A lot of the time, Christians seem to have a pretty
ambivalent relationship with fantasy. On the one hand, we’ve practically
deified C.S Lewis, while on the other, a whole host of Conservative fatwahs
have been thrown at Harry Potter. Of course, opinions on J.K Rowling vary from
church to church and church-member to church-member. Nevertheless, I think it’s
fair to say fantasy is generally less trusted than other genres in Christian
circles. However, fantasy seems to me to be that it is one of the genres that
Christian can most engage with.
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S Lewis, J.K Rowling- some of the most
popular fantasy writers have woven elements of their Christian beliefs into
their fantastic literary creations. Far from being Satanic, the plot of Harry
Potter draws so much from Rowling’s faith that she refrained from making her
beliefs public lest they spoil the series’ ending. In fact she even uses 1
Corinthians 15:26 (“the last enemy to be defeated is death”) on the tombstone
of Harry Potter’s parents, whose sacrificial love first defeated Voldemort1.
Although Tolkien hated direct allegory, The Lord of the Rings is not short of
Messianic moments, with Gandalf’s sacrificial “death” and “resurrection” being
the most obvious. C.S. Lewis…well, I’m not going to patronise you. As much as I
love him, he has all the subtlety of an Edwardian lamppost in a Narnian winter.
Of course, the views of a few select authors don’t
necessarily represent the genre as a whole. It goes without saying that authors
such as Phillip Pullman have sought to promote their own, atheistic worldviews,
while others have refrained from any active engagement with Christian ideas. That’s
not to say that Christians can’t enjoy and appreciate those works. Some baulk
at some of fantasy’s “dark” themes. Some Christians will draw a distinction
between the “Godly” and the “Godless” fantasy. However, followers of the paganworldview supposedly promoted by “Godless” fantasy look for pagan elements in Narnia as well as Harry Potter.
But there is more of value to Christians than isolated
examples of biblical symbolism. Fantasy is a wide genre, so I’ll readily admit
that there are vast gaps in many popular works that I haven’t read.
(Recommendations welcome!) Judging from what I have read though, fantasy tends
to have a much stronger sense of morality than other genres. I think this is
one of the main differences between Science Fiction and Fantasy (that and
aliens obvs). Science fiction often takes place in a world of moral
ambiguities. Sometimes, this can lead to episodes of either depressing existential
angst or humanist ecstasy. In contrast, much of fantasy centres on the need to
defeat a powerful but not unconquerable evil. As a result, there is often a very
strong sense that there is a right and wrong thing for characters to do. Sadly, this can lead to world which divides
the world into “good” and “bad” people. Even decidedly “Christian” authors such
as C.S. Lewis sometimes fall into this trap. From a Christian perspective, this
is clearly wrong because it self-righteously creates a world in which some are
predestined to be good while others are doomed to their evil behaviour. One of
the strengths of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (A.K.A Game of
Thrones) is that no character is perfect.
Admittedly, the series isn’t a typical fight between good and evil, and
so lacks the sense of sense of purpose that I’ve been discussing. Nevertheless,
A Song of Ice and Fire uses fantasy as a means of exploring the way
extraordinary circumstances can change the behaviour of even the most “moral”
humans. Even our favourite characters end up doing the unthinkable. When I
wonder what I would do if I were in a particular character’s shoes, I soon find
my self-righteous expectations are taken down a notch or two. I think fantasy
is of value to Christians not only when it points to a strong sense of morality,
but also when it highlights our inability to do live by that morality.
As I’ve said, fantasy is a wide genre. So is science
fiction. Neither genres intrinsically lead to the generalisations that I’ve
been discussing. No doubt, you can think of books that go against what I’ve
suggested. Maybe you think that what I said applies only to a small range of
books. These are my reflections based on my experience, so it may well be the
case that my experience is incomplete.
I do, however, think there is a more general, underlying
theme in all science fiction and fantasy that is of particular value to the
Christian.
I used to wonder
whether it was right for me to long for all the wonderful worlds of books and
films when I would never be able to visit them. It’s hardly revolutionary to
say that science fiction and fantasy spring from our desire to experience
strange and wonderful things. But I’ve come to realise that this longing is, in
one sense, a spiritual longing. Think of the moment when Harry discovers magic.
Suddenly, it is revealed to him that there is so much more to this world. It’s a desire we all share. You could even
see Harry’s moment of discovery as a picture of Christian conversion. So I’ve
come to understand that there is no problem with me longing for strange and
wonderful worlds, because it is a longing that will ultimately be fulfilled in
heaven.
1.
*1. Premier Christianity has a very enlighteningpiece on the Christian allusions in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Their
discussion of her use of 1 Corinthians 15:26
is particularly interesting:
“Now in the context of that Scripture passage it is the crucifixion
and literal resurrection of Jesus that conquers death. Rowling and Dumbledore
[who is likely to have been responsible for the inscription] could have put
anything on the Potters' tombstone. They did not have to quote the Bible. They
did not have to reference the New Testament passage that most explicitly
connects Jesus' death and resurrection with a genuine faith. But they did quote
that very passage. She seems to me too careful a writer to make this reference
without its fullest meaning in mind.”
