Genres: Theology in Romance
Definition of the Genre
Romantic Fiction is one of the most immediately definable genres. While Contemporary Fiction might have wiggle room, Fantasy has a whole spectrum, and Horror runs the gamut from Psychological to Supernatural, Romantic Fiction tends to have one, clear, easy-to-identify feature: romance. There may be changes in backdrop, setting, aesthetic, or tropes and archetypes, the core remains the same throughout: tell a story — sometimes sweet, sometimes sad, occasionally bittersweet or heartbreaking, or a little steamy — about the romantic relationships of its characters. These kinds of stories may stretch over just a few days or up to a few decades, span the entirety of the relationship or just a piece of it, or may even start at the end of it and work backwards. Some are complex and dynamic, others are soft and fluffy and while the audience is predominantly women, there is plenty for men to enjoy as well.
The basic structure of a Romance is the main character being pursued or pursuing their love interest through various trials until they reach some kind of end. This may be marriage or some other confirmation of their relationship depending on how the story goes, but it may also end in breakup. There may be romantic rivals such as in the love triangle, family drama, office intrigue, even murder mystery and some fantastical elements. While romantic plots and subplots are incredibly common in Western storytelling across genres (to the point where a story often feels like it is missing something without it), Romance brings all of that to the very front of the story, focusing in on these relationships and the characters who drive them.
Within the umbrella of “Romance” there are a number of common subgenres; Contemporary Romance, Romantic Fantasy (dubbed in recent years as “Romantasy”), Supernatural Romance, and so on and so forth. Romantic Fiction exists in a place where it can effortlessly crossover into any other genre without too much struggle on the part of the audience to understand the concept. In fact, it is often a way for audiences to dabble in genres outside their usual; a usual fan of Romantic Fiction may pick up a futuristic Romance novel to try some Science Fiction in a way that is both appealing and palatable.
The Theology
While Romance is often relegated to the shallow end of the storytelling pool, it is actually one of the easiest genres for Christian storytellers to incorporate good, Godly, and even theologically deep messages. The reason for this is incredibly simple: God designed romantic relationships — specifically marriage, but many of the principles apply to dating as well — to reflect His relationship with us. On the positive side, there is the self-sacrifice, the grace and mercy, the unending love, the encouragement to be better and grow, the emotional and mental intimacy that comes with finding a good partner; all of these traits are ones found in abundance in both how God loves and relates to us. Jesus even describes Himself as the bridegroom of the Church, caring for His people with the same love and devotion a husband would.
On the opposite side, a story about a toxic relationship can highlight how far humanity has fallen from God and His design. The drama, the selfishness, the lack of wisdom, the sexual sin, the cruelty, and lack of forgiveness can all point to humanity’s need for a savior or, at the very least, humanity’s struggle to have meaningful relationships without following the guidelines set by its Creator. In may ways, a well-written romance can put God on display just as easily as a Sunday morning sermon. Marriage is something that God set forth in the world from the first two people, and it is a recurring theme both literally and symbolically throughout the entirety of the Bible. Having characters navigate relationships — whether married, engaged, or dating — can be a direct and thinly veiled way to express God’s love and patience with us as well as show Christians what a healthy (or unhealthy) relationship is supposed to look like.
The Pitfalls
There are two major pitfalls that have plagued the genre since its creation: graphic intimacy and idolizing the romantic interest. The former will be discussed next week in its own article — partly because it’s a problem across all genres at the moment — but the latter is something that tends to be a particular problem in Christian Romantic Fiction as well, so it will be discussed here.
The end goal of every good Romance is typically “..and they lived happily ever after, the end” whatever that might look like. It reflects the goal most people have for their real-world relationships, making it relatable, if not also desirable. It is an ending full of hope and promise despite the brokenness of the world; it also brings in the idea of what romance and marriage would have looked like before the Fall. While this is a noble undertaking, all too often romances are written with only the end goal in mind, not the process required to get there. That final “I love you”, the kiss to seal the deal, the white wedding. All too often, these story forgets to build a solid relationship between the male and female leads, translating into a story where the characters either lack a firm foundation for their relationship or wind up idolizing one another.
Now, delighting in one’s spouse as a person is absolutely a good thing. Highlighting that in a piece of Romantic Fiction is absolutely a good thing. The problem comes when the whole message of the story shakes out to be: the only source of happiness one can have is their boy/girlfriend or spouse. It paints the romantic interest as perfect in the main character’s eyes (even when it is clear to the audience they are not) and creates unrealistic expectations of what the audience is going to find in the tangible world. This idolization in real life leads a host of emotional and mental wounds from resentment or a sense of betrayal the moment the spouse or boy/girlfriend demonstrates their flaws or lets the other person down.
This kind of idolization only ever leads to heartache, since the only thing that is good, perfect, flawless, and worthy of idolization is God. All other idols — whether they be a person, a lifestyle, an object, or an aesthetic — are sinful. This is not to say that Christian Romance can’t include a plot that involves a character (even the main character) idolizing their partner, but that idolatry should come with consequences that highlight what a detriment this is to not only a person’s being, but also the exact relationship that they are idolizing.
In the Current Realm
Romance — whether Christian or secular — is a genre that has stood the test of time. Throughout all of history, people have been telling each other romantic stories; some fantastical and fairytale-like, some realistic and practical, but regardless of the set dressing or complexity, humanity loves a good romance. With the rise of the cultural phenomenon that is “BookTok” and other book influencers on various social media platforms, Romantic Fiction is currently experiencing a burst in popularity. This is both a positive and a negative thing. Negative because much of the Romance being currently circulated is popular for one reason: graphic intimacy (often euphemized as “spice”).
However, for the Christian looking to tell a romantic story, this is a good thing. Good because the genre is so active and the audience so varied, good because it can provide opportunities to infuse Godly messages into that culture, and good because the Christian side of “BookTok” is already reacting to the sudden rise of graphic intimacy in mainstream media by writing, promoting, and encouraging spice-free Romantic Fiction. In some ways, Christian writers have been given an unprecedented opportunity to take a bold stand and tell stories that honor God and his good, good nature.