Awhile ago I had a discussion with a friend about whether magic and fantasy are acceptable forms of literature for a Christian. The conversation was sparked by the
Lord of the Rings trilogy, but my thoughts mostly dealt with the question on a general level. I framed two separate responses to the question, with a little bit of overlap between them. The first of the two is given below. I have not given it a formal editing, I just don't have the time right now.
The movie Lord of the Rings was at times for me an uncomfortable reminder of nagging questions I’ve had about fantasy literature (i.e., otherworldly stories that aren’t directly allegorical). There was the wizardry, the witchcraft, the evil creatures. When the movie allowed for stray thoughts, I found myself trying to frame what my attitude is towards such representations.
The first conclusion I came away with is a recognition that literature is not theology. It can touch on theology, attempt to ignore it, or attack it, but for the most part is not strictly theology. If every work of literature was a fictionalized theological treatise, an allegory, or an account of the grace of God triumphing in the world, I think the realms of imagination would quickly grow sterile. Everything would be another take on This Present Darkness, Pilgrim’s Progress, or Christian popular fiction. I’m not sure we should restrict ourselves to the rule that every story be about God, his angels, and man. And not every story to be told in the world ends in redemption. Certainly this is one of the roles needed by Christian artists, but if every Christian artist creating stories felt this their calling, I think we would eventually feel that literature is manipulative and propagandistic. Story can exist on its own merits—just by spinning a tale that increases our understanding of the world and is enjoyable. Or by empathizing with the pains and sorrows of being human. Story shouldn’t always be relegated to having a neat moral point at the end—parables are but one genre available.
To return more specifically to fantasy worlds, we also recognize that man in his current state is cut off from the physicality of the spiritual world. That is, we don’t see evil, we don’t see holiness, we can’t witness the struggle. So if a writer wants to create a world where the chasm between the physical and the spiritual is bridged, magic is one substitute. In fact, aside from those works that deal directly with what we know to be true—imagining what demons and angels actually look and act like—it seems to be one of the best offered.
It is helpful to be reminded that most writers do not intend their fictions as nonfiction masked as made-up story. Tolkein was not hoping that he would inspire Middle Earth cults, although I’m sure that that warped result would not be beyond the realm of possibility. Also, fantasy writers can never completely escape their humanness—their createdness. Every story is in the most general sense allegorical in that it casts shadows on Plato’s cave, beckoning us to come out and see what Is.
Thus every fantasy story is like a glimpse at reality through a different lens. It is a retelling of God’s universe in a new setting, which can actually wake us up out of our lethargy. Unfortunately due to our fallenness, Biblical truth can begin to be taken for granted. We begin to have trouble thinking of God and angels in a vibrant way, because we’ve lived all our lives with the understanding of them without ever getting to watch them. To put things in a new context can bring us back full circle to re-affirm things we’ve always cherished most deeply.
It might not always be a comfortable journey for the Christian. We see evil beasts and black magic and strange mutated human forms. But is it any less comfortable than what our experience would be if we could see actual spiritual realities? The Bible mentions twisted races of creatures destroyed in God’s wrath, witches called upon to bring up the dead, plagues, demons, and horrific tragedy.
That does not mean, though, that every fantasy story interprets, comments on or re-invents reality with the same understanding. Some might be an attempt to underscore other beliefs than the Biblical portrayal of good and evil. There might be an emphasis on reincarnation, amorality, or even the reversal of good and evil. In these instances it would be necessary to identify that the writer is proceeding from a pagan or occult understanding of reality. Mythology, while part of the rich heritage of literature, is created from a mindset of polytheism, and was also a direct outworking of religious beliefs.
The Iliad,
Odyssey,
Aeneid, and others were the
This Present Darkness’s of the ancient Greek and Roman world. To not recognize this at some level while interacting with the works would be to confuse truth with falsehood.
There’s also a question of how a story handles good and evil, even if from a right perspective. Evil is a literary device, borrowed from the real world, that creates conflict. But it should be an ingredient that is used in proportion, and not sensationalized. Viewed from a strictly theological standpoint, many horror stories would have to be judged as Biblically accurate. And yet the horror genre does not use evil simply to oppose the good. Evil becomes the focus, evil is sensationalized, and thus the vanquishing of evil is almost akin to disappointment. It becomes a cheap vaudeville act, made to sing and dance for cheap entertainment and thrill.
I have not found elements of Tolkein that war against God’s truth. Taken in constant doses, it might begin to warp us, no less than the One Ring begins to warp any of its bearers. But by that token, so would a continual study of demonology. C.S. Lewis once stated that he would never write a sequel to the Screwtape Letters, because the time during which he created the book was one of the darkest periods in his life. Any aspect of life or art can essentially be turned into something unhealthy in the minds of men. But aside from the concerns laid out in this treatise, I find myself not inclined to condemn any enjoyment of Tolkein and magical realms.
I would remain open, however, to other viewpoints, and would possibly have the privilege of modifying my understanding to better match how God would have me assess the subject.
