Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging

truth, the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

This week marks the anniversary of the birth of a man that's regarded as the father of modern

fantasy literature, someone who profoundly influenced writers like G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis.

Though the writing of pastor and author George McDonald often lacked, shall we say, theological

precision, his legacy includes inspiring some of the most important Christian fiction of

all time.

Like Tertullian and origin before him, fathers of the faith, whose theology veered away

at times from orthodoxy, the bulk of McDonald's work has served to enliven the Christian faith

of future generations.

His first book, Fantasties, a fairy romance for men and women, was published in 1858.

The series of fantasy stories, fairy tales, novels, nonfiction, and poetry that followed,

made him an important literary figure of his day, and influenced dozens of writers on both

sides of the Atlantic, including Lewis Carroll, whom he mentored and encouraged to publish

Allison Wonderland, Mark Twain, Oswald Chambers, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R.

Tolkien.

In fact, Wikipedia list, 39 major authors for whom McDonald was a major literary influence.

His very first book, Fantasties, was critically important for C.S. Lewis.

In fact, in his autobiography, surprised by joy, Lewis said that as he read the book,

I saw the bright shadow coming out of the book into the real world and resting there,

transforming all common things and yet itself unchanged.

More accurately, I saw the common things drawn into the bright shadow, and the then invincible

...