Exploration in Themebuilding

Hello, we're here today to discuss themebuilding in writing--especially in Christian writing. Say you have a theme you want to explore in your story--maybe you're positing an answer to a moral question. Example:

Is lying always bad?

As Christians, we might be tempted to shout "Yes!" But there are two sides to this story, and you'll have to deal with that when you posit your theme. It's a lot like creating a philosophy or winning a debate, hence "themebuilding"--the thematic equivalent of worldbuilding. You have to question everything you take for granted, because rest assured, your readers are skeptical little brownies who will tear apart any assumptions you make. So let's take a serious look at this question, not as writers demonstrating a truth, but as thinkers analyzing a question.

Our first course-correction: The question shouldn't be, "Is lying bad?" but instead "Why is lying bad?" The question of why is more interesting and usually more relevant than the question of pure morality. It is the why that is the foundation of morality, not the individual rules themselves. Rules stem from morality, not the other way around--a common misconception.

Okay. Why is lying wrong? If we look at it from the Christian standpoint, one argument might be, "Lying is wrong because in the Ten Commandments say 'Thous shalt not lie.'" Well-read Christians may point out that this is not accurate*, and even if it was, it's the weakest of all the possible anti-lying arguments, but that's beside the point for now. Just pretend that's the argument that you've decided to use in your story: Lying is wrong because God says it is. Okay, premise accepted (for the moment). Using your premise, solve the following problem:

You're a Christian in Germany during World War II. A Nazi comes knocking asking if you know where a certain Jew is. You are hiding that certain Jew in your basement. What do you tell the Nazi?

The compassionate human instinct in this situation is to lie. Is that instinct right or wrong? Either way you frame it, you now have some explaining to do.

If you don't make an exception, you must explain why honesty is more important than the Jew's life. Maybe your argument has to do with sacrificing for you principles. You could prob'ly sell that if you truly believe it.

If you make an exception for this problem, you must explain why it's okay to lie in this specific situation, but not others. The Christian argument here (which honestly could be refuted, depending on how you read the book of James**) is that "Protecting an innocent human life is more important than being totally honest, but the truth is still important as a general rule."

And maybe that's not what you originally thought about lying. Maybe you thought it was always wrong until you tested it against a moral dilemma. Maybe you'll have to change your opinion (and therefore your theme). That happens, and it's healthy and natural. If we're not willing to challenge our own beliefs for fear they'll be wrong, then do we really believe them? Truth should be able defend itself without our over-protection. Our beliefs are not small children who must be sheltered from anything that would harm them. If they are not strong towers of truth, they will fall, and they should.

Try a similar example, with a different principle. Your significant other is deathly sick, and if they don't receive treatment, they will die. However, the medicine is too expensive for you to buy. Do you steal the medicine?

If not, once again you must explain to your readers why a certain rule, such as Lying is bad or Stealing is bad, is more important than someone else's survival.

If so, you're again making a case for why one value (in these cases, innocent life) is more important than other values (in these cases, honesty or respect for property).

Or you might discover a new theme altogether. Maybe in your exploration, you learned that "innocent human life should be protected at the expense of other values." That works as a theme, too.

You can make it work any of those ways. But no matter what, you need to have thought your theme through and be ready to make all possible arguments in your story. Because face it: People disagree with each other. Readers disagree with writers, protagonists disagree with antagonists, and even two Lawful Good characters can believe different things. Equal representation of two sides of a story--presenting your theme as a debate instead of a sermon--is the key to themebuilding without preaching.

Let's use a more writerly example. In my current WIP, my main character struggles to forgive her estranged father (among others who have wronged her). Revenge would be easier (especially since she's basically an assassin). As Christians, we know that we shouldn't take matters of revenge into our own hands***. In fact, we're supposed to show mercy to others as Christ showed mercy to us****. However, I couldn't write the issue that cut-and-dry. Not only is that a boring, unrealistic character arc, but it's preachy. Everyone hates a story with a moral. So instead of writing a vertical character arc in which my MC immediately forgives her father, she struggles with distrust--her father has to win her back. She repeatedly seeks revenge on the villains, as well, and holds a grudge against a close friend. Her character arc is complete when she reunites with her father, forgives other key characters in her life (including herself), and shows mercy to the main villain at the end of the book. (Since forgiveness is my primary theme, I show it in multiple story threads--another method for conveying a subtle moral.)

TL;DR Explore your theme thoroughly--you might discover an issue isn't as black-and-white as you thought, and maybe you'll even change your own opinion. Show multiple facets of an issue and let the truth speak for itself. You'll sound less preachy this way but still get your point across.

Footnotes:

* The Ninth Commandment doesn't expressly forbid lying, only giving false testimony/spreading harmful gossip: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." -Exodus 20:16

** James 2:10-11, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'You shall not commit adultery,' also said, 'You shall not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." This verse could suggest that all sins are equal, and if you break one, it's equal to breaking any of the others. So a killer is not necessarily "worse" than a liar in God's eyes, though the general value placed on human life throughout the Old and New Testaments may suggest God values human life more than other laws. It's a tough call.

*** "It is mine to avenge; I will repay." -Deuteronomy 32:35, quoted in Romans 12:19, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the LORD."

**** "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32