Hunger Games

Ordway, Holly. "Truth in Darkness: The Hunger Games as an Unexpected Resource for Apologists." Christian Research Journal, 32:2 (2012): 23-27.

Browsing through the library, I was pleasantly surprise to see the picture of Katniss from The Hunger Games on the front cover. I quickly picked up the magazine and thumbed to the article. I wasn't disappointed. Holly Ordway does an excellent job giving reasons why Christians should read the Hunger Games. Having read the books last year and recently took my son to see the movie, I agree with much what she says.

She notes that neither The Hunger Games or its sequels "affirm a Christian worldview," however, there are many reasons Christians should read them. She notes that these books can be useful for Christian apologetics.  The reason this is true is that Collins raises many issues that concern Christians. It also provides a bridge to discuss the problem of evil in the world. Some fear that The Hunger Games glorifies violence. Ordway notes, "In the end, it becomes clear that Collins is not glorifying violence, but rather challenging the current cultural mindset that views violence as entertainment" (25). This is clearly shown in how the people view the slaughtering of people as entertainment. A second point made by Ordway is the "notable absence of God" in the book. This is true and interesting. The reason this is interesting is that the characters display moral values, but there is no base for these virtues. Ordway notes that Katniss in the third book is uneasy about "some of the weapons and military tactics of her friends" which she believes crosses the "moral line, yet she is unable to articulate any argument against them."

Ordway provides excellent reasons why The Hunger Games should be read by Christians. The books are well-written and fun to read. Christians should read non-Christian books, but not only for apologist reasons.