The Christian genre is a somewhat cursed genre - even amongst Christian circles - due to it's predictable, unrealistic nature. Hallmark channel uses this genre often because it is not upsetting and goes under the category of "easy watching" or "feel good" films. You don't see cussing, intensity, or shocking images in it. Let's dive into why it is a somewhat cursed genre.
First of all, I will defend some authors and films in the Christian genre. Ted Dekker is a thriller and suspense writer that reaches intensity levels that keep you on the edge of your seat. He is making good points on Christianity while avoiding Hallmark levels of unrealistic. The films by Sherwood pictures are also realistic and aren't cheesy. That being said, Christian genre fiction and nonfiction can be a bit cheesy, ignorant of reality outside the Christian bubble, or be a self-help book in disguise. Not all authors and directors go under this genre, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and still represent Christ in fiction - and they did better without the genre attached to them.
The Standard
Christian genre usually includes standards that other genres don't. This includes making the main character upright and wholesome, but not caring what other characters do. It also includes, in some cases, no alcohol. They cater to the Christian audience. The books are supposed to promote good over evil, family, and generally Christian values. Sex and language are out, and if sex is had out of marriage either they repent or face consequences.
The main formula you see is a near-perfect young woman with personal issues, maybe a mystery to solve, a man to come along and solve everything, and reconciliation with morals, family, or God. In other words, not relatable to anyone that is outside the Christian bubble. Given they are aiming for that bubble, it makes total sense. Writing can usually come off as fluff or bible-thumping, depending on how one writes it. Unless you are Ted Dekker, then you are as far from fluff-writing as you can get.
The Audience
The Christian bubble is a subject all by itself, but I'll sum it up here. It is a group of Christian people who tend to stay within the Christian culture without looking outside of it. They tend to dance around issues, in my experience, instead of addressing them. They are not horrible people, but may be ignorant of the world outside them. They are the main target of this genre because of this fact. A language-less, sex-less, cozy novel is just what they want to enjoy on an average afternoon because it is comforting to them. They look for "safe" TV, most times, so Hallmark is right up their alley. With this explained, I'll go on.
Our audience for this does, for real, want culturally relevant issues and hope in their movies and books. They want comfort and family, to know God has a plan and is there in all the chaos. They want to know they make an impact on their community. They want to know God cares. (He does, in case you're wondering that yourself.)
You see historical fiction and Amish fiction often. Some have, however, noticed that Amish is sometimes just a "good person" and Amish life is misrepresented. Historical fiction is usually a good way to avoid fluff or bible-thumping. World War II and Great Depression are common eras to use here. Fantasy is also a good fit here and is an awesome way to avoid the fluffy, cheesy writing. The challenge here is to create culturally relevant, realistic characters that give a message of hope and faith - all while avoiding the fluff and hitting readers over the head with bible concepts. It doesn't sound so easy. Add to that trying to get diverse readers and it makes anyway break out into a sweat while editing the genre.
The Audience That Avoids The Christian Shelf
I will confess this to you now - I tend to avoid this genre and I am a strong Christian. I do not watch "Safe" TV and would rather know what is out there, instead of ignoring real-world issues. I don't believe we can help others and be ignorant of what is going on in the world around us. This doesn't mean cozy mysteries don't show up in my library (they do, they make good breaks between dark crime), but it means most of my library comes from outside that shelf. I say it is a cursed genre because even some of us Christians avoid it due to the formulas and cheesy perception of it.
There are some, like me, who advocate for reading both (in my case) with the knowledge of what we believe in our minds. The idea is that we were never supposed to live JUST in the Christian bubble, not all the time. Nothing wrong with faith fiction - we just shouldn't read that alone. We can develop better faith if we know what is going on around us. Outside this genre we can have a challenged faith, thus creating empathy for different points of view in an effort to understand others. Portrayals of reality open our eyes to what we need to know about while living in the world.
In the case of some Christians they are not abandoning their faith, but are advocating for abandoning the Christian Fiction genre. If it is in fact avoided by the general public in favor of other genres, it is losing money. Writers can be labeled as Christian, but not books or movies. Yes, they can connect to Christian ideas, but they don't have to be cursed with the label of "Christian genre" and "Hallmark-like". Amish fiction, however, may have a whole shelf. Walk into Amish country and walk around the shops and you will see they sell. Other aspects of the genre, though, not so much.
When I say Christian Fiction, I don't include nonfiction, devotionals, and Bibles. I want to clear that up before you ask. None of those are fiction. Those are the part of the Christian genre that can clearly be classified as Christian. Christian fiction is novels, cozy mysteries (not all, but some), and any fictional writing that includes God and faith in it. The fiction is what some publishers have abandoned, and it doesn't surprise me that they would.
Pictures:
Faithfully Magazine
Mike Duran
Redeeming God
Sources:
https://therideronline.com/stories/2019/10/stereotypes-of-christianity/
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