Fantasy and Faith: Lewis and Tolkien on Magic in Fantastical Literature

Despite biblical warnings against the occult, Christian authors C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien incorporated many kinds of magic into their works of fantasy. These authors had an orthodox view of the occult, but they also believed that fantasy magic differs from the esoteric: its purpose is imaginative, rather than power-seeking, and it is usually part of the imagined laws of the fantasy world. Lewis focused on the mythic side of fantasy and included more ambiguous magic. Tolkien focused on fantasy as eucatastrophic fairy tale, and his works include somewhat divine supernatural forces. Nonetheless, both authors saw fantasy and its magic as a way of pointing towards God. This creative thesis begins with an exploration of Lewis and Tolkien’s philosophy of fantasy magic. It then includes two short stories, one written to illustrate Lewis’s usage of fantasy magic and another written to illustrate Tolkien’s. Finally, the short stories are analyzed to explore how they incorporate specific ideas from the thought of Lewis and Tolkien.