Literary Classics for Christian Leaders
Literary classics for Christian leaders can deepen reflection on God, human nature, temptation, confession, grace, and moral struggle. Marvin D. Hinten reflects on how literature can stir spiritual reflection and help Christian leaders think deeply through novels, poems, short stories, and drama.
- Literature can connect readers with spiritual truth in ways nonfiction sometimes cannot.
- The recommended works explore themes such as temptation, confession, grace, forgiveness, and institutional failure.
- Christian leaders can benefit from reading classic literature thoughtfully and devotionally.
By Marvin D. Hinten
I was led to Christ by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Most people are led to Christ by someone they know—a friend or relative—not an individual who’s been dead for a hundred years. And, for obvious reasons, most people are led to Christ by a Christian. But I became a Christian through reading a poem by Emerson in a high school English class. So I have experienced firsthand the power of literature to connect readers with God.
Most Christian leaders, when thinking of books they “ought to read,” think of nonfiction. One should read theology and church management and devotional classics. And that makes sense; a history teacher reads history books, so wouldn’t a spiritual teacher read spiritual books?
Yes, but many writers who are not writing “Christian” books, and who are not even Christian themselves (see Emerson, above), think deeply about God and spiritual matters in ways that concern many contemporary Americans. And a play, a poem, or a short story can sometimes engage us in a way that nonfiction does not—why else did Christ tell so many parables? So it is valuable for Christian teachers to spend occasional time pondering literature.
But I’m aware of the difficulties in doing this: (1) There’s no time for “extra” reading; (2) Literary classics are boring, right? (Richard Armour says Moby Dick is so boring it makes grown men cry and whales blubber!); (3) How does one know works that are important ones for a Christian leader?
As you have probably guessed, I plan to solve those problems by offering the following:
Ten Literary Classics Worth a Christian Leader’s Time
Novels
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stephenson
Dr. Jekyll finds a way to unleash his dark side through a chemical potion. It’s exhilarating to let his evil side run free. But notice how the evil side grows stronger each time it’s released and how much harder it becomes for Dr. Jekyll to return to his good form. A brilliant picture of internal spiritual struggle.
Perelandra by C. S. Lewis
What if you were sent to an unfallen planet to try to prevent that planet’s Eve from yielding to Satan’s arguments about breaking God’s one rule there? An engaging and imaginative expansion of Genesis, with pages of fascinating philosophical arguments on God and his expectations.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
When Hester becomes pregnant, the Puritan town in which she lives makes her wear a red letter “A” (for adultery). So the woman is punished and the man gets off free, right?
One discovers that by having her sin brought into the open, Hester is able to move forward with life. Her lover, meanwhile, lives in perpetual fear that someone will find out he is the guilty party. His guilt and fear shrink him physically, spiritually, and emotionally. A good picture of the need for confession.
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
In Baltimore in 1965, Ian is filled with despair over the death of his brother, which he feels he contributed to. In coming across a local gathering of Christians called “The Church of the Second Chance,” Ian wrestles with what it means to be forgiven and to feel forgiven. A deeply thoughtful book on trying to balance works and grace.
Adam Bede by George Eliot
Seth is deeply religious; his brother Adam is deeply moral but only moderately religious. Both of them fall in love with Methodist minister Dinah, who wrestles with whether it would be better for her to marry the one who is more religious or the one to whom she is more attracted.
Poems
The Temple by George Herbert
Even though these are written in the early 17th century, they are short enough that the language should not be a major barrier. I particularly recommend “The Altar,” “Redemption,” “Easter Wings,” “Prayer 1,” “The Windows,” “Denial,” “Jordan 2,” “Iesu,” “Paradise,” “The Bag,” “The Collar,” and “A Wreath.”
Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson, Books 1, 9, and 12
Ancient England is a mess, with beasts taking over and men who live like beasts making things worse. (The initial part of this poem was published the same year as Darwin’s The Origin of Species.)
Book 1 tells how the Round Table began, with everyone excited about how this will be the greatest enterprise ever, a sort of heaven on earth (also known as church plant syndrome). I recommend skipping lines 134-445 to use your time more efficiently.
Book 9 tells how the young idealistic knight Pelleas joins the Round Table and discovers that the knights cheat in tournaments and that Lancelot is having an affair with the king’s wife.
In Book 12 the Round Table falls apart, but Arthur tells his final loyal knight, Bedivere, to start the whole process over again elsewhere, simply remembering not to give his trust to it, as every institution eventually fails.
Short Stories
God: Stories by Michael Curtis (editor)
These varied stories by various authors all deal with God and spiritual life in some way. I particularly recommend these 10: “A New Life,” “A Father’s Story,” “The Knife,” “The Question of Rain,” “The Retreat,” “The Pure in Heart,” “Roof Work,” “Defender of the Faith,” “A Christian Education,” and “Made in Heaven.”
Drama
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Everyone knows Macbeth is led astray by the temptation of the witches. What they forget is that his colleague Banquo meets temptation at the same time and is not led astray. Notice the differences during the play in how they deal with similar temptations.
Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Dr. Faustus makes a deal with Lucifer to give up his soul in exchange for 24 years of whatever he wants. Most of us have made some form of this deal—giving up health in exchange for the pleasure of doughnuts, for instance!
Consider throughout the play whether Dr. Faustus can get out of the contract he signed, and if so, why he doesn’t do that.1
What if you read one of these works and wonder how to get more out of it? Feel free to contact me at hi*****@*****ds.edu, and I will be happy to suggest some points to ponder that will make your time with these writings more meaningful.
The Roman writer Horace, who lived around the time of Christ, said good writing should both delight and instruct. I think you will find classics of literature to engage your heart, mind, and soul at the same time.
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1In the original text, Dr. Faustus presents plot and reading difficulties, for various textual reasons. If you prefer a slightly abridged and contemporized version, which I strongly recommend, I have prepared an edited version in the book Antigone and Other Classics, Contemporized, which you can order from amazon.com or from bookstores. It also contains contemporized excerpts from Greek drama, Confucius, and various other world classics. I have done the same with two Shakespeare plays in Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, Contemporized, if you would like a more readable version of a couple of Shakespeare’s classics.
Marvin Hinten is an English professor at Friends University in Wichita, KS. His most recent book, The Keys to the Chronicles, is a study of where C. S. Lewis got his ideas for The Chronicles of Narnia. Should you wish to contact him, his e-mail address ishi*****@*****ds.edu.
