Death Comes Unexpectedly
And Other Variations in Gospel Genres
By invitation from my good friend Thomas, I found myself sitting in a historic Methodist church in Armagh this past Sunday evening. It was a gospel meeting (as nearly all Sunday evening services tend to be around here), and the speaker presented the gospel as a series of three promises from God, drawn from select verses in John 3 and 14:
Those who do not believe on the Son will be destroyed.
Those who believe on the Son will be saved.
Jesus is coming again.
After the service, it occurred to me that I had heard variations on this gospel theme my whole life—and perhaps you have too. That thought led me to begin essaying the many genres in which the gospel has been proclaimed. As it turns out, they also pair quite naturally with flavours, as spiritual experience so often does with food. What follows is a reflection on those genres, their emotional tones, and the diets they produce in our spiritual lives. I hope you enjoy.
Death Comes Unexpectedly
And Other Variations in Gospel Genres
By Daniel L. Bacon
In the classic film Pollyanna (1960), the titular character, played by Haley Mills, bursts onto the scene in all her euphoric genius, determined to turn a tired town’s frown upside down. In Harrington, where our tale takes place, the saccharine has long since given way to the sour solemnity of life; as Rev. Paul Ford vigorously reminds his wealthy, wilting congregation, “death comes unexpectedly.” The scene is unforgettable: an old man loosens his collar, Pollyanna sits stock-still in her seat while the wild-eyed, impassioned minister causes even the chandelier to give an anthropomorphic shudder of existential dread. So sits the gospel in our minds, either shaking our heads in agreement, sitting in bewildered shock with Pollyanna, or, perhaps worse, thinking nothing at all and trying to enjoy the film.
What are we witnessing in such a declaration of the gospel? We might say, “that’s not the gospel I know,” and other such dismissive comments of early 1900’s Protestant Christianity, but in this we miss an opportunity to examine the gospel in its many variations depending on the dominant emotion of our chosen denominations. These genres of gospel—like genres in music, film, and literature—carry their own flavours, stirring distinct responses and behaviours within us. Just as food can have different tastes, the gospel is delivered to us through many emotional channels, each one leaving us with a distinct aftertaste that we either embrace, resist, or fail to notice altogether. We are left with a question: what flavour of gospel are we regularly ingesting—and how does it nourish our souls over time?
Gospel Genres as Lifestyle Diets
Each genre of the gospel can be thought of as a dietary lifestyle that influences the health of our spiritual lives. Some genres of the gospel focus on a particular emotional response, while others blend multiple flavours. Some are sweet, others are bitter; some may feel comforting at first but leave us empty over time. Our spiritual diet, much like our physical diet, shapes our character, our actions, and ultimately our spiritual health. Here’s a breakdown of different gospel genres, their emotional flavour profiles, and their long-term spiritual effects.
1. The Horror Gospel (Fire & Brimstone)
Emotion: Fear and urgency
Flavour Profile: Bitter with sharp acidity; jolting
Typical Diet: High in conviction, low in assurance
Example: Pollyanna’s Rev. Ford; classic revival preaching
Spiritual Nutrition Label: High in truth, iron-strong on repentance—but may lead to spiritual anxiety if not balanced with grace and affection
2. The Romantic Comedy Gospel (Jesus as Lover)
Emotion: Affection and desire for belonging
Flavour Profile: Sweet, light, and easy to digest
Typical Diet: Comforting but low in protein (discipleship)
Example: “Reckless Love” worship songs; bridal theology
Spiritual Nutrition Label: Rich in emotional bonding, but deficient in endurance nutrients like obedience and sacrificial love
3. The War Epic Gospel (Victory and Conflict)
Emotion: Valour, mission, perseverance
Flavour Profile: Hearty and salty, high protein
Typical Diet: Builds muscle but can neglect soul-care
Example: The Passion of the Christ; spiritual warfare sermons; martyrdom narratives
Spiritual Nutrition Label: Energizing and strengthening—but unchecked, it can produce hypervigilance and burnout
4. The Feel-Good Gospel (Self-Help/Prosperity)
Emotion: Optimism and empowerment
Flavour Profile: Sugary, processed, hyper-palatable
Typical Diet: Feels satisfying but leaves nutrient gaps
Example: Joel Osteen sermons; “I Am Enough” Instagram theology
Spiritual Nutrition Label: Full of empty calories; offers emotional highs but lacks grounding truth and repentance
5. The Tragic Gospel (Suffering & Solidarity)
Emotion: Grief and compassion
Flavour Profile: Earthy, heavy, bittersweet
Typical Diet: Strengthens empathy, can lead to despair if isolated
Example: Liberation theology; passion narratives focused on pain
Spiritual Nutrition Label: Excellent for building spiritual empathy and endurance—but must be balanced with resurrection hope
The Balanced Gospel Diet: A Lifestyle of Whole-Nourishment
Emotion: Comprehensive—love, justice, mercy, and wisdom
Flavour Profile: Balanced and varied—sweet, salty, savoury , and bitter, depending on the moment
Typical Diet: Regularly engages all aspects of the gospel—repentance and grace, truth and love, joy and sorrow, action and contemplation
Key Ingredients:
Repentance (for grace to be truly transformative)
Discipleship (nourishing the soul toward maturity and wisdom)
Community (reflecting the relational nature of the gospel)
Sacrifice (embracing cross-bearing as essential to the Christian walk)
Hope (looking toward ultimate redemption and resurrection)
Rest (finding Sabbath and spiritual renewal in God’s presence)
Spiritual Nutrition Label: Full of essential nutrients, this diet is sustainable, dynamic, and holistic. It doesn’t rely on any one flavour or genre of the gospel but invites the fullness of the gospel to permeate every aspect of life. It’s about nourishing the soul not just for spiritual highs but for long-term spiritual vitality.
Example:
Jesus’ Life & Ministry: He was not just healer, not just judge, not just teacher, but the embodiment of all these aspects—proclaiming truth, healing hearts, showing mercy, confronting injustice, offering sacrifice, and bringing hope.
Early Church: The Apostles preached a gospel that called for both joy and lament, both grace and works. They engaged with all of life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—as they walked with the risen Christ.
Church History: Over the centuries, different traditions (e.g., monasticism, reformational theology, liberation theology) have brought their strengths to the table, each emphasizing certain aspects of the gospel, but none of them neglecting others. This integrated approach allows the gospel to breathe life into every part of the human experience.
Reflection: The Balanced Gospel Diet is less about extremes or seasonal indulgences and more about an ongoing, daily process of digesting the many facets of the gospel. While particular genres or emotional tones of the gospel may season or flavour different moments of our lives, the goal is a lifestyle that consistently nourishes us, preparing us to face the complexities of life with love, faith, and hope.
Integrating the Diet
To sustain this balanced diet, it's vital to engage with the gospel in a multi-genre approach. This means not only receiving the gospel through your favourite genre (whether that’s a fiery sermon, a worship song, or a story of suffering) but also stretching yourself to experience it through other genres that challenge you to grow emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. It's about allowing your faith to be seasoned with different spices, not always preferring the comfort of what you know.
The Gospel in a Child’s Eyes
In the end, it’s worth considering Pollyanna herself. After all, she embodies something central to our understanding of gospel genres: the childlike perspective that embraces the fullness of life, both sweet and bitter, without losing hope. While Rev. Ford’s thunderous declaration of “death comes unexpectedly,” sets a grim tone for the town of Harrington, Pollyanna’s unshakable optimism represents a different genre of gospel—one of joy, of hope, and of transformation through love.
Perhaps Pollyanna’s greatest gift is that she doesn’t simply ignore the sorrow around her; she sees it and chooses to respond with a different flavour. She challenges the gospel of despair that has settled over Harrington, inviting others to taste the sweetness of grace, the nourishment of love, and the possibility of joy—even in the midst of life’s hardships. This, in its own way, is a gospel genre that doesn’t minimize the bitterness or the solemnity of life, but invites us to integrate it into a greater story of redemption.
As we continue to navigate our own spiritual diets, we might do well to remember Pollyanna’s challenge: to find the sweetness in every situation, to offer joy even when it feels out of place, and to allow the full palette of the gospel to touch not only our minds but our hearts. The gospel, after all, isn’t just something we consume in moments of crisis or comfort—it’s a daily diet that sustains and shapes us. And like Pollyanna, we are invited to share that flavour with others, turning even the most solemn of towns, hearts and frowns upside down.