Christian fiction now abounds in ways unexpected even a few years ago. Most of it, however, is drippy with sentimentality and banal in its either seeming ignorance or its seeming refusal to acknowledge the existence of evil. Secular treatment of religious themes is often on the other extreme: full of characterizations of all persons holding religious beliefs as either criminally insane or monumentally stupid.

There are numerous exceptions such as the Chronicles of Narnia. But, truthfully, often authors either with no religious beliefs (or silence about their beliefs more so than atheism) or espousing variant religious beliefs, challenge our thinking on religious issues with greater alacrity than those who claim that their fiction was either Christ centered or somehow Christ inspired.

Now available in paperback is Matthew Pearl’s murder mystery in which nineteenth century literary and religious beliefs are tested, along with the fictional historicity of post-Civil War racism in the northeast. The Dante Club is a marvelous historical speculation about nineteenth century authors, Boston, the first black police officer, mental illness afflicting Civil War veterans, the poetry of Dante, and especially Dante’s life and vision of hell.

Also available in paperback is Tim Powers’ engaging mystery, Declare, about the evil powers trapped on our world since The Flood, briefly mentioned in Genesis, and intriguing speculation about how interaction with them might be carried out by the intelligence services of the various nations in existence from 1930 into the 1960s.

Neither of these books is “new” so they are easily obtainable online. These authors have also written several other books, none of which I have yet read. In Pearl’s book, the characters of 1865 are confronted with the needs of many around them but seem oblivious until they realize their dependence upon a black police officer whom they have not previously regarded. The characters in Powers’ book struggle with their own identity and meaning in light of the overwhelming spiritual powers with which they must contend. Thus, if you’re looking for “Christian fiction,” you might do better to look to these authors to stimulate your imagination.