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.

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.