New Christian Fiction from popular Gospel Coalition blogger
Today I’m happy to have Trevin Wax here to share about his latest book, Clear Winter Nights. Trevin is the managing editor of The Gospel Project, an all-ages small group curriculum developed by LifeWay Christian Resources. He is a popular blogger (Kingdom People) and a contributor to Christianity Today. While he has written several books, the latest release, his first novel, promises to be a unique and powerful read. Here’s a glimpse at the book:
What happens when a young Christian dealing with disillusionment and doubt spends a weekend with an elderly retired pastor? They talk. And no subject is off limits. Clear Winter Nights is a stirring story about faith, forgiveness, and the distinctiveness of Christianity. Through a powerful narrative and engaging dialogue, Trevin Wax shows the relevance of unchanging truth in an ever changing world.
Welcome, Trevin!
You have a reputation as a purveyer of theological thought. Why fiction and why now?
As a kid, I loved to write stories. But somewhere along the way, I switched to non-fiction, started blogging, and aside from a parable here and there, I stayed firmly in the non-fiction camp.
But my love for reading fiction never went away. Neither did my desire to create good fiction of my own.
I believe it’s important for us to be not only critics of culture, but creators of culture. Fiction communicates truth in a different way than non-fiction. This book gave me an opportunity to draw out the beauty of truth through narrative, characters, and dialogue.
Why did you choose to make one of your main characters a young post-college age man?
We were hosting a group of college students in our home every week at the time I began writing the book. I’ve found that a lot of college students wrestle with what they’ve been taught and are trying to determine whether or not they will truly “own” their faith or walk away.
What was your inspiration for the book?
The pastor in the story is a composite portrait of three grandfather figures who have made a profound impact on my life. I also sought to incorporate the winsomeness and wit of apologist G. K. Chesterton throughout the dialogue.
Your book covers a broad range of topics including divorce, death, crisis of faith, homosexuality, forgiveness. Was that your intention when you started writing or did they develop during the writing process?
At the beginning of the writing process, I had a predetermined list of topics I wanted to cover. As I began to write, however, it seemed like my characters resisted any attempt to be forced into conversations that didn’t fit their personalities. The characters outgrew my initial vision (which made for an exciting process!), and the story development led to more and more revisions of their dialogue.
“No Christian who truly understands grace can feel superior to anyone else. Grace shatters any sense of superiority.” That is a terrific quote. How do you think that speaks to our culture?
As people who believe Jesus is the Truth, we can give the impression that we believe we are better than those who do not know Christ. But the beauty of grace is that none of us are good. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Grace levels the ground at the cross, leading us to have humble and grateful hearts. Looking up to God for salvation should keep us from ever looking down on others.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope skeptics and doubters will be challenged by the conversations to “doubt their doubts.” I hope Christians will enjoy a stirring story that provides a model of how to have truth-filled, grace-soaked conversations with those who are doubting.
Clear Winter Nights has been a labor of love and learning for me. Love for the characters and the truth they discuss, and learning for me as an author as I’ve taken up the challenge of telling a good story.
