Writers like C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and J. R. R. Tolkien drew upon the fairy tradition in folklore to discuss the dynamics of Christian salvation. At first glance, this is quite strange: historically, Christianity worked to suppress fairy folklore, which it considered superstitious at best, and vestigial paganism at worst. And yet any who have drunk at the well of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings knows that these writers were on to something. This talk will explore the nature of fairies and angels, as well as the dynamics of the human heart, and demonstrate that it is just possible that Fairyland is indeed a sort of neighboring kingdom or back door into the Christian vision of blessedness.
Junius Johnson is a writer, teacher, speaker, independent scholar, and musician. His work focuses on beauty, imagination, and wonder, and how these are at play in the Christian and Classical intellectual traditions. He is the author of 5 books, including The Father of Lights: A Theology of Beauty, and On Teaching Fairy Stories. Junius holds an MA, two MPhils, and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from Yale University, and is the executive director of Junius Johnson Academics, through which he offers innovative classes for both children and adults that aim to ignite student hearts with wonder and intellectual rigor. He co-hosts The Classical Mind podcast and is a member of The Cultivating Project. Learn more about the Humanities Forum here!
