The Victorian minister who mentored Lewis Carroll and invented modern fantasy

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before Tolkien or Lewis, there was George MacDonald. A Scottish minister with a radical theology of universal love, he used fairy tales to explore the human condition, fundamentally reshaping the landscape of modern fantasy literature and inspiring a generation of legendary authors.

George MacDonald (1824–1905) was far more than a clergyman; he was a pioneer of the fantasy genre. While his formal training began in 1848 at Highbury College for the Congregational ministry, his literary legacy was built on works like Phantastes (1858) and The Princess and the Goblin (1872). His influence was profound, acting as a mentor to Lewis Carroll—whose publication of Alice in Wonderland he actively encouraged—and serving as a spiritual precursor to C.S. Lewis, who famously regarded him as a master.

MacDonald’s theological convictions often placed him at odds with the Calvinist atmosphere of his upbringing. He rejected the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, arguing instead that Christ came to save humanity from the disease of cosmic evil rather than to appease a wrathful deity. His views on universalism suggested that all beings would ultimately undergo repentance and be restored to God, a belief that led to his diminished popularity among contemporary ministers and even a significant reduction in his stipend at Arundel.

His life was marked by both literary brilliance and personal hardship. A lifelong struggle with respiratory issues, including tuberculosis, forced him to travel frequently for healthier air, including a period in Algiers. Despite losing several children to the same disease, he established the Casa Coraggio in Italy, a renowned cultural center. His work bridged the gap between the sacred and the imaginary, famously claiming he wrote not for children, but for the 'child-like,' regardless of age.

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