drew moser : : theological riffs, cultural rants, anecdotal quips

Why I Read Fiction...

11 July 2007

It appears as if a popular topic on the world wide web among emerging/missional folk is reading. What we read, how we read, and why we read what we read (how's that for a tongue-twister?). I think it's a great question to ponder.

So, my proverbial two pennies are proverbially clanking in the proverbial can. I'm a pastor and I love to read fiction (gasp!). I used to think fiction reading was a waste of time. Then it became a secret guilty pleasure ('Shouldn't that pastor be reading theology instead of Ender's Game?'). Now I'm fully convinced that I NEED to read fiction. Here's why:

• I read fiction because it's compelling.
• I read fiction because it's a breath of fresh air from all my theology and church ministry reading.
• I read fiction because it offers a perspective on life that can't simply be expressed in traditional non-fiction. Consider this: Why, in spite of its literary awkwardness, did McLaren's A New Kind of Christian work as a catalyst for a church movement? Or why has Donald Miller's writing found such an audience? Because they framed their thoughts and questions largely in stories. Sure, their ideas were forward thinking and provocative, but many other writers were also writing much of the same. The stories draw us in.
  
• I read fiction because of it's parabolic nature. A primary teaching method of Jesus was parables (read: stories) that He used to illustrate and drive a point into the listener/reader. It was a fascinating and effective means of communicating truth (still is). While technically you could label 'fiction' and 'parable' as two different genres of literature, there is overlap in the affective nature of both.
  
• I read fiction because it makes me a better writer. I need all the help I can get.

Finally, I read fiction because I see its coherence with postmodernity's need for an authentic story to help us understand our purpose and existence. With all the buzz in the emerging/missional church about God's Grand Narrative, The Great Story, God's unfolding Story, faith as story, reclaiming the Jesus metanarrative, Story, Story, Story...why are the proponents and practitioners of this particular theological lens so shy when it comes to actually reading STORIES?

We cry 'STORY!', and we do so in the context of our NON-fiction books. We propositionally and evidentially explain why our faith is a story, yet we fail to read actual stories. Sure, we may see our lives and our ministries in a more narrative light (which is GOOD), but our reading seems to be dissonant of this. To me, reading fiction engages me in the great stories of humanity, and I believe that they may help me understand the Story of God more fully.

Hear me out: I LOVE thoelogy, missiology, and church practice books. I've got shelves full of them. It would be a shame for pastors/church practictioners to ditch non-fiction altogether. But let this be a call for to all the pastors/practitioners out there: let's read more fiction. I think we'd be better off for it. Our minds could take a breather from the rigors of pastoral ministry, and our ministries might even benefit from such made up stories.

There's my two cents. Off to start McCarthy's The Road.

Labels: emerging church, fiction, missional

Drew Moser @ 9:00 AM : : permalink : : 1 comments : : links to this post