Scan barcode
A review by kailey_luminouslibro
Christian Mythmakers: C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, Dante Alighieri, John Bunyan, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, and Hannah Hurnard by Rolland Hein
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Through the centuries, there have been Christian writers who have captured the essence of mythology to reveal spiritual truths. Their stories spark a new level of awareness in our imaginations and deeply touch our hearts. Through these Christian myths, we understand ourselves and our relationship with God in a new light.
This book explores deep insights about the works of Dante, John Bunyan, George MacDonald, Chesterton, Charles Williams, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. There are also shorter explorations of the works of Madeline L'Engle, Hurnard, and a few other more modern writers. It's wonderful to see how each of these authors followed in the footsteps of those who came before.
I loved the writing style in this book! It has all the scholarly research behind it, but the writing itself is powerful and inspiring. It tugs at your heart and lifts your spirit to realms beyond the world we know. It's not just about intellectually understanding the power of myth to kindle our imaginations; it's about experiencing that inner fire and refreshment of spirit.
I really enjoyed that this book continually points to God as the Author of all stories. We create stories and myths because He created us in His image, with the ability to sub-create and imagine and dream.
This book contains spoilers for all the major works of these authors, but each section is clearly marked, so if you don't want to get spoiled, it is easy to skip ahead. However, this book would be best enjoyed by readers who are already familiar with at least some of these famous authors. A major part of the book is spent in analyzing Dante's Divine Comedy, Pilgrim's Progress, The Princess and Curdie, Phantastes and Lilith, The Man Who Was Thursday, The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis' Space Trilogy and Chronicles of Narnia, as well as L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series. If you are totally unfamiliar with those and other works by the featured authors, you will miss a lot of the insights and shrewd observations in this book.
While reading all about these authors, I got motivated to go back and reread some of their works! I want to read Pilgrim's Progress again for sure. I feel like I will come to each story with a new perspective now.
I especially want to reread Lewis' Till We Have Faces again. The first time I read it, I don't think I really understood a lot of it. But now I will be able to see the nuances and hidden meanings of the mythology in the story!
This book explores deep insights about the works of Dante, John Bunyan, George MacDonald, Chesterton, Charles Williams, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. There are also shorter explorations of the works of Madeline L'Engle, Hurnard, and a few other more modern writers. It's wonderful to see how each of these authors followed in the footsteps of those who came before.
I loved the writing style in this book! It has all the scholarly research behind it, but the writing itself is powerful and inspiring. It tugs at your heart and lifts your spirit to realms beyond the world we know. It's not just about intellectually understanding the power of myth to kindle our imaginations; it's about experiencing that inner fire and refreshment of spirit.
I really enjoyed that this book continually points to God as the Author of all stories. We create stories and myths because He created us in His image, with the ability to sub-create and imagine and dream.
This book contains spoilers for all the major works of these authors, but each section is clearly marked, so if you don't want to get spoiled, it is easy to skip ahead. However, this book would be best enjoyed by readers who are already familiar with at least some of these famous authors. A major part of the book is spent in analyzing Dante's Divine Comedy, Pilgrim's Progress, The Princess and Curdie, Phantastes and Lilith, The Man Who Was Thursday, The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis' Space Trilogy and Chronicles of Narnia, as well as L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series. If you are totally unfamiliar with those and other works by the featured authors, you will miss a lot of the insights and shrewd observations in this book.
While reading all about these authors, I got motivated to go back and reread some of their works! I want to read Pilgrim's Progress again for sure. I feel like I will come to each story with a new perspective now.
I especially want to reread Lewis' Till We Have Faces again. The first time I read it, I don't think I really understood a lot of it. But now I will be able to see the nuances and hidden meanings of the mythology in the story!