How much of twentieth-century poetry . . . is the cry of the damned?
And still: some who cry the name of Christ live more remote from love than some who cry to a void they cannot name.
—Christian Wiman
I submitted poems to a Catholic literary magazine last year, which raised eyebrows, to say the least. I’m not Catholic, so why would I, an evangelical Christ-follower, submit my work to a publication that disagrees with some of my nonnegotiable beliefs?
Let me answer with another question. Would it be better that I submit my work to, say, a secular publication, such as the New Yorker? Some believers would say yes (curiously), but many would rather I shun secular publications altogether: “Christians should not associate their work with people, publications, or places that are godless.”
I disagree.
The reason the arts are godless is because Christians have abandoned them. The overwhelming secularism is due, in large part, to believers’ shoddy stewardship of creative spaces—all of which were created by God, and many of which were preserved in the past by men and women of faith.
The writers in today’s creative spheres are lost. They are hurting, angry, and suffering from all manner of mental and physical illnesses. And these ailments are why they write. They are writing to feel less hurt and confusion. They are sharing their woes with anyone who will listen, and bemoaning their transience. They are seeking meaning and purpose that only followers of Christ possess. Secular writers write like those without hope, because they have no hope.
As believers who possess ultimate Hope, the abandonment of these creative spaces is an abandonment of our calling to seek, love, and evangelize the lost. It is an embarrassing dearth of care. To be complacent with the current state of the arts demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of ministry. What does it say, that we are so concerned with our comfort and security, that we withhold ultimate answers from those with ultimate questions?
We are ordered to love our neighbors, our fellow artists. Knowing this charge, will we continue to eschew those we are called to win? In Scripture, Jesus Christ met hopeless people where they were, and He loved them. We ought to emulate His example.
We must make ourselves, our art, and our stories available.
What I am not advocating for is a stampede of Christian artists into the creative sphere. Apart from secularism, another consequence of Christians’ abandonment of the arts is a Christian populace largely unappreciative of and unskilled in the arts. To inundate the arts with mediocrity and a lack of knowledge would be disastrous, and to a watching secular world, laughable.
For Christian writers, I believe the beginning of the solution rests in cultivating good literary citizenship. Most importantly, read widely, and read what will make you uncomfortable—this is what will make you grow. Become knowledgeable about the contemporary landscape of literature by subscribing to literary journals. Wait to submit manuscripts until you are ready, and then submit, submit, submit. A foray into publication requires patience, knowledge, discernment, and—for the Christian—an unbelievable amount of love for what you do and the people you will reach.
Reclaiming the arts will not happen overnight. And in our yet unperfect world, the arts can never be fully reclaimed. But Jesus Christ is in the business of redeeming that which is lost, including our art. In six days He created the greatest work of art to date: the world and everything therein. He is actively working to redeem His magnum opus. So the arts have always been sacred, an emulation of the first Artist. To become a Christian patron of the arts, a good literary citizen, is to recognize that since the arts are worth redeeming, the arts are also worth knowing.
So I will continue to submit my work to Catholic and secular publications. I will continue to subscribe to respected literary journals, and I will seek to understand the art of people—and the people—who do not share my beliefs. In turn, I will do what I can to make my work and my testimony available.
I invite any serious Christian artists, and all Christian lovers of literature, to do the same.
Starting resources for poets seeking literary citizenship:
The Poetry Foundation — distributors of Poetry Magazine, the oldest monthly poetry magazine in the United States, formerly edited by Christian Wiman. Students and educators can receive a yearly subscription (11 issues) for $17.50.
Poets & Writers — host of numerous contests, as well as a multitude of other ways to promote your writing; distributors of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Poets.org — Become an annual contributor for as low as $35 (or as high as $5000) and receive their biannual American Poets Magazine.
The New Yorker — a quintessential publication for arts, culture, and politics, which features poetry and fiction in each issue. Subscriptions for students and educators start as low as $6 for 12 weeks.
Poet Lore — the nation’s oldest poetry journal, founded in 1889, which has published poets such as Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, and Alice Fulton. Subscriptions for this biannual publication start as low as $20 per year.
New Letters — one of the oldest literary magazines in the United States, which has published poets such as E. E. Cummings, Marianne Moore, Maxine Kumin, and former President Jimmy Carter. Subscriptions start at $32 per year.
Submittable — Increasingly, submissions for publication are moving online. Writers seeking to publish their work should sign up for a Submittable account.
Publishers Weekly — Serious writers know their way around the current publishing scene. Though it’s a more pricey investment, this 150-year-old magazine releases the latest in publishing news, every week.
Lyric Magazine — For poets interested in Formalism: this publication is the continent’s oldest magazine dedicated to traditional verse.