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Some people see reading as just another form of entertainment or a way to pass the time—it’s nice to read if you have the time or if you don’t have anything better to do, like watching television, but reading itself is not an important activity. It’s true, of course, that reading can be simply a form of entertainment if, for example, someone is reading trashy novels, but it can also be a very important activity. No Christian would dispute the necessity of reading the Bible, the most important book of all. Other books, as long as they are good books, can also play a beneficial and significant role in people’s lives.
Reformed Christians understand that the Bible applies to every area of life. This would include, then, the humanities such as the fine arts and literature. It’s easy to see such things as “airy-fairy concerns,” trivial compared to day-to-day necessities such as earning a living. But this view does not do justice to the role that literature actually fulfills in society.
Some people see reading as just another form of entertainment or a way to pass the time—it’s nice to read if you have the time or if you don’t have anything better to do, like watching television, but reading itself is not an important activity. It’s true, of course, that reading can be simply a form of entertainment if, for example, someone is reading trashy novels, but it can also be a very important activity. No Christian would dispute the necessity of reading the Bible, the most important book of all. Other books, as long as they are good books, can also play a beneficial and significant role in people’s lives.
Reformed Christians understand that the Bible applies to every area of life. This would include, then, the humanities such as the fine arts and literature. It’s easy to see such things as “airy-fairy concerns,” trivial compared to day-to-day necessities such as earning a living. But this view does not do justice to the role that literature actually fulfills in society.
Some people see reading as just another form of entertainment or a way to pass the time—it’s nice to read if you have the time or if you don’t have anything better to do, like watching television, but reading itself is not an important activity. It’s true, of course, that reading can be simply a form of entertainment if, for example, someone is reading trashy novels, but it can also be a very important activity. No Christian would dispute the necessity of reading the Bible, the most important book of all. Other books, as long as they are good books, can also play a beneficial and significant role in people’s lives.
Reformed Christians understand that the Bible applies to every area of life. This would include, then, the humanities such as the fine arts and literature. It’s easy to see such things as “airy-fairy concerns,” trivial compared to day-to-day necessities such as earning a living. But this view does not do justice to the role that literature actually fulfills in society.
entertainment or a way to pass the timeits nice to read if you have the time or if you dont have anything better to do, like watching television, but reading itself is not an important activity. Its true, of course, that reading can be simply a form of entertainment if, for example, someone is reading trashy novels, but it can also be a very important activity. No Christian would dispute the necessity of reading the Bible, the most important book of all. Other books, as long as they are good books, can also play a benecial and signicant role in peoples lives. The Mighty Pen Reformed Christians understand that the Bible applies to every area of life. This would include, then, the humanities such as the ne arts and literature. Its easy to see such things as airy-fairy concerns, trivial compared to day-to-day necessities such as earning a living. But this view does not do justice to the role that literature actually fullls in society. A better perspective is presented by Louis Whitworth in his book Literature Under the Microscope: A Christian Case for Reading (Probe Publications, 1984). He makes the case that reading is not just a way to kill time. Literature is powerful. It is so strong and persuasive that restrictive governments are frightened of it and seek to control what is written and those who write. Literature is not innocuous and harmless, but is a strong inuence on our thought and behavior. If we read the great old books we will, in the main, be encouraged to be better people. (p. 48). Three Benets There are at least three general ways that literature contributes to human well-being. 1. Learning from others First of all, a reader can develop greater insight about life as he or she learns from the experiences of the characters involved in a story. When reading good literature, one can learn from ctional people just as one learns from the experiences of actual historical gures. As we read great books we escape the bounds and limitations of having only one life and benet from the experiences (and imaginations) of others as well. From such books, we glean the distilled wisdom of thinkers who brought their ideas to bear upon the experiences of their lives. Reading their books allows us, in effect, to stand on their shoulders and reach higher because we learn vicariously what they learned, not having to experience everything ourselves, (p. 18). This is especially benecial when we can learn about suffering and tragedy without having to suffer or go through a tragedy ourselves. Its much safer to be exposed to these things through literature. 2. You are what you read Another, and perhaps more signicant, benet of good literature is the effect it can have on reinforcing a readers moral perspective. Whitworth says that much of the great literature of Western culture is generally compatible with the Christian worldview. Material written before 1900 at least was written within a cultural framework based on the Wests Christian foundation. Biblical knowledge was Is Literature Useless Fluf f? A Christian Case For Reading Michael Wagner the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 28 widespread and served as a moral guide for society. Certainly any educated person would be assumed to have a degree of Bible knowledge. And so the literature of this period, especially those works considered to be great literature, largely reinforces the perspective of Christian morality. Much modern literature, on the other hand, has abandoned basic moral standards, and immerses the reader in vile and wicked imaginative experiences. So one must be careful. With good literature, however, the kind grounded in traditional Western culture, the moral perspective of the reader can be developed and strengthened. Literature has the ability to develop the readers moral vision through the means of imagination. This awareness (the moral imagination) is developed not through theory or abstract reasoning but through stimulation of the readers moral perception. As he observes the actions (mistakes, right choices, heroic decisions, or compromises) and the outworking of those actions (increased problems, victories, or defeats) the reader can grow morally as he participates vicariously in that imaginary life context, (p. 30). The Bible provides mankind with explicit moral instructions such as the Ten Commandments, but it also gives moral lessons through the recounting of historical events. Fictional books can also provide a form of moral instruction through stories. Literature is especially effective at teaching morality because it teaches within a context of life and relationships (though imaginary and vicarious life and relationships), not gray abstractions. Interestingly enough, this is often the way the Bible teaches morality, namely, teaching through story, parable, and history, (p. 30). 3. Preserving the past A nal way in which literature contributes to human well-being is by preserving culture. Through literature people learn about the experiences and struggles of their ancestors, the stories that were commonly told, and the values that imbued the culture. In this respect the teaching of literature is a vital cultural task because it passes on the societys collective memory. As previously noted, the great literature of the West largely embraces the Christian-based morality of the past. It therefore helps to transmit that morality to future generations. As such it would be a barrier to the goals of those who oppose traditional morality. Cutting off young people from this literary cultural heritage would make them more susceptible to revolutionary ideas. With this in mind it should not be difcult to understand why some groups oppose the study of older books like the classics and promote instead only modern literature (usually humanistic, nihilistic, existentialistic, materialistic, hedonistic, Marxist, or feminist), (p. 28). Because of the important role that literature plays in transmitting Western culture from one generation to the next, Christians should support good literature. It is obvious we Christians should be concerned primarily that norms and values consistent with Christian expression be passed on; and good literature (as described here) helps preserve them and accomplishes the task. Much recent contemporary literature, on the other hand, has tended to oppose Christian values, denigrate them, and promote the opposite effect. Yet the great works of the human heart and imagination convince rst one generation, then another of the great sanity and wisdom of normalcy over perversion, of moderation over excess, of self-restraint over anarchy, kindness over cruelty, and order over chaos, (p. 28). Some older literature is bad, of course, and some recent literature is good. But generally speaking, the great works of literature are old because they have proven themselves through time. That is, they have an enduring interest to mankind, (p. 5). Conclusion Recognition of the contribution that literature makes to culture effectively refutes the notion that its a bunch of literary uff appreciated only by artsy types. Good literature can help to support the cause of traditional Western morality in the culture war. In fact, we need the traditional literary canon for the culture war (pun intended). Whitworth suggests, the Christian faith and the Bible have produced the greatest owering of arts (including literature) of any the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON Michael Wagner Michael Wagner 29 Is Literature Useless Fluff? force on earth, (p. 45). We should not take this part of our heritage for granted, especially in light of the important contribution it makes to preserving traditional Western morality and culture. Michael Wagner is a home schooling father and freelance writer living in Edmonton, Canada. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alberta. the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON Traditional Classic Christmas Instrumental Hymns Charlie Marks likes a challenge. Having served his church for 30 years as worship leader, choral director, songwriter, guitarist, voice/guitar/music theory teacher, and keyboardist, he decided to create an album of synthesized holiday instrumentals, with each articial instrument matching its true voice as realistically as possible. This labor of love became Classic Christmas, an excellent instrumental album that is jubilant, generous (almost a full hour of music!), and genuinely delightful. The 18 tracks lean exclusively towards the sacred, embracing an air of joy and excitement. This album would provide a beautiful backdrop for any seasonal event. The music is well-crafted. The arrangements are creative, but remain true to the heart and soul of these familiar holiday favorites. Favorite moments include the precious bell choir on O Little Town of Bethlehem, the exotic utes on We Three Kings of Orient Are, the alien intro on While Shepherds Watched their Flocks, the sweetly simple Gentle Mary Laid Her Child (the same tune as Good King Wenceslas), and the glorious trumpet fanfare on J oy To The World. Classic Christmas is exactly that--holiday music that is absolutely classic for the season. Charlie Marks likes a challenge, and this ne album is the winning result. Congratulations, Charlie! --Carol Swanson To hear excerpts from the album and place an order see: http://cdbaby.com/cd/charliemarks Charlie is currently a member of Westminster Presbyterian Mission in Corpus Christi, TX.