Wondering about Catholicism and fiction writing

[esmero]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?
2. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?
3. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?
4. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tomdstone]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?
2. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?
3. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?
4. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

Thanks in advance!

I am not sure how far a Catholic should go in writing fiction. I have seen some fiction by a Catholic priest Father Greeley, which is off-color and with foul language, and I think I heard that there was a novel by Father Malachi Martin that might have touched one or more of the subjects that you mentioned.

 

[bluerose]

These are the guidelines which the Catholic Writers Guild uses to determine whether or not a book is eligible for the award. I understand that you are not applying for the award, but it should give you an idea of what is acceptable as a Catholic work of fiction :

It does not contradict nor disparage Catholic teaching

It does not speak disparagingly of an accepted Catholic practice
(such as Novus Ordo Mass or Tridentine Mass) nor give the impression
that only a particular Catholic practice is the right way to salvation.

It does not support heresies or New Age

Is the work libelous or slanderous?

Does the work seek to foster hatred or conflict among individuals or
groups, including racism, religious fanaticism, or anarchy?

Does this work contain obscenity or promote anti-Catholic views of
modesty, decency in language, actions, or basic morality?

Does this work contain pornography?

Does this work promote premarital, extramarital, or other
non-marital sexual relationships?

Does this work degrade the dignity of the person, including the
promotion of euthanasia, abortion, homosexual actions or unions, child
labor, or prostitution?

Does this work promote the worship of false gods?

Does this work attempt to draw others away from the orthodox
teachings of the universal Catholic Church?

 

[edwest2]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?
2. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?
3. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?
4. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

Thanks in advance!

Speaking as a professional editor and storyteller, it’s all in the presentation. There are ways to present demonic forces, witchcraft and all the rest by implying and not being too specific. No need to use the Lord’s name in vain either. The farther back you go in reading such stories (preferably earlier than the 1960s), all you have to write is “We could hear the chanting coming from the woods but we dare not use our flashlights. Not until the right moment.”

Building tension. Implying the ‘heroes’ are about to prevent a possible human sacrifice and then doing it without using fake words works.

Or “The house was cold but we kept going, knowing what we might find. We each wore a Cross. She was in there somewhere and we had to save her. The thing we had seen earlier said, ‘Your god has no power over us here.’ was wrong. It didn’t want to get too close to us. That was clear. But I feared there were more.”

See. All in under 10 minutes.

Ed

 

[MonikaBarbara]

As a Catholic author, I am constantly scrutinizing and thinking of how my writing will impact my reader. As a result, I do not use the name of the Lord in vain in my novels because I know from experience that if I read a lot of books that take His Name in vain, that will get encoded in my brain against my will. As a result, the next time I am stunned/horrified/angry, my first reaction, which I then have to suppress, will be to use His Name in vain.

In the same line of reasoning, I think that it would be a very bad idea to change Church doctrine for the sake of entertainment. Remember, a lot of people who will be reading your writing will not be Catholics and your writing may mislead them and/or make them think unfavorably about the Faith. Confusing people and otherwise hampering their evangelization is, in my opinion, a sin. I know I would balk at putting witches and demons in my stories, because you never know what sorts of ideas/images you might leave someone with.

I think that you should think about why you are writing. Is it because you want to give glory to God, or do you just want to write the most popular and coolest book/novella/short story ever? In this world, what gives glory to God is probably not going to be popular and cool. How would Jesus feel if he was reading over your shoulder?

Also, it is very important to consider HOW you present certain things. Quo Vadis, for instance, speaks about drunkenness, sexual desire, debauchery, and homosexuality, BUT it is beautifully contrasted with the purity and holiness of the Christian characters. The book makes you cheer on the Christians and makes you think that Nero and the Romans are mad for acting the way they do. Saint Pope John Paul II apparently loved the book and rumor has it that his fellow Cardinal used its plotline to encourage him to accept his election as pope, so it is probably not sinful.

 

[JackVk]

I think that you should think about why you are writing. Is it because you want to give glory to God, or do you just want to write the most popular and coolest book/novella/short story ever? In this world, what gives glory to God is probably not going to be popular and cool. How would Jesus feel if he was reading over your shoulder?

Also, it is very important to consider HOW you present certain things. Quo Vadis, for instance, speaks about drunkenness, sexual desire, debauchery, and homosexuality, BUT it is beautifully contrasted with the purity and holiness of the Christian characters. The book makes you cheer on the Christians and makes you think that Nero and the Romans are mad for acting the way they do. Saint Pope John Paul II apparently loved the book and rumor has it that his fellow Cardinal used its plotline to encourage him to accept his election as pope, so it is probably not sinful.

This is good advice. It’s one thing to acknowledge and not downplay the gritty and sordid aspects of the world; it’s another to glorify them or make them appear good.

 

[xNoOnex]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?
2. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?
3. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?
4. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

Thanks in advance!

1.) I would say this depends on your intent. If you’re specifically intending to be a Catholic writer, I think it would be best to avoid such topics. If you’re just intending to be a writer, who happens to be Catholic, and aren’t intending to be representative of your faith, I’d say it’s more acceptable.

2.) I’ve learned, over the years, when it comes to the occult, what you see in movies, comic books, and television shows is very different than the real deal. I don’t believe there is any real spiritual danger, if you’re faithful. (Even as lapsed as I am, there’s some roads I won’t go down.)

3.) Pray.

4.) For this, I might not be the best person to answer. I’d personally be uncomfortable with making up prayers/rituals, since I believe its a little disrespectful but at the same time, I don’t think its bad to create do something like create a new religious order if it fits what you’re writing.

I have a series of short stories that takes place in what I call “Dark Earth”, which is very much like our reality with the exception that things like vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures actually exist in the shadows. The average person doesn’t know about them, but there are various organizations that exist to protect humanity from them. One of these organizations is lay religious order within the Catholic church that dates back to the Crusades.

 

[xNoOnex]

This is good advice. It’s one thing to acknowledge and not downplay the gritty and sordid aspects of the world; it’s another to glorify them or make them appear good.

This is one thing that I agree with, too.

Most of what I write tends to be “dark and gritty” , with flawed protagonists. (Some of what I have planned even has villain protagonists.) But I do try to go out of my way to show that this isn’t the natural way of the world - and the fact that things are like they are means something is very wrong.

 

[GEddie]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?

He can, and it can if well written, perform a good deed by reminding others that such does exist.

1. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?

No. Writing about the spiritual world doesn’t call it down, as it were. It’s already here.

1. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?

Not an issue, AIUI, see above.

1. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

You’d want to stay away from this, IMNAAHO. Although not sin or heresy (technically), you’d not want to represent the Catholic religion falsely.

Thanks in advance!

YVW and ICXC NIKA

 

[esmero]

I am not sure how far a Catholic should go in writing fiction. I have seen some fiction by a Catholic priest Father Greeley, which is off-color and with foul language, and I think I heard that there was a novel by Father Malachi Martin that might have touched one or more of the subjects that you mentioned.

I looked those guys up and they’re quite the characters. Father Malachi Martin pretty much left the Church and wrote most of his books after that. Cautionary tales indeed. Thanks.

 

[esmero]

These are the guidelines which the Catholic Writers Guild uses to determine whether or not a book is eligible for the award. I understand that you are not applying for the award, but it should give you an idea of what is acceptable as a Catholic work of fiction :

It does not contradict nor disparage Catholic teaching

It does not speak disparagingly of an accepted Catholic practice
(such as Novus Ordo Mass or Tridentine Mass) nor give the impression
that only a particular Catholic practice is the right way to salvation.

It does not support heresies or New Age

Is the work libelous or slanderous?

Does the work seek to foster hatred or conflict among individuals or
groups, including racism, religious fanaticism, or anarchy?

Does this work contain obscenity or promote anti-Catholic views of
modesty, decency in language, actions, or basic morality?

Does this work contain pornography?

Does this work promote premarital, extramarital, or other
non-marital sexual relationships?

Does this work degrade the dignity of the person, including the
promotion of euthanasia, abortion, homosexual actions or unions, child
labor, or prostitution?

Does this work promote the worship of false gods?

Does this work attempt to draw others away from the orthodox
teachings of the universal Catholic Church?

Wow, thank you! I didn’t even know there was a Catholic Writer’s Guild. I’m gonna look them up, along with Catholic authors.

From what I’m gathering from the comments, misrepresenting the teachings of the Church in any way is a huge no-no.

 

[esmero]

Speaking as a professional editor and storyteller, it’s all in the presentation. There are ways to present demonic forces, witchcraft and all the rest by implying and not being too specific. No need to use the Lord’s name in vain either. The farther back you go in reading such stories (preferably earlier than the 1960s), all you have to write is “We could hear the chanting coming from the woods but we dare not use our flashlights. Not until the right moment.”

Building tension. Implying the ‘heroes’ are about to prevent a possible human sacrifice and then doing it without using fake words works.

Or “The house was cold but we kept going, knowing what we might find. We each wore a Cross. She was in there somewhere and we had to save her. The thing we had seen earlier said, ‘Your god has no power over us here.’ was wrong. It didn’t want to get too close to us. That was clear. But I feared there were more.”

See. All in under 10 minutes.

Ed

I’d read that! Thanks.

 

[esmero]

As a Catholic author, I am constantly scrutinizing and thinking of how my writing will impact my reader. As a result, I do not use the name of the Lord in vain in my novels because I know from experience that if I read a lot of books that take His Name in vain, that will get encoded in my brain against my will. As a result, the next time I am stunned/horrified/angry, my first reaction, which I then have to suppress, will be to use His Name in vain.

In the same line of reasoning, I think that it would be a very bad idea to change Church doctrine for the sake of entertainment. Remember, a lot of people who will be reading your writing will not be Catholics and your writing may mislead them and/or make them think unfavorably about the Faith. Confusing people and otherwise hampering their evangelization is, in my opinion, a sin. I know I would balk at putting witches and demons in my stories, because you never know what sorts of ideas/images you might leave someone with.

I think that you should think about why you are writing. Is it because you want to give glory to God, or do you just want to write the most popular and coolest book/novella/short story ever? In this world, what gives glory to God is probably not going to be popular and cool. How would Jesus feel if he was reading over your shoulder?

Also, it is very important to consider HOW you present certain things. Quo Vadis, for instance, speaks about drunkenness, sexual desire, debauchery, and homosexuality, BUT it is beautifully contrasted with the purity and holiness of the Christian characters. The book makes you cheer on the Christians and makes you think that Nero and the Romans are mad for acting the way they do. Saint Pope John Paul II apparently loved the book and rumor has it that his fellow Cardinal used its plotline to encourage him to accept his election as pope, so it is probably not sinful.

You make some great points, thank you.

 

[esmero]

1.) I would say this depends on your intent. If you’re specifically intending to be a Catholic writer, I think it would be best to avoid such topics. If you’re just intending to be a writer, who happens to be Catholic, and aren’t intending to be representative of your faith, I’d say it’s more acceptable.

2.) I’ve learned, over the years, when it comes to the occult, what you see in movies, comic books, and television shows is very different than the real deal. I don’t believe there is any real spiritual danger, if you’re faithful. (Even as lapsed as I am, there’s some roads I won’t go down.)

3.) Pray.

4.) For this, I might not be the best person to answer. I’d personally be uncomfortable with making up prayers/rituals, since I believe its a little disrespectful but at the same time, I don’t think its bad to create do something like create a new religious order if it fits what you’re writing.

I have a series of short stories that takes place in what I call “Dark Earth”, which is very much like our reality with the exception that things like vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures actually exist in the shadows. The average person doesn’t know about them, but there are various organizations that exist to protect humanity from them. One of these organizations is lay religious order within the Catholic church that dates back to the Crusades.

That makes sense, thank you. My intent would be to be a writer who happens to be Catholic, but I wouldn’t want to be an obstacle to the faith of others in any way.

As for the short stories, are they published anywhere? I had a similar idea for a series of stories as well, and it was one of the reasons I asked this question! I have other things I want to write first, but if possible I’d like to take a look to make sure I’m not copying anyone.

 

[esmero]

No. Writing about the spiritual world doesn’t call it down, as it were. It’s already here.

So, for example, we don’t run the risk of inviting demonic influences by writing about demons, researching the subject for stories etc?

And thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[GEddie]

So, for example, we don’t run the risk of inviting demonic influences by writing about demons, researching the subject for stories etc?

And thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut.

No, as I understand it, you have to let them into your “house” (body) by invoking them, committing certain sins, taking recreational drugs, etc.

There is no wrong in researching them or writing them up.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Kay_Cee]

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best forum for my question, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I’m going to divide things up to make it clearer and easier to respond. Here it goes:

1. May the Catholic write fiction featuring spiritual stuff like spirits, witchcraft, demons etc? Something like Constantine, for example, or The Conjuring, The Exorcist, Deliver us from Evil etc?

Two of my novels have demons as characters. Two also have angels as characters. I write about the constant battle between good and evil. There’s no problem with using them as characters as long as you remain faithful to Church teaching. (If you want to see an example, click on the link in my signature below, and it will take you to my second novel. It’s free to read online.)

God’s own word, the Bible, has angels and demons in it, so I don’t see a problem there.

1. If (1) is true, does the Catholic put himself in spiritual danger by doing so?

I’m unsure what you mean by “spiritual danger.” If you mean putting your soul in jeopardy, you don’t as long as you remain faithful to the Church.

1. If (2) is true, what measures can one take to protect oneself spiritually? Or is it simply more hassle/risky than it’s worth?

Answered above.

1. May the Catholic modify the doctrine of the Church for the sake of fiction/entertainment? For example, make up rituals, prayers, etc? Or is it heresy/using the Lord’s name in vain?

I would rather my writing never see the light of day than go against Church teaching. As for making up a prayer, certainly characters can pray about their particular situation (like praying to God for help defeating an enemy), but I would never present it as an official prayer of the Church.

Thanks in advance!

You’re so welcome!

 

[esmero]

No, as I understand it, you have to let them into your “house” (body) by invoking them, committing certain sins, taking recreational drugs, etc.

There is no wrong in researching them or writing them up.

ICXC NIKA

Thank you so much. So does this also mean that, for example, there is no wrong in watching horror movies?

I ask because I come from a protestant background that very much believed that by watching horror movies, reading horror stories, etc, was an active way to invite demonic influence to one’s life. (I’m still converting to the CC.)

 

[esmero]

I’m unsure what you mean by “spiritual danger.” If you mean putting your soul in jeopardy, you don’t as long as you remain faithful to the Church.

I mean whether reading or writing about the occult, ghosts, paranormal, etc, ends up inviting demonic activity into one’s life. I ask because I come from a protestant background that pretty much believes that (I’m still converting to Catholicism).

I would rather my writing never see the light of day than go against Church teaching. As for making up a prayer, certainly characters can pray about their particular situation (like praying to God for help defeating an enemy), but I would never present it as an official prayer of the Church.

The most important thing I seem to be getting from the responses is that I should NEVER misrepresent the Church in any way. Message received!

Thanks for the help, I’m checking out your book

 

[GEddie]

Thank you so much. So does this also mean that, for example, there is no wrong in watching horror movies?

I ask because I come from a protestant background that very much believed that by watching horror movies, reading horror stories, etc, was an active way to invite demonic influence to one’s life.

Depends on the movie.

Supernatural horror (such as the Stephen King films) is often OK (and, IIUC, Stephen King is Catholic).

“Human horror” that centers on psychopathic behavior (ie, SAW) is different. By helping such productions to make a profit, one acts to increase the level of interest in such activity.

IMNAAHO.

ICXC NIKA