by Jason Joyner | Jul 21, 2008 | Blog, CSFF, dragons, fantasy, speculative fiction
The CSFF tour is highlighting Donita Paul and her new book DragonLight this month.
It is the fifth and final book in the DragonKeeper Chronicles. Since it was the last in a series, I didn’t feel I could review it and do it justice.
Wait! Don’t go. I do have original content this month. Well, mostly original.
I want to ask a question. Is it a problem for any Christian readers to consider dragons as appropriate for “Christian” fiction? I am no means a dragon expert (for that, talk to Snuffles), but I wanted to discuss this idea for a minute.
Dragons have a mixed history. In Western lore and mythology, dragons were usually agents of evil. Since Revelation 12 uses a dragon as imagery for Satan, this was likely a source of dragon prejudice. An early legend of St. George defeating the dragon resonates with many cultures across Europe and some Middle Eastern areas. However, in Chinese folklore, dragons are often agents of good, a symbol of wisdom.
Dragons have had a resurgence in many arenas. The popular book Eragon has given them a good name as well as a high profile. Donita Paul’s series has not been the only Christian fiction with a dragon-centric plot. Bryan Davis has released the Dragons in Our Midst series in the CBA realm also.
Does this mean that it is okay to use dragons as a motif for a Christian tale? I’d like anyone’s opinion out there before I talk about mine. However, let me close with this quote from Bryan Davis in an interview from CBN back when his dragon books were first being released.
Siepel: What do you say to parents who may be wary of introducing their child to the world of fantasy?
Davis: We have an opportunity to create strong soldiers for Christ by using the power of story, even through the pages of the impossible. If parents will allow fantasy its proper place, as an inspiration toward holiness, allowing powerful images to create God-honoring models in children’s minds, authors will be moved to create more of those fantastic images. As the market grows, as book-buyers seek heroes displaying faith-empowered integrity and strength, more publishers will have the freedom to take a chance on these works. Working together, we can use this genre to capture hearts and minds with champions of virtue, images that will reach in and ignite the flame, setting free the hero or heroine that God has implanted in the hearts of children.
Check out the featured author links:
Web site – http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Blog – http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/.html
Also see what others are saying on the CSFF tour below!
*Participants’ Links:
(Just for fun I marked the five who also participated in CSFF’s first book tour, featuring Donita Paul’s DragonKnight back in June 2006.)
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams
by Jason Joyner | Jul 21, 2008 | Blog, CSFF, dragons, fantasy, speculative fiction
The CSFF tour is highlighting Donita Paul and her new book DragonLight this month.
It is the fifth and final book in the DragonKeeper Chronicles. Since it was the last in a series, I didn’t feel I could review it and do it justice.
Wait! Don’t go. I do have original content this month. Well, mostly original.
I want to ask a question. Is it a problem for any Christian readers to consider dragons as appropriate for “Christian” fiction? I am no means a dragon expert (for that, talk to Snuffles), but I wanted to discuss this idea for a minute.
Dragons have a mixed history. In Western lore and mythology, dragons were usually agents of evil. Since Revelation 12 uses a dragon as imagery for Satan, this was likely a source of dragon prejudice. An early legend of St. George defeating the dragon resonates with many cultures across Europe and some Middle Eastern areas. However, in Chinese folklore, dragons are often agents of good, a symbol of wisdom.
Dragons have had a resurgence in many arenas. The popular book Eragon has given them a good name as well as a high profile. Donita Paul’s series has not been the only Christian fiction with a dragon-centric plot. Bryan Davis has released the Dragons in Our Midst series in the CBA realm also.
Does this mean that it is okay to use dragons as a motif for a Christian tale? I’d like anyone’s opinion out there before I talk about mine. However, let me close with this quote from Bryan Davis in an interview from CBN back when his dragon books were first being released.
Siepel: What do you say to parents who may be wary of introducing their child to the world of fantasy?
Davis: We have an opportunity to create strong soldiers for Christ by using the power of story, even through the pages of the impossible. If parents will allow fantasy its proper place, as an inspiration toward holiness, allowing powerful images to create God-honoring models in children’s minds, authors will be moved to create more of those fantastic images. As the market grows, as book-buyers seek heroes displaying faith-empowered integrity and strength, more publishers will have the freedom to take a chance on these works. Working together, we can use this genre to capture hearts and minds with champions of virtue, images that will reach in and ignite the flame, setting free the hero or heroine that God has implanted in the hearts of children.
Check out the featured author links:
Web site – http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Blog – http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/.html
Also see what others are saying on the CSFF tour below!
*Participants’ Links:
(Just for fun I marked the five who also participated in CSFF’s first book tour, featuring Donita Paul’s DragonKnight back in June 2006.)
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams
