Finding Christian Messages in the Classics

Hi,

So, I love to read. I read almost everything, but I have a soft spot for the classics. While not all of them were intended to include Christian messages, I find a lot of them do. I thought I'd mention a few and then, if anyone wanted to add any they could.

WARNING, HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I don't know if he intended it as an allegory, but it comes across as one to me. It's about a man who (somewhat unintentionally) sells his soul so that a portrait of him ages and absorbs the affects of his vices instead of him. Because of this (and I imagine he had to have several moral flaws to begin with, although they don't go into them), he gives himself over to a life of vice. Several times he thinks about changing, but always backslides. Even when a friend finds out about the painting and urges him to pray to God for forgiveness, Dorian refuses to believe God is capable of changing and forgiving him. In the end, Dorian grows to hate the portrait and what he's become. He decides the only way to be forgiven is to confess his sins, turn from them, and suffer for them. He stabs the portrait and, in doing so, kills himself. The age and affects of his vices that the portrait absorbed are transferred to him and the portrait is restored.

What I take from this is that, Dorian lives a life of vice and godlessness, and sometimes it makes him happy. But eventually, he always comes back to discontent. Still, he can't allow himself to believe God will forgive Him if he just confesses and turns from sin. Throughout the book, his portrait is seen as his true self. Despite getting it wrong that one needs to perform some type of action or suffer to be forgiven of sins, when Dorian stabs the portrait, he is rejecting his vices and his sinful self, and through that his portrait is restored.

Mysterious Island by Jules Verne (mostly just Nemo's words at the end, in conjunction with his actions in 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas)

In 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, Nemo is an anti-hero. He believes he's right in killing those he views as morally reprehensible, while having compassion on the common man. He views himself as judge, jury, and executioner (to be fair, we find out in Mysterious Island that he was a Prince, so in his country he kind of was).
However, at the end of his life, he questions his actions, wondering "Was I wrong, or in the right?" Desiring Cyrus Harding to help him decided. Harding points out that "Sir, your error was in supposing that the past can be resuscitated, and in contenting against inevitable progress. It is one of those errors which some admire, others blame; which God alone can judge." (Don't agree that imperialism is necessarily progress, but that's what Harding says).

I think a lot of Christians struggle with right and wrong (not sure Nemo was a Christian, but the struggle he has here is one everyone can relate to). The Bible doesn't specifically address every situation and, as Christians, we are often confused as to what actions to take. Sometimes we take a course of action that we fully believe is right, interpreting verses in some ways while disregarding other interpretations. However, as we go onwards we often reflect and wonder if we were in the right. However, as Harding points out, no matter how much we angst over our decisions, it is God who is in charge and who decides right from wrong.


The Greek Myths

Besides being interesting stories, it's impossible to read them without realizing how faulty the Greek gods in them are. The false gods the Greeks worshipped viewed even the most devout humans as play things, allowed the ones they loved to be hurt in their arguments with other gods, and were just generally terrible beings. Despite being either fictional or (if the beings existed) demonic entities that had names, their stories just show how only God is worthy of the title and how any false god is inferior in every way.

Try reading Les Miserables. I underlined so many life lessons that were Christian in nature (without mentioning Christ). There is grace and redemption in the story.

Hmm...I've been debating reading that. I guess I'm worried it will be too ...well, miserable. Maybe I'll give it a shot, though.

You should read a short story by Oscar Wilde, 'The Selfish Giant'- VERY much Christian allegory. Wilde knew the truth about Christ, but I do not know if he got saved before he died or not. I hope he did. There are a lot of Christian themes in his short stories.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is the most Christian novel I ever read. I am not exaggerating when I say I felt the Holy Spirit while reading the book. Uncle Tom is one of the best Christians in fiction, he leads Little Eva's father to Christ. Heidi is another Christian classic. Heidi leads Clara's grandmother to Christ.

There are probably many more, but these are the first ones that come to mind.

Please do.. It was one of my favorite books. So different than the play. And a good ending.

I wish more people would read it before passing judgment on the character of Uncle Tom. He had dignity, and was by far the most beautiful character in the book (though little Eva was an angelic little girl).

I have a feeling you are joking, though.

I hope you are joking about Jim Crow.

I just read Wilde's story. I loved short stories, but read more nonfiction now. And that giant story had me thinking abt another elementary story called "The amiable giant" by who knows who.

I thought you were referring to Jim Crow laws. As far as I know, there is no character called Jim Crow in the book. Are you thinking about Eliza's son, Harry?

Lol, I had forgotten. I didn't like Mr. Shelby much. I felt like he didn't do enough to keep Uncle Tom. I loved George Shelby, though.

I know, but I was like George, I felt like SOMETHING could have been done rather than sell Uncle Tom. George was pretty fired up about it.

Oh, I think I read that when I was a little kid! It was in an anthology of fairy and folk tales I had (come to think of it, might still have somewhere). I was too young to make the connections then (I also hadn't met Christ, yet). Now I need to reread it.
Yeah, I don't know much about him other than that he was a great writer, that he was jailed for being in a homosexual relationship, and that he died pretty much alone and destitute. I hope he came to Christ before he died. It's a shame how unloving the Victorian age could be.

I started to read that a while ago, but I let it slide (I read more than one book at once so sometimes I end up letting one book go for awhile and forget to come back to it). I've only read a children's abridged version of Heidi, but remember loving the Shirley Temple version as a kid (my grandma showed my sister, cousin, and I a lot of old films).

Another one I thought of is Adam Bede by George Eliot. It's been three or four years since I read it, but it deals with human weaknesses, love, forgiveness, and Christianity.

I've never read Adam Bede. The problem with reading abridged versions of classics, is that many times, the abridged versions leave out all mention of Christ and God. This is not a conspiracy theory by a crazy Christian Fundamentalist (me). I have read abridged versions of books I am very familiar with, and along with the archaic language being removed, God is also removed (which some publishers may think is archaic, anyway). I read an abridged version of Little Women, and was shocked that the new version left out the fact that the girls got Testaments for Christmas and played Pilgrim's Progress.

The movie versions of Heidi in no way compare to the book. It is innocent and beautiful. The conversion of Clara's grandmother is sweetly written. Dickens' books have good Christian themes. David Copperfield ​is a beautiful depiction of forgiveness. Uncle Ham is one of the best characters in all literature.