As Christians who endeavor to apply biblical principles to every facet of life, I think we sometimes err greatly when it comes to choosing literature on page and screen for our children:
- We view every instance of sinful behavior as an objectionable element and dismiss the entire story on that basis.
- We Christianize the characters, themes, and plot lines to “redeem” the story, regardless of authorial intent.
- We assume “classic literature” means “wholesome literature.”
- We leave teaching literature to the “experts.”
None of these approaches are accurate or useful. They represent faulty methods of literary criticism—permissivism, exclusivism, pragmatism, naïveté, and the postmodernist tendency to declare everything relative. Worst of all, they represent a lost opportunity to parent.
