Comparative Profiles Of Two Christian Historical Fiction Authors

By Leslie Ball


The genre of the Christian novel can be traced back to Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy, " written in the early 13th century. The genre may be defined as a novel that expounds Christian themes, characters, and views. Among the most notable Christian historical fiction authors are Wendy Alec and Taylor Caldwell, both of whom are women with English roots.

Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England, on September 7, 1900. During her 84-year lifespan, she accumulated four husbands. She divorced twice and was widowed once. Her fourth and final marriage terminated with her death in 1985 of heart failure. Among her most noteworthy novels were "Great Lion of God, " about the life of the apostle Paul; Dear, Glorious Physician, " a fictional biography of the apostle and noted physician, Luke; and "I, Judas, " about Judas, the disciple and and traitor of Jesus.

When you read one of Caldwell's novels, her descriptions are so vivid that you have to keep reminding yourself that what you are reading is fiction, and not a chronicle of actual events. The "Great Lion of God, " for example, reads so vividly you could swear that it was a first-person account of the apostle's life and work. Sadly, this book is no longer in print, nor is there a Kindle version, but it is generally possible to find a copy or two available for sale on the Internet.

Caldwell also penned a dystopian novel in which North America becomes a Communist dictatorship, a book which caused a bit of a stir in its day. She was on the receiving end of several awards, including the Buffalo Evening News Award in 1949, the National League of American Pen Women gold medal in 1948, and, in 1950, the Grand Prix Chatvain. During her career, Taylor Caldwell published more than forty novels.

The founder and head of God TV, Wendy Alec was born in London, England, and grew up in Durban, South Africa. Like Taylor Caldwell, she is now divorced. After 20 years of marriage and together nursing the new Christian television channel, husband Rory left her for another woman. She sees this as a Satanic attack from which God has healed her.

She is the best-selling author of Christian fictional novels, among them the "Chronicle of Brothers" series. Again, like Caldwell, Alec has a gift for detailed descriptions of physical environments and the inner workings of her characters' minds. The first volume of the now seven-book series, "Fall of Lucifer, " explains his fall from grace and his desperate jealousy of God's new creation, Man. Alec writes so sensitively that it is sometimes hard not to find sympathy for him.

Throughout the writing of "Fall of Lucifer, " Wendy remained in constant contact with the Almighty, seeking His guidance in what to write. In her autobiography, "Against All Odds, " she describes the gestation and delivery of one of the world's fastest-growing television networks.

By using their God-given gifts to bring Christianity to the masses, both of these talented women have between then sown the seeds for millions of salvations. To the less easily persuaded, they have given hours of entertaining reads and food for thought as to where they are going to spend eternity.




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