When Fiction Builds Faith

Before college, I rarely touched a book unless I had to. If I picked one up, it was probably something by C.S. Lewis and even then, it was usually his theology, not his stories. Like many Christians, I believed that becoming a better disciple meant diving deep into apologetics, theology, and doctrine. I figured that was the surest way to grow in faith to answer the big questions with big truths.

But over time, something changed.

After seminary, even though I continued reading theological texts, I began to feel stuck. The more I learned, the more I realized how many trusted Christian thinkers disagreed. Who was right? Even if I relied only on Scripture, whose interpretation was truly sound? My questions didn’t go away. In fact, they multiplied. And that search for clarity eventually led me to a surprising place: the fiction section of the bookstore.

What I found there began to transform not just my thinking, but my life.

Stories as Sacred Spaces

I used to think that stories were a distraction from truth. Now I believe they’re often the most powerful ways we encounter it.

Fiction gives us more than just entertainment it opens our eyes. Through stories, we live other lives, see through other eyes, and feel things we haven’t experienced. We learn what it means to be courageous, conflicted, honest, or broken. Good fiction teaches empathy by drawing us into the inner worlds of characters people we come to understand, relate to, and even grieve for.

It’s why Christian thinker Karen Swallow Prior writes that fiction doesn’t argue truth it shows it. We see good and evil played out in complex ways, helping us discern what’s true, not through propositions but through people. Philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre once said that novels should be part of any moral philosophy course. Why? Because humans are storytelling creatures, and stories teach us how to live.

Here are three powerful ways fiction can grow your faith and your humanity.

1. Stories Expand Empathy

Most of us only have one lens through which we experience the world: our own. We don’t get to inhabit the inner lives of others. But when we read fiction, we do. We walk in someone else’s shoes. We learn what it’s like to live in a different era, class, family, or country. And that’s spiritually significant.

A study from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that reading fiction, including series like Harry Potter, can increase empathy by helping readers connect with marginalized or stigmatized characters. Through those experiences, readers become more attuned to others’ emotions and challenges. It’s no surprise that Scripture so often uses story parables, narratives, poetry to invite us into spiritual truths.

Reading also helps us understand ourselves. When we encounter a fictional character whose struggle mirrors our own, something clicks. We find language for things we didn’t know how to articulate. A story can make us say, I’ve felt this. That recognition fosters self-awareness a necessary step in spiritual formation.

2. Reading Helps Us Unplug

Fiction offers us something our modern world desperately lacks: focused attention.

In an age dominated by screens, scrolling, and short attention spans, reading fiction invites us to slow down. It retrains our minds to resist constant digital stimulation. When you choose to read a novel especially in print you’re choosing presence over distraction.

Most fictional characters aren’t glued to their phones. They engage with the world in real ways. And that’s refreshing. Reading fiction pulls us out of the echo chambers of social media and into more contemplative, creative spaces. It cultivates silence a key ingredient in hearing God.

3. Reading Cultivates Discipline and Virtue

Reading well requires commitment. It’s easier to skim an article or listen to a podcast than to sit with a 300-page novel. But the very effort of reading teaches us spiritual discipline. You learn to persevere through dense chapters. You learn to reflect, not just react. And those habits spill over into other areas of life: prayer, Scripture, worship, even relationships.

Good stories shape our moral imaginations. When we read about characters making difficult choices, we’re invited to consider what we would do. We’re challenged to be more patient, courageous, or loving. And unlike textbooks, stories don’t just tell us what’s right they show us what it feels like.

This kind of spiritual formation is slow and subtle but it’s real.

Why This Matters for Disciples of Jesus

As Christians, we believe that our faith should shape how we live. We want to grow, not just in knowledge, but in character to live lives that reflect the love, grace, and truth of Jesus.

That’s why reading fiction matters.

It teaches us to care about people. It sharpens our conscience. It slows us down. It opens our eyes. And in doing so, it can draw us closer to the One who told the greatest stories of all stories about seeds and prodigals, vineyards and mustard seeds, sheep and shepherds.

Jesus knew that truth is most transformative when it comes wrapped in a story.

So next time you’re looking to grow in your walk with Christ, don’t just reach for a theological tome. Wander into the fiction section. What you find there might just change your heart and your life.

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