy their Christian fiction books at Borders or Barnes and Noble rather than at a Christian bookstore. For heaven’s sake, why don’t we have some Catholic titles available for such readers? If you ask the average reader on the street to name a Catholic fiction title, chances are, he wouldn’t be able to do it or he’d name a Dan Brown or Andrew Greeley book simply because he couldn’t come up with anything better! What is a faithful Catholic to do? Here’s a guideline for reading and sharing our books with others.
Read authors like Tolkein and Waugh and remind the world that they were Catholic. We have every right to brag about our literary giants.
Read West and Godden but don’t hand them to a Protestant and expect them to win converts. They simply are not meant for Catholic evangelization.
Whatever you do, don’t pass around Andrew Greeley or Dan Brown books. They do more damage than other secular fiction books with equally offensive scenes because they link their sordid fiction to our Church and the readers (especially those outside the Church) are not equipped or inclined to sort out fact from fiction.
As for Marcus Grodi and Michael D. O’Brien, I suggest that you read everything they write and pass their books along to Protestants. Donate copies to your local library and ask your bookstore to carry them. By doing this, we will begin to stake our own claim on the religion shelf, and it’s about time.
(Image of St. Teresa of Avila)
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