Today, I'm featuring a fellow Catholic speculative fiction author, Jon Del Arroz. Jon is the author of multiple book and comic series.
Here's a little background on Jon from his Amazon bio:
Jon Del Arroz is a #1 Amazon Bestselling author, "the leading Hispanic voice in science fiction" according to PJMedia.com, and winner of the 2018 CLFA Book Of The Year Award and the N3F Award for Best Graphic Novel. He is a popular youtuber with hilarious livestreams and a lot of audience engagement. In his free time he likes roleplaying, reading comics, and playing tennis.
I asked if he had anything else to add about his background, especially in light of the topic of the book, Churchianity...
JDA: I’ve been studying the Bible all of my life. I had the luxury of going to a Christian school with an incredible teacher who gave us college-level analysis on each book of the New Testament that prepared me well for my faith journey. I was at a Presbyterian Church for years but felt God called me to return to the Catholic Church in 2020. This was, in my humble opinion, for a couple of reasons: 1. To bring my family closer to traditionalism and 2. Because my role in the Presbyterian church as one of the worship leaders was very performative, it was a humbling experience where the services definitely are never “about me.”
You're unapologetically Christian on social media and bold about countering the prevailing culture, but were you always outspoken about the modern culture or did something happen to make you finally just say enough is enough?
JDA: I’ve always spoken out and been a conservative Christian, even back to campaigning for a local congressman when I was in my youth. My main goal has always been to be a sci-fi and fantasy author and a comic creator, though, so when I get discovered by the industry and canceled after the 2016 election, it solidified that the only way out is through, and I committed myself to being a loud voice for what’s right, no matter the cost.
Can you describe a little of your faith journey and where you are in the practice of your faith today?
JDA: As mentioned before, I grew up in the faith and went to a Christian school (Assemblies of God denomination). I was baptized Catholic young and received communion, but then my family switched to a Presybterian Church where I stayed from high school up through 2020. So I’ve had experience with all kinds of denominations and different ways of looking at things to come to an understanding.
Most of your books are science fiction. Does your faith affect how you write or inspire your fiction in any way? If so, how?
JDA: At the beginning I’d say it did very little as I was lured into writing “without a message” as so many conservative Christians are told to do. But as I went on I realized if I’m not writing to say something important, why am I writing? So my books began to take a different shape because of that. You can see my heavy faith influences in Justified and The Demon’s Eye, as well as within the Terran Imperium Universe through the character of Lt. Lansing in “Into The Black.”
Can you describe a bit of what you feel is the source of the problem of "Churchianity" - Do you feel that it's an issue stemming from protestantism, from within the Catholic church, something else, or a combination of factors?
JDA: It’s the Christian propensity to want to treat everyone with equality as it sounds nice. Christians get preyed upon “not to judge” and while it’s true we should give everyone human dignity because they are created in the image of God along with us, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be trying to remove sin from our and other people’s lives. That’s actually the goal of our sanctification process. And because it’s an uncomfortable process, Christians tend to shy away from it in modern times.
I know that my generation wasn't catechized properly, and I think that is an issue that has led to a lot of the lack of reverence in many churches. What do you think could be done differently that would improve people's reverence for the faith?
JDA: I think that the new generation is growing up with a lot of reverence. Gen Z and beyond have noticed that secularization, watering down of messages has not done any good and they’re craving for that authentic connection that the catechism gave Christians for thousands of years. It’s not just about the present church, but that connection with the body of the past and future through the saints is literally the Kingdom of Heaven.
What do you feel could or should be changed in the church and why?
JDA: A lot of the new initiatives to modernize things and streamline ceremony are dangerous, in my opinion, because it allows for a casualness which is not how we should treat being face to face with our Almighty God. There’s a movement going on now where they’re talking about bringing back formal wear in church, and I think discussions like that are a good thing. Maybe not full suits (because it gets so hot!) but a higher standard is always a good thing and if we prepare our bodies, we also prepare our spirit.
Who would you like to reach with your message in Churchianity?
JDA: I’m hoping there’s a little something for all curious Christians, perhaps who have not had a lot of depth to their faith or connection and want to explore the mysteries and sacraments, and also for non-Christians who want to see there is a real difference in Christianity to that of this world.
What would you like readers to take from your book?
JDA: As always most of my messages speak to the dangers of social justice and allowing it to fester in any circles or any capacity. The church is as susceptible or more to this than anything else whether it be TV shows, books, music, our entire culture has that cancer in it right now and it needs to be expunged. The meme is “reject modernity, embrace tradition,” and there’s truth to that, and it’s the core message of this book.
What do you think creatives can do with their works to change the culture or maybe connect with those who reject Christianity in a way they would NOT outright reject?
That’s a great question. It’s a very difficult environment and there doesn’t seem to be a mono “Christian Culture” to tap into because everyone’s so scattered. I wish it’d be a little easier to organize, but it’s not the case.
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Thank you, Jon, for providing a little bit of insight into the inspiration and background that went into Churchianity: How Modern American Churches Corrupted Generations of Christians.
If readers want to know the full story, they'll have to purchase the book. It is available from Amazon.
You can find Jon Del Arroz at the links for his website, his Amazon profile, and the following social media links:
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