• Three essential elements that aren’t as obvious as they seem •

Christian historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and it’s popular with many other readers as well. Maybe you’re one of them—or will be after reading this! But even though the genre sounds self-explanatory, there’s a lot of variety in what authors and publishers mean by the three words Christian historical fiction.

Here’s a quick look at what Christian historical fiction is and what you can expect from books written by yours truly.

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1. Christian historical fiction is . . . Christian.

Traditionally, the “Christian” part of Christian historical fiction means the book supports a biblical worldview, and you can expect God and his Word to play a part in the characters’ lives. But that can change, especially as Christian publishers are bought and merged under secular corporations.

Maybe the book’s author espouses a traditionally Christian worldview. Perhaps a character prays or goes to church. Or the book might generally align with a biblical statement of faith or explore gritty topics from a faith-based perspective.

In many cases, Christian fiction is better termed inspirational or even simply clean fiction. While there’s nothing wrong with this, we need more books that combine gripping stories with the truth of Jesus, a focus on his Word, and a growing faith in characters’ lives.

For instance, my novel Preacher on the Run features themes like the authority of Scripture, biblical resistance to injustice, and trusting God instead of ourselves even when we don’t see him working. Its sequel, Patriot at the River, focuses on powerful truths like new life in Christ, our inability to change ourselves, and how to love our enemies without embracing their sin.

Of course, this is not to say Christian fiction should be preachy—far from it! In real life, the strongest, most influential faith is woven deeply and inextricably into daily life, and good stories are no different.

 

2. Christian historical fiction is . . . historical.

Seems self-evident, doesn’t it? But there’s actually some disagreement as to what qualifies as “historical.” More than fifty years ago? Before a certain historical event?

Right now the most common guideline is pre–Vietnam War. That allows for a lot of history:

• Ancient times and the biblical era
• Medieval settings
• Colonial America
• Regency England
• The Old West
• WWII
• And everything in between

On the other hand, the level of history in Christian historical fiction is another matter. If we want a history lesson, we can read a history book, right?

But fiction is a great way to glimpse what life might have been like in another time and place, so the best Christian historical fiction incorporates plenty of real history into the fictional story rather than simply dropping a generic plot into a generic historical setting. I tend to choose lesser-known events like the Regulator Uprising (Preacher on the Run) or the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution (Patriot at the River), but authors’ choices can be as varied as history itself.

Also, the best Christian historical fiction doesn’t play fast and loose with the historical facts, although some liberties might be taken with more flexible details like speech patterns. Trying to replicate centuries-old dialect or historical terminology exactly can make for a painful reading experience, but talented authors like Laura Frantz or Lori Benton can evoke a marvelous historical atmosphere through the careful use of other details.

Also Note:

Another popular type of Christian historical fiction is split-time or dual-timeline fiction, which features two or more storylines, at least one of which is set in a historical era. This is not the same as time travel—in split-time, the stories are distinct from each other, and characters don’t travel between the different eras. Examples are Ashley Clark’s The Dress Shop on King Street or Amanda Dykes’s Whose Waves These Are.

 

3. Christian historical fiction is . . . fiction.

Again, this seems obvious, and it means that no matter how much history is included, the story didn’t really happen. Because of this, take the author’s bias into account when you weigh a novel’s historical accuracy. Historical fiction also means that, as mentioned above, the story shouldn’t read like a history lesson.

But isn’t it nice to know which parts of the story are true and which parts aren’t? I love it when authors include historical notes, so I try to do that in my own books as well.

Also note that Christian historical fiction isn’t necessarily the same thing as Christian historical romance, even though romance is heavily predominant in the genre. Most Christian historical fiction on the market today has some elements of romance, but not all—my books tend to emphasize storylines and relationships other than romance.

And speaking of my books…

 

What can you expect from the Christian historical novels I write?

• Characters who live out their biblical beliefs.
• Clear, growing faith expressed through dialogue as well as action, though never in a way that hijacks the story.
• Uplifting content—you won’t feel like you’ve seen a movie you wish you hadn’t seen. That goes for romantic elements, language, and graphic violence.
• Scripture woven into the story, because the Word of God is what changes lives—even fictional ones.
• Stories that bend to the facts, not the other way around, and a definite historical setting (often a less familiar one) that features real events and how they might have affected people.
• Less emphasis on romance, more emphasis on friendship and family bonds.
• An evocative, storytelling style of writing.
• Adventure, a touch of humor, and engaging characters with snappy dialogue and relatable struggles.

Do you have some favorite Christian historical fiction authors? If so, or even if not, check out my Christian Historical Fiction shelf on Goodreads and compare notes! Some of these books are Christian historical romance, while some are just plain Christian historical fiction. Some are set entirely in the past, and others are split-timeline.

If you have recommendations you think I should read, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Contact me and let me know what I’m missing.

If you enjoy Christian historical fiction with authentic historical detail, clear biblical truth, and characters you can root for, check out my books here or join my email list for a free short story.

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Happy reading!

Jayna Baas is the author of Preacher on the Run and director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. Learn more about Jayna here or join her email list for updates, book recommendations, and more.