June 3, 2022

Let’s talk about religion. (I know, and it’s not even Thanksgiving). More generally, I want to talk about faith and how it is seen—or not seen—in fictional stories/characters. To help me tackle such a weighty topic, I’ve brought in my friend and editor—Corrine! 

Those of you who follow me on social media have probably seen me wax poetic about how often Corrine’s editing prowess has saved my stories from the dooms of drafting. Corrine is an editing wiz, a fantastic friend, amazing cook, and as big a bibliophile as me. We’ve been discussing fiction together in extreme nerdy detail since we were both in college, and now we do so in a regular book club. Every discussion with Corrine is a master class in literary analysis. I’ve learned a lot just from listening to her insights, and hearing her thoughts on the topic of faith/religious representation was no different.

Today’s post actually started as a discussion Corrine and I were having when watching Netflix’s Daredevil. Matt Murdock is Catholic, and his beliefs feature quite heavily in his storyline. Both Corrine and I are women of faith ourselves, but this is one aspect of our lives—a pretty big aspect—that we do not see reflected in the fiction we read. Why is that? As Corrine pointed out to me, the vast majority of people hold to some sort of faith or religious beliefs. Shouldn’t that then be reflected in fiction in order to build believable characters? And since there are so many people following faith-based lifestyles, why and how do the representations in fiction get it so, so wrong much of the time? 

Let’s talk about faith in fiction.

**Content Note**

The views expressed in this post are solely that of myself and Corrine, and we recognize that our backgrounds have allotted us a privileged position regarding our faith that many other cultures and beliefs do not have. We also recognize that we share our faith, and those of differing beliefs may have differing viewpoints on how faith is represented in fiction. We certainly do not claim to be the end all be all regarding this topic and encourage others to continue discussing the topic with their insights and experiences to inform the discussion as a whole.

How do you define faith?

JENNA: I am a Christian, so the literal definition of my faith is rooted in the Christian Bible and the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). However, I believe faith is universal. It’s the fundamental trust in something outside of oneself with the belief that something is or will be true. Everyone, therefore, has faith. What/who we have faith in is where we differ.

CORRINE: I struggle with this question. It’s literally a belief in something that can’t be proven or seen. While that is the lame answer, it’s also the closest to what I experience. As a Catholic, I believe in the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all the same God, manifested in three different ways. People might be drawn or feel a closer affinity to one over the others. Most people I know feel like they can relate to the Father or Son best, but I have always felt a deeper understanding with the Holy Spirit. I believe God works through everyone in mysterious ways to engender peace and goodness. I see what happens in the world, to my family and friends, and I feel the connection between them. I see the Holy Spirit working through seemingly insignificant or even traumatic events in my life to bring that plan to fruition. Sometimes I see it immediately, but mostly I look back on the events of my life and see how God had a plan the whole time. Even if I can’t see it, I have to trust He does. That’s what my faith means for me. 

How big a role does faith play in your life?

CORRINE: Considering I work at my church, I’d say a pretty big role! I grew up in the Catholic faith with very loving and faithful parents who took me to church every Sunday and sent me to Catholic school most of my childhood. It was a wonderful basis for me to grow in my own faith. I’d say that high school was when I really started to understand and develop a relationship with God. Trusting Him got me through some very dark times and led me to some of the biggest blessings in my life (my husband and children). I started to understand that faith wasn’t just an action I did routinely (like going to church) because my parents made me. Because as wonderful as our parents’ faith may be, it isn’t really our own until we make it our own. So I learned that faith has to be a way of life and not just a list of beliefs. Prayer, family, and friends all helped me see that. I couldn’t be who I am today without my faith.

JENNA: Faith is a huge part of my life. I was also raised in a faith-filled household (Christian), and when I was in my early college years, I began to form my own relationship with God. From that moment forward, my faith has informed almost every decision I’ve made (or led to some epic personal reflection on the choices I’ve made). I attend church every Sunday and participate in a Bible Study once a week, but aside from those traditional expressions of faith, it is also present in the quiet moments of my life: a quick prayer before a job interview, or inviting God to binge something on Netflix with me. Having faith is being in relationship with God. I imagine (and Corrine can correct me) it’s kind of like being married. Am I thinking about/consciously with God 24/7? No. But His presence in my life is something that cannot be ignored, nor is it one I would want to ignore. I consider God (with either foresight or hindsight) in every area of life.

How often do you encounter faith in fiction?

JENNA: Rarely! And this goes for any form of faith. I see it more in fantasy than sci-fi, though it is often a fictional religion/faith in fantasy (which I don’t mind). If I do see it, it’s kind of just mentioned as an aspect of worldbuilding, but isn’t explored in depth. Unfortunately, I have seen faith ridiculed in fiction as some sort of primitive human belief, something more learned species have left behind.

CORRINE: Well, I’d have to say infrequently, and even then inaccurately. It’s usually a pleasant surprise to see faith mentioned at all! But when it is, I am often disappointed by how it plays into the character development—in that it barely does. If it’s the Catholic faith, I’m usually disappointed by how inaccurately some of the very basic tenets of it are portrayed.

How do you see faith, as you understand it, misrepresented in fiction?

CORRINE: If you are looking for a specific example, one of the tropes of the Catholic faith that fiction seems to favor is the confessional. Fiction seems to love the idea of someone confessing their darkest secrets and then being betrayed by that confession. It just simply doesn’t happen that way! Confession is a sacred understanding that the priest is only acting in God’s place. No one is allowed to listen in or be there with you. A priest would never repeat what is said in the confessional. This is taken so seriously that they are bound by their vows not to report murder. Crazy, right? Though they are allowed to request the murderer to turn themselves in before being able to fully mend your relationship with God, the priest cannot force it, and they cannot report it. Confession is a sacred thing. Fiction seems to think it is just a plot device that is out of a character’s control. 

JENNA: If we’re talking faith in general, I think it is misrepresented in that it only comes into play during the Big Decisions of the story, eleventh hour sort of thing. In reality, faith—in what/whoever—is ever-present. It flits to the surface at all times, mundane times, and has just as much influence then. For Christianity’s representation in fiction, there are a lot of issues: Christian characters acting holier-than-thou and judging anyone and everyone for anything (which is in blatant violation of our fundamental belief that we are all sinners and have no right or authority to judge anyone else’s heart/faith). But what I, personally, would really like to see go is the disregard and disrespect for faith-based abstinence/celibacy. Most often it is depicted as silly, naive, prudish, an obstacle to be overcome, unrealistic, or even as asexuality. It is none of those things. It’s a very important and impactful expression of faith for many people, and often it’s the first thing tossed out the window and compromised when addressing a religious character’s beliefs.

Do you think faith is often neglected or downplayed in fiction? If so, why?

CORRINE: Most definitely. It doesn’t matter if you’re atheist, still exploring your faith, or have had a grounding, profound experience. Everyone has some encounter with it, some opinion. So why is it so often a footnote in writing at best, and ignored or grossly misrepresented at worst? I think writers see it as a complicated topic. With so many different beliefs, writers might be afraid of offending one culture or another. But I’m not sure this is the best approach. If a character is obviously of a Christian background, then they should have that faith play a role in their life. While this is definitely a generalization, it doesn’t make sense if your character is a white girl from Texas who has no opinion on Christianity. And similarly, if you have a character of Asian descent, why wouldn’t their faith background, whether Hindi, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, or another faith, play into their life, their decisions as a person? Diversity in fiction is a whole other issue that needs remedy, but my point is that faith is important to many people across many cultures. To simply ignore it in fiction makes no sense and is a disservice to your character’s development.

JENNA: What she said! Jumping off of it being a complicated topic, I also think some people wrongly believe they are not qualified to speak on faith. As I mentioned earlier, everyone has faith in something. Science, self, God, etc. When you sit down in your chair, you have faith that it will hold you up. When you flip a light switch, you have faith the light will turn on. When you are facing down an impossible situation, you have faith that somehow everything will be alright. These small, every day encounters with faith count to the human experience. Anyone can speak to faith, not just those with a religious background.

How do you think faith can strengthen a plot/character?

CORRINE: Faith is often something complex and unique to every person. While most works wouldn’t have the time to explore how faith might work to a specific character, they really don’t need to! People don’t think, “I am going to decide to do this because of a specific thing I believe in.” No! They just do. Because unless they are new to a faith or trying to reform their lives around it, people just act. They have life experiences and morals formed by their parents or by faith that drive them to make their choices. And letting an audience see that foundation driving their choice? Well, it gives depth to their character! Without that background, a choice is just a decision they make in the moment. With that background, a choice is a connection between their past and present self. It becomes a story. It’s a shame those stories aren’t seen more often.

JENNA: Thinking about my own life and experience and how I have tackled life’s challenges, I cannot even imagine doing so without my faith. That’s not to say that every time something happens with the plot, a character needs to get down on their knees and start praying or whatever, but I think faith really provides the why behind a lot of human actions and thoughts, conscious or unconscious, and character motivation is always a good thing to have when creating fiction. I mean, if Gandalf showed up at my door and all but tried to kidnap me into helping some rando dwarves take back their kingdom from a fiery dragon, you better believe I’d be doing some serious faith-based soul searching before saying yes. And if I decided to go with Gandalf and company, then it’d probably be because of some tenet from my faith instilled in me for such decisions as adventuring and dragon fighting and the all important motivation for doing the right thing.

What would you like to see regarding faith in fiction?

CORRINE: For it to exist and exist accurately. I want to see characters who have faith, as so many people do. It would be inaccurate for everyone to have faith, but it is just as inaccurate for no one to have it. Let’s fix that, and represent the many kinds of faith that exist! And when we do, let’s ask practicing members of that faith to check the work so that we don’t misrepresent it.

JENNA: Aside from it just actually existing more in fiction, I want to see messy faith. I want to see imperfect faith. Some of my most spiritual experiences have come about from some terrible circumstances. In those moments, I was not clothed in white, on my knees, praying the Lord’s prayer. I was curled in the fetal position, screaming at God because I was scared and in pain and needed help. That’s what faith looks like. It’s not always pretty. It’s not always fun. But it should be there, in all its messy glory, in fiction.

What is your favorite representation of faith in fiction? 

CORRINE: I have a couple, for different reasons, but one of my more recent favorites is The Last Kingdom (excepting season 1). Faith, no matter how deeply believed by the characters, is simply accepted as a part of life and a way of life. It plays a role in both the Christian and pagan communities in complex ways, some explored and some left a mystery. The first season is a bit rocky, portraying Christians as the comic relief or just plain crazy and evil, but after that, a balance is reached. There are good guys and bad guys on both sides, and their faith is a part of their choices, whether they are good or evil. 

JENNA: One of my favorites that I encountered recently was Inej’s faith in the Saints in Six of Crows. Inej’s faith added so much depth to her character and her experiences and how she handled the life that was forced upon her and the life she chose. It informed her decisions, and she used it to strengthen her when those decisions became complicated. It was brought up both within her POV chapters and in the other character’s thoughts on her. But the best part was that there was no judgment toward her faith. It was a part of her as much as her long hair and her skill with a blade. There was nothing to compromise or explain or say “yes, but” to regarding her faith. I found that refreshing.

Corrine and I have been tackling the faith in fiction dilemma for years, and today’s conversation is just a drop in that bucket, but we both believe this is an important conversation to have. Representation in fiction matters for our reality. Being able to see an accurate depiction of yourself and your life reflected in your favorite story is no small thing. And faith is no small thing either. So, we encourage others to take up this conversation, reflect on their own faith, and start creating works that accurately and deeply represent it.

Be sure to follow Corrine over on her blog to learn more about her and gain more life and literary insights. Click HERE