Ten Greatest Christian Writers

As I was working on my theologians list, I stumbled on a few cases of great Christian writers, who I felt should also be given their dues. These are some of the greatest writers of literature who also were important Christian theologians in their own right. Most of their work is either fictional allegory or laced with heavy Christian themes. Some provided a truly poetic visualization of Christianity, while others approached it thru fantasy and fiction. Aside from their masterpieces, they also wrote various other theological non-fictions, thus affirming their strong faith. These are mostly novelists and essayists who are thru-and-thru Christians. Some of these writers on this list are among my all time favorites, such as Dante, Dostoevsky, CS Lewis, JR Tolkien, and Leo Tolstoy. It makes me like them all the more that the were devout Christian thinkers. (These aren't in any specific order or ranking. Just 10 of the most influential Christian writers).  

CS Lewis

• Dates: 1898-1963
• 
  Nationality: Irish
• Religion: Anglican Christian
• Writing Style: Fantasy, allegorical, apologetics
• Influenced by: GK Chesterton, George McDonald, JRR Tolkien, Classical mythology, Christian tradition
• Major Works:
  
• Mere Christianity
• The Screwtape Letters
• The Problem of Pain
• Miracles
• The Abolition of Man
• Surprised by Joy
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• The Space Trilogy
• Key Themes:
• Rational defense of Christianity
• Faith and reason working together
• Longing joy as evidence of humanity's desire for God
• The problem of evil, pain, and suffering
• The reality of good and evil
• Human transformation through grace
• The imagination as pathway to truth
• Influenced: Tim Keller, John Stott, Alister McGrath, NT Wright
• Summary: He is best known for his groundbreaking fantasy novel, The Chronicles of Narnia. The 7-part book is famously filled with allegories pertaining to the story of Christianity. Thru these books Lewis interweaves themes of God's existence and his sacrifice for humanity thru his son Jesus Christ (portrayed as the Lion Aslan). Lewis was also a passionate apologetic who wrote many essays and non-fictions in defense of the Christian religion. He sought to prove the existence of God, thru rationalism and reason. One of his most famous concepts in his book Mere Christianity, includes the Moral Argument. Here Lewis explains that all moral law (of right and wrong) is already predisposed within us, and this is the Law of God at work. His writings and concepts are celebrated by all denominations of Christianity as someone who passionately defended the faith thru reasoning but also creative allegory.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

• Dates: 1821-1881
• Nationality: Russian
• 
  Writing Style: Psychological realism, philosophical and religious fiction, moral conflict, existentialism
• Influenced by: Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Charles Dickens, Honore de Balzac, Russian Orthodoxy
• Major Works: 
• Crime and Punishment
• Notes from the Underground
• The Idiot
• Demons/The Possessed
• The Brothers Karamazov
• The House of the Dead
• Key Themes:
• Faith and doubt
• Sin, guilt, and redemption
• Free will and moral responsibility
• Suffering as a path to spiritual growth
• The problem of evil
• Human psychology and inner conflict
• Critique of nihilism and materialism
• Influenced: Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger,
• Summary: He is considered one of the greatest Russian novelists, who incorporated Christian theological themes in many of his greatest writings (especially Crime and Punishment and the Brothers Karamazov). Dostoevsky addressed many common questions within the Christian religion such as faith, doubt, and the problem of evil. He also applied a unique psychological element in his stories, such as Crime and Punishment, where a character must face serious internal guilt for a crime he committed. I have read this book, and especially enjoyed the inner torment the protagonist dealt with and how he was only able to find sanity thru faith and spiritual growth. His book Brothers Karamazov addresses theological questions more head-on, debating on many theological topics such as the existence of God and the problem of evil. The underlying message from this book is that it is better to have faith, then believe in a meaningless existence of rationalism, nihilism, and materialism. The Christian Church highly praised Dostoevsky's fictional writings especially his emphasis on the value of suffering, repentance, the rejection of materialism, and seeking salvation thru Christ.

Dante Alighieri

• Dates: 1265-1321
• 
  Nationality: Italian (Florentine)
  
• Religion: Catholic
• Writing Style: Epic poetry, allegory
• Influenced by: Virgil, Aristotle, Boethius
• Major Works:
• The Divine Comedy
• Vita Nouva
• De Vulgari Eloquentia
• Key Themes: 
• Sin and Redemption
• Divine Justice
• The Soul's Journey
• The relationship between God and humanity
• The Afterlife
• Influenced: Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, Alfred Tennyson, Petarch, Boccaccio
• Summary: He is considered one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages (among the big 3 Italian writers alongside Petarch and Boccaccio). In his most famous work the Divine Comedy, he provides an imaginative account of a journey through heaven and hell. He uses history, theology, philosophy, mythology, and poetry to tell a beautiful tale based in the afterlife. I have actually read this one and have always enjoyed Dante's concept of the layers of heaven, purgatory, and hell. No theologian has ever laid out such a detailed description of heaven and hell. The church is usually fairly vague on this matter, with minimal details, aside from John's Book of Revelation. In the Divine Comedy, although purely speculative, Dante provides a fairly rational map of heaven and hell consisting of layers based on one's sins in the previous life. Although we can never know for sure what awaits us in the afterlife, it's at least fun to imagine, and Dante provides one of the most vivid accounts. The Divine Comedy is centered on a theme of the soul's journey to God, which falls right in line with the teachings of the church. 

John Milton

• Dates: 1608-1674
• 
  Religion: Protestant
• Nationality: English
• Writing Style: Epic poetry, theological prose, English Renaissance literature
• Influenced by: The Bible, Homer, Virgil, humanism
• Major Works:
• Paradise Lost
• Paradise Regained
• Samson Agoinstes
• Areopagitica
• Lycidas
• Comus
• Key Themes:
• Free will, liberty of conscience
• Obedience and rebellion
• The Fall of Humanity
• Divine Justice
• Religious freedom
• Problem of Evil
• Influenced: William Blake, Percy Bysshe Shelley, C.S. Lewis
• Summary: One of the greatest writers of the English Renaissance, he is best known for his epic poem, Paradise Lost. In this writing Milton explores themes of free will and the original sin, pertaining to the books of the Bible. He essentially elaborates on the two major falls from grace in the bible; the rebellion of Lucifer, and the first sin of Adam and Eve. Milton ties the two stories together, with much more depth and complexity to the characters of Lucifer, Adam, and Ever. Lucifer seeks redemption for being cast out of heaven, by tempting Adam and Eve to sin. In his book, Milton emphasizes that free choice prevails over predestination. Evil comes from the freedom of that choice, which was the case with Lucifer and Adam and Eve. Milton describes the Original Sin as a fortunate fall that was part of God's place which allows for redemption, grace, and a deeper relationship between humanity and God. Both the Catholic and Protestant Church admire this work of creative theology for it's themes of free will, sin, and redemption. However, the church does warn against Milton's complex and almost sympathetic portrayal of Lucifer.

GK Chesterton

• 
  Dates: 1874-1936
  
• Nationality: English
• Religion:
• Writing Style: Christian apologetic, humor, satire, paradox,
• Influenced by: John Henry Newman, Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, Christian orthodoxy
• Major Works:
• Orthodoxy
• The Everlasting Man
• Heretics
• The Man who was Thursday
• The Napoleon of Notting Hill
• St. Francis of Assisi
• St. Thomas Aquinas
• Key Themes:
• Defense of the history and foundation of Christianity
• Wonder, gratitude, and common sense
• The paradoxes of Christian truth
• Critique of materialism and secularism
• Human dignity and freedom
• The uniqueness of Christ
• Tradition as a safeguard of truth
• The relationship between reason and faith
• Influenced: CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, Etienne Gilson
• Summary: Often regarded as the "Price of Paradox" Chesterton wrote with an apologetic but also very witty and humorous style. He is considered more of an essayist than a novelist, who dove deep into theological analysis (although he also did write some works of fiction). Some of his most famous concepts were the necessity of contradiction in faith, such as freedom but also God's authority, or joy and suffering, reason and mystery, humility but dignity, and especially the divine and human God. These paradoxes are necessary because they create a symmetrical balance, where you cannot have one without the other. His most famous works include Orthodoxy and the Everlasting Man where he defends the faith against skepticism, nihilism, and materialism. He is celebrated by the church for promoting the concept of Christ's centrality thru the wonder and goodness of creation.

JRR Tolkien

• Dates: 1892-1973
• Nationality: British
• Religion: Catholic
• 
  Writing Style: Fantasy, Mythical
  
• Influenced by: Norse Mythology, Medieval literature, Philology (study of language)
• Major Works: 
• The Hobbit
• The Lord of the Rings
• The Silmarillion
• Unfinished Tales
• Children of Hurin
• Key Themes:
• Good vs evil
• Sacrifice and courage
• Humility over power
• Providence and grace
• Friendship and fellowship
• The corruption of power
• Hope amidst suffering
• Stewardship of creation
• Influenced: CS Lewis, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, George RR Martin
• Summary: He was a devout Catholic and close friend of CS Lewis who also implemented Christian themes throughout his fantasy epic of Lord of the Rings. Although his approach is not quite as allegorical as CS Lewis, Tolkien considered his works as a fundamental Christian story. These books are laced with intentional Christian themes and symbolism that are not very obvious. Certain hidden themes include the sacrifice, transfiguration, and resurrection of Gandalf, Frodo, and even Aragon. There are also themes of humility and fellowship (the good Christians) fighting against the evil corruption of power (Sauron as Satan and his demons). Sauron and even Morgoth represent the fall of man (good angels turned evil). Other Christian interpretations include the elves as the angels, the elvish "lembas" bread representing the Eucharist, Galadriel as the Virgin Mary, the Undying Lands of the West as heaven, and the moral conflict of Frodo and Gollum representing's Jesus temptation in the desert. It is ultimately a tale of good vs evil, where despite impossible odds, there is hope and some form of divine providence at work. This is one of my all-time favorite fantasy stories, and although the Christian themes are hidden, the fact that Tolkien was a devout Catholic makes it all the more special.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

• Dates: 1918-2008
• Nationality: Russian
• Religion: Atheist, converted to Russian Orthodoxy
• 
  Writing Style: Historical, Philosophical, literary narratives
• Influenced by: Russian Orthodox, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian literature
• Major Works:
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
  
• The Gulag Archipelago
• Cancer Ward
• The First Circle
• August 1914
• The Red Wheel
• Key Themes:
• Truth versus political lies
• Human dignity under oppression
• Spiritual awakening through suffering
• The dangers of atheistic totalitarianism
• Freedom and moral responsibility
• National and cultural memory
• Repentance and moral renewal
• Influenced: Anti-Communist movements
• Summary: One of the most interesting religious converts, Solzhenitsyn began as a devout Marxist and Atheist but later returned to Russian Orthodox Christianity. Throughout his writings of novels, essays, and historical accounts he defended Christianity and criticized the Soviet system of Communism, Atheism, and Totalitarianism. He argued that the problems of the modern world were due to a lack of faith in God, and that repentance was required for moral renewal. He also defended the concept of spiritual awakening thru suffering, where suffering could make someone stronger physically, mentally, but most importantly spiritually. He labeled atheism as dangerous and the root of all evil, and that true change does not happen within society or the government, but only thru one's inner heart. His writings are praised in all Christian denominations as a defender of Christian freedom and moral truth.

John Bunyan

• Dates: 1628-1688
• 
  Nationality: English
  
• Writing Style: Devotional literature, allegory, biblical prose
• Influenced by: Bible, Puritan theology, English Reformation
• Major Works:
• The Pilgrim's Progress
• Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
• The Life and Death of Mr. Badman
• The Holy War
• Key Themes:
• Salvation by grace through faith
• The Christian life as a spiritual pilgrimage
• Perseverance through suffering and persecution
• Sin, repentance, and conversion
• The authority of Scripture
• The struggle between the soul and worldly temptations
• Influenced: Protestant literature, CS Lewis
• Summary: He was a Puritan writer who sought to simplify the biblical message thru his most famous writing, The Pilgrim's Progress. This is an allegorical account of a Christian's personal journey thru sin, conversion, and faith in God. Bunyan uses his clear understanding of scripture to guide the ordinary person thru these various life stages. The story follows Christian, his wife Christiana, and their family leaves from the City of Destruction and journey to the Celestial City which represents heaven. Bunyan seeks to have all readers to envision themselves as the protagonist and his family, undergoing the daily troubles of life, but finding peace thru spiritual growth. Although this is considered mostly an Evangelical writing, it can still be celebrated as a profound work of the Christian belief.

George McDonald

• Dates: 1824-1905
• Nationality: Scottish
• Writing Style: Fantasy, fairy tales, Christian allegory
• Influenced by: The Bible, Romanticism, Scottish culture and folklore, German literature
• Major Works:
  
• 
  Phantastes
• David Elginbrod
• At the Back of the North Wind
• The Princess and the Goblin
• The Princess and Curdie
• Lilith
• Unspoken Sermons
• Key Themes:
• The fatherly love and goodness of God
• Spiritual growth and transformation
• Childlike faith and wonder
• Redemption and moral development
• Imagination as a pathway to truth
• The journey of the soul toward God
• Influenced: CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, WH Auden, Lewis Carroll
• Summary: He is arguably one of the first writers to use fantasy as an allegorical form of portraying the central themes of Christianity. Thru many of his children fantasy novels and fairy tales such as Phantastes and The Princess and the Goblin he uses symbolism that can be tied to the central figures of Christianity. In Phantastes the character Anodos enters a fantasy world and is tempted to sin by a Shadow, no doubt reflecting the story of the Garden of Eden. This type of fantasy storytelling inspired many other great fantasy writers to come such as Lewis Carroll, CS Lewis, and JRR Tolkien. CS Lewis famously stated that his biggest inspiration was the allegorical writing of George McDonald which "baptized" his passion for fantasy writings as a form of Christian allegory. Aside from McDonald's famous fantasy writings, he was also a Congregational minister who wrote several essays and non-fictions on Christian theology. He is considered the father of modern fantasy literature, but also a highly regarded and influential Christian writer.

Leo Tolstoy

• Dates: 1828-1910
• Nationality: Russian
• Writing Style: Realism, psychological, philosophical, historical narrative, theological
• Influenced by: The Gospels, Russian Orthodox Christianity, Crimean War, Russian society
• Major Works:
• 
  War and Peace
  
• Anna Karenina
• A Confession
• The Death of Ivan Ilyich
• The Kreutzer Sonata
• The Kingdom of God is Within You
• Resurrection
• Key Themes:
• Meaning and purpose of life
• Morality and conscience
• Faith and spiritual conversion
• Love, marriage, and family
• Death and mortality
• Nonviolence and social justice
• Critique of wealth, power, and institutional religion
• Christian anarchism
• Influenced: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Christian pacifist movements
• Summary: While he is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time, his theological contributions are often overlooked. His most famous novels of War and Peace and Anna Karenina pertain more to Russian history and culture (with some minimal Christian themes). However after achieving great fame and fortune from these books, Tolstoy underwent a major spiritual awakening that reunited him with his Russian Orthodox faith. He went on to write and share of his renewed faith in theological works, most famously The Kingdom of God is Within You. Tolstoy almost became somewhat of a prophet who introduced a new form of Christian anarchism and pacifism. He began to preach of nonviolence, rejection of wealth and possessions, and a pursuit of simplicity and rural leaving. He even criticized church authority and started his own communal movement known as Tolstoyanism, which makes him somewhat controversial in the church's eyes. Nonetheless he still advocated the primary teachings of Christ to love your neighbors, all of creation, and to practice a more ascetic life. His later Christian philosophy went on to inspire other great political revolutionaries such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.