Comparative Profiles Of Two Christian Historical Fiction Authors

By Leslie Ball


Among the earliest Christian-themed literary works was the 14th century "Divine Comedy, " by Dante Alighieri. Then, as now, the genre has been used to expound Christian views, characters and plots. Two of the most popular and productive Christian historical fiction authors are Taylor Caldwell and Wendy Alec.

Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England, on September 7, 1900. During her 84-year lifespan, she accumulated four husbands. She divorced twice and was widowed once. Her fourth and final marriage terminated with her death in 1985 of heart failure. Among her most noteworthy novels were "Great Lion of God, " about the life of the apostle Paul; Dear, Glorious Physician, " a fictional biography of the apostle and noted physician, Luke; and "I, Judas, " about Judas, the disciple and and traitor of Jesus.

With, "Great Lion of God, " her characterizations and descriptions of the scenes are so lifelike, you really have to keep reminding yourself that it is fiction, and not a biography. It's like she was right there, 2000 years ago. The book appears to be currently out of print and is not available in e-book form, but you can usually find a paper or hardback version for sale on the Internet.

Caldwell also penned a dystopian novel in which North America becomes a Communist dictatorship, a book which caused a bit of a stir in its day. She was on the receiving end of several awards, including the Buffalo Evening News Award in 1949, the National League of American Pen Women gold medal in 1948, and, in 1950, the Grand Prix Chatvain. During her career, Taylor Caldwell published more than forty novels.

The founder and head of God TV, Wendy Alec was born in London, England, and grew up in Durban, South Africa. Like Taylor Caldwell, she is now divorced. After 20 years of marriage and together nursing the new Christian television channel, husband Rory left her for another woman. She sees this as a Satanic attack from which God has healed her.

In addition to co-founding and running a successful television company, Alec has demonstrated a gift for writing novels. She is best known for authoring the best-selling series, "Chronicle of Brothers, " stories of the relationships and struggles between the three archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. Like her counterpart, Alec has a talent for detailed descriptions that envelope the reader as if they were right there in the room.

"Fall of Lucifer, " a best-selling supernatural thriller, describes the events leading up to Lucifer's being cast out of heaven with band of rebel angels. Her autobiography, "Against All Odds, " relates the story of God TV.

These two supernaturally talented women have dedicated their lives to using their God-given gifts to make Christianity accessible to countless souls. The world of Christian historical fiction has never been more appealing.




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