Christian literature in the Netherlands at the end of the 20th century Christian literature implicitly or explicitly incorporates the idea of hope in Christ. Literature has an inherent ethical element and this element can also bear a Christian character. Following upon the ergocentric literary approach of the sixties more room has recently been given to “moralizing the literary domain as a corrective of the aestheticising of literature” (J.J.A. Mooij). Despite this trend Christian literature has not flourished in secularized Dutch society. Internally, Christian literature is endangered by Christian readers expecting a one-dimensional message; externally Christian literature as such is not recognized sufficiently by literary critics having no ties with or knowledge of Christianity. The existence of Christian literature in the Netherlands is, however, evident at the end of the 20th century. Although narrative prose inspired by the Christian message has not produced remarkably many novels, the novels of Mance ter Andere have definitely attracted attention. Christian poetry, however, is flourishing (Inge Lievaart, Guillaume van der Graft, Koos Geerds). In this essay it is contended that Christian literary critics have the advantage of being able to interpret and fathom biblical elements in literature, thus adding an ethical dimension to the evaluation of literature.