Back of the North Wind

Discussions of theology, philosophy, religion and life inspired by the writings of George MacDonald (and perhaps others such as CS Lewis) posted by "recovering fundamentalists".

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I am a "recovering fundamentalist". The trick is to figure out how not to throw out the Baby with the bathwater. I learn through dialogue, and so invite commentary on my posts to Back of the North Wind.

Sunday, September 19, 2004

MacDonald's Novels

I'm reading through _The Seaboard Parish_, the sequel to _Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood_. I'd read the "modernized" version of these about 18 years ago. "Modernized" seems to mean "taking all of the commentary" out of the novel, and leaving only the narrative. The originals are much more worthwhile reading.

I believe what makes George MacDonald great is not just what CS Lewis wrote, in his introduction to his anthology of George MacDonald, George Macdonald: An Anthology : 365 Readings, that George MacDonald was a great inventer of myth. George MacDonald gives sermons about the only way I can tolerate them: in context. What's important about his novels is not the story. George MacDonald's stories are just a vehicle for delivering his sermons in context.

I think what I'll try to do here is pick out some of these little sermons and write about them. And invite the reader to write about them as well.