The Man Behind Lewis and Tolkien
Door Jam: Volume VI
The Door Jam is a place to squeeze in relevant articles written about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, their work, adaptations of their fantasy worlds, and other potentially interesting news, information, and articles. I’m not necessarily endorsing (or criticizing) any of these, merely sharing them with you.
C.S. Lewis Articles
Time to rediscover writer who inspired CS Lewis and Tolkien — The Times
I’ve written biographies of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and GK Chesterton, and anybody who spends time researching the lives of these great, grand, Christian authors will repeatedly encounter the name of George MacDonald.
“I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continuously close, to the spirit of Christ himself,” wrote Lewis of MacDonald. “I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed, I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.”
MacDonald was an interesting figure, a pastor-turned-fantasy-author. This year marks 200 years since his birth. He encouraged Lewis Carroll to publish Alice in Wonderland and socialized with Mark Twain. Both Tolkien and Lewis read his works.
In Surprised by Joy, Lewis says reading MacDonald baptized his imagination and paved the way for his eventual conversion to Christianity. Lewis modeled the guide in The Great Divorce after MacDonald. But Lewis also disagreed with MacDonald’s unorthodox theological positions. Later this month, I’ll share how Lewis clarified his separation from MacDonald on one key issue.
