From Homer to Harry Potter: A Handbook on Myth and Fantasy
The allure of fantasy continues to grow with film adaptations of
The Lord of the Rings and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter
series. But how should Christians approach modern works of fantasy,
especially debated points such as magic and witches?
From Homer to Harry Potter provides the historical
background readers need to understand this timeless genre. It
explores the influence of biblical narrative, Greek mythology, and
Arthurian legend on modern fantasy and reveals how the fantastic
offers profound insights into truth. The authors draw from a
Christian viewpoint informed by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien to
assess modern authors such as Philip Pullman, Walter Wangerin, and
J. K. Rowling.
This accessible book guides undergraduate students, pastors, and
lay readers to a more astute and rewarding reading of all fantasy
literature.
Product Details
- Title : From Homer to Harry Potter: A Handbook on Myth and Fantasy
- Authors:
- Dickerson, Matthew
- O’Hara, David
- Publisher: Brazos Press
- Publication Date: 2006
- ISBN: 9781441202147
Matthew Dickerson (Ph.D., Cornell University) is a computer
science professor at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, and
author of Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in
The Lord of the Rings, The Finnsburg Encounter, and Hammers
and Nails.
David O'Hara (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University) is assistant
professor of philosophy and instructor in classical Greek at
Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is coeditor of
the forthcoming Religious Writings of Charles S. Peirce.