The Speaking Elephant: Rightly Dividing MacDonald\u27s Fairy Tales

Due to the mythopoetic nature of George MacDonald’s writings many interpretations have arisen as to the meaning of his work. By studying his sermons, letters, and other writings we can discover the intended meanings of his Fairy Tales. Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium

Session 4-C: Special Session

A Discussion of Spiritual Themes in The Lord of the Rings - Darren Hotmire J.R.R. Tolkien was more than an author of perhaps the most beloved series of books in our time. He was a scholar, a linguist, a philologist, a father and friend. And, he was a man of strong faith. It is not surprising that this faith should be present in what has been called the number one book of the century. These themes, though not always obvious upon an initial reading of the text, are an integral part of the story. Accordingly, this discussion will study themes relating to the nature and attributes of God, the nature of evil, the struggle between good and evil, both in society at large and in the lives of individuals, as well as examples of defeat and victory in that struggle. Some final specific themes will be surveyed as found in the races of Middle Earth and illustrated in The Lord of the Rings. Moderator: Bill Ringenber

Session 6

A Cloud of Witnesses: A Collection of Quotes about Victorian Author George MacDonald - Darrel Hotmire George MacDonald on Psychology - Barbara Amell MacDonald, the Revelation of God, and Literature - Darren Hotmir

Session 6

The Speaking Elephant: Rightly Dividing MacDonald\u27s Fairy Tales - Darren Hotmire, Trinity Divinity School George MacDonald and Medicine - Darrel Hotmire, M.D. Cliffhangers and Extracts from Fact and Fantasy - Dan Hamilto

Concurrent Paper Session 1A: MacDonald, Neuhouser, and . . .

Hobbits in the Holy Land: Insights from Tolkien on Deriving Meaning from Fiction - Darren Hotmire This paper includes reflections on a friend, Dr. Neuhouser, the founder of the C. S. Lewis Center, who was a mentor to me over the years. It was Dr. Neuhouser who introduced me to the classic work “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien. In this work Tolkien defines the nature of the Fairy Story. They are not, he says, stories of little flower fairies who delight in playing games in the sunlight. Rather, they are stories which relate to the Land and folk of Faerie and the human interaction with it. While these stories may contain elves, dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons, they are more about the eucatastrophic human interaction or adventure in this perilous realm. George MacDonald, Shakespeare Scholar - Kendra Smalley Literary Healings in Gilman and MacDonald - Darrel Hotmire Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” was written in 1887. It is a story of a woman who receives medical advice for home management of what would now be called a Major Depressive Episode. Her physician recommends a course of intellectual and societal abstinence as the treatment. The result is worsening depression and resultant psychosis. George MacDonald’s Adela Cathcart is a lengthy novel written in 1864. It is also a story of a woman with depression. The doctor’s prescription for her is societal interaction and creative stimulation. This essay contrasts the two methods of treatment and applies the treatments to modern equivalents. I will write an addendum on homeopathy as understood in the Victorian era. C.S. Lewis\u27s Critical Assessment of George MacDonald - Marsha Daigle-Williamson Lewis gives a complete assessment of George MacDonald, both as a sermon writer and fiction writer, in the “Preface” to his George MacDonald: An Anthology. In it, Lewis refers to MacDonald as his master, but precisely what is it about him that influenced Lewis so deeply? His style? His characters? His stories? His imaginative approach? This paper will address the positives and negatives in Lewis’s assessment of MacDonald as a writer, aiding our understanding of Lewis’s depiction of MacDonald in The Great Divorce