Of Magic and Men
Taking Enchantment off the Shelf
Andy Crouch
January 1, 2003
SURELY NO ONE WOULD HAVE PREDICTED, one hundred years ago, that the twentieth century's most popular author would be a writer of fantasy. The sociologist Max Weber had famously described the modern world as "disenchanted"—rationalized by science and bureaucracy into a meaningless, mechanical cosmos. Jules Verne and H. G. Wells were creating the genre of "science fiction," which uprooted the fantastic and wondrous from their ancient homes and relocated them in a technologically advanced future. But as the twenty-first century begins, the overwhelming winner of most every literary popular vote is an Oxford medievalist who created a whole world in the distant past. As we prepared this issue, we quickly found out that when you ask writers to submit articles about "re-enchanting the world," J. R. R. Tolkien shows up early and often. No wonder—for in the Lord of the Rings, men (and they are indeed men—Tolkien's universe does not conform readily to the demands of current gender politics) are just one part of a wider universe of elves, dwarves, wizards, and, of course, hobbits. Their fate is intertwined with every other race in Middle Earth, even with allies as unlikely as the trees of Fangorn Forest and the birds of the sky. Tolkien has no rival as the modern author who has given the most substance to the perennial human suspicion that we are not alone in the world, but surrounded by a fantastic array of helpers, opponents, and watchers as we seek to learn how to rightly wield the power we have been given. THE SENSE OF BEING ACCOMPANIED BY a manifold, unseen host is of the essence of enchantment. But in modernity, we lost our conviction that our small human story was embedded in something much bigger and more improbable. ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
