What Is A Christian Novel?

As part of our preparations for marketing my newest novel my publisher and I have been discussing the genre of the book. This implies a pitch toward a specific group of readers. To which niches should we market?

In that connection I pondered the so-called Christian market, but then I had to ask myself whether this is a Christian novel. I do not quite know how to answer that. My protagonists and helper characters are all Christians. They openly discuss their faith. In fact, it is this faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ that ultimately becomes the power enabling my protagonist to overcome the temptations before him. Yet the question remains. Is this a Christian novel?

OK, so we have to ask the question. What exactly is a Christian novel? Here's one definition from Wikipedia:

In North America, the Christian novel has evolved into a specific genre of its own, written explicitly by and for Christians of a particular type. Such a Christian novel does not have to involve an actual event or character in Bible history. A novel can be Christian in this sense merely because one of its characters either comes to a proper understanding of God and of man's need for salvation from sin, or faces a crisis of his or her faith. Nor does the plot need to turn on whether any given character is a Christian or not — although many Christian novels do have plots that explicitly reference persecution (in the past, the present, or the future), Bible history, or unfulfilled prophecy (as in the immensely popular Left Behind series).


Twentieth century proponents of the Christian novel in English might include J.R.R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L'Engle. Other authors of Christian novels include Karen Kingsbury, Judith McCoy Miller, Tracie Peterson, Bethany Kennedy Scanlon and Robert Whitlow. 

Some authors of Christian novels have received a mixed reception within the conservative Christian community. William P. Young's best-selling theological novel The Shack, for example, was strongly criticised by some reviewers

That still leaves a number of questions for me. I am a Christian--and have been all my life. However, I'm not directing my novel writing only toward Christians. What I would like is for my work to be read also by people who are struggling and searching. I'd like them to identify with the tests and trials my characters endure. If that leads them to explore further the Christian faith and even to eventually accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, my joy would be fulfilled. Regardless, I'd like them to be caught up in the story on the way.

Of course, I do not want to exclude Christians. Like Albert and Tillie in my novels, we Christians do experience trials, tests and doubts. How this couple deals with them may be helpful. That also will make me happy.

Nevertheless, all readers of mysteries, thrillers and mystical writing will be drawn to this writing. What was all that Nazi interest in Woden, Freya, Thor and the other Nordic gods about if not the supernatural and the weird?