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As authors, our influences can come from many places. Religion is definitely one of many influences on people's work. I believe a work should be a reflection of its author, yet religion can be really polarizing. How can I bring aspects of my personal belief system (Christianity, if it matters) into my writing without marginalizing my audience, who may not feel like I do?

For instance, some of the fiction I've read feels like thinly veiled propaganda (Pullman's His Dark Materials), while some has a lot of hidden meaning without being obstructive to the point (Card's Ender Saga). How can I express my viewpoint in my fantasy world without seeming propaganda-ish? To clarify, I'm not interested in writing an allegory; that would be marginalizing. While they have their uses, and can be wonderful on their own right (Lewis' Narnia), that's not what I'm doing.

If there is a particular example of writing that illustrates your point, I'd like to know what it is, and have a small summary of it. :)

Gabe Willard
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Present your views as the views of a character, who is also "human" ( i.e. normal, fallible ). Present other views alongside, from other characters. Don't push your views as the narrator or other super-being within the context.

Also, show the doubts the questions, why your character has come to believe what they do. Not in depth, but at least demonstrate that they have thought through their views.

If you need a character with strong, extremely polarising views, make sure they are seriously challenged.

The reasoning is that if you present an argument for a religious view, and explore how it impacts a person, that is a better way of reflecting the holistic nature of their belief than simply explounding dogma.

If you are writing SF or fantasy, then you may have to modify some of these ideas, but the principles apply just as much.

Schroedingers Cat
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My suggestion is that you introduce characters with views that oppose your own, and don't try disproving their views.

By doing this, you'll make your readers more accepting toward your own views for two reasons:

  • By being willing to accept other views within your work, you remind the readers that each is entitled to his own opinion - and that includes you!
  • Readers who disagree with your viewpoint will still have "representation" within your work, and won't feel that by having your own view you are disqualifying their views.
Yehuda Shapira
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