Wilson's Bookmarks
Brief reviews of 'Collected Ghost Stories,' 'Origins,' and 'The Dragon's Tooth.'
John Wilson | posted 2/23/2012 09:49AM
That the acknowledged master of the classic ghost story was also a devout Christian and one of "the most distinguished scholars of the world," known for his "prodigious" work "on manuscript catalogues, on biblical apocrypha and the writings of the Church Fathers, on ecclesiastical architecture, and on whatever else happened to capture his imagination," seems a conjunction worth pondering. Hence this volume offers both instruction and delight.
The authors, a wife-and-husband team, are both professors at Calvin College. The first edition of this book, they explain, was directed primarily to "Christians familiar with Reformed theology and tradition." In this revised edition, they seek a "broader audience" without in any way departing from their core convictions. The Haarsmas have succeeded. Christians from many different streams of the faith will profit from this clearly written and remarkably fair-minded survey.
If you haven't yet read N. D. Wilson, this is a good place to start—especially if there's someone in your family who relishes adventurous fiction. This is a "Young Adult" book of the superior sort, meaning grown-ups (at least those not too hardened with age) can enjoy it as well. It's the first installment in a new series, set in our familiar world yet intended—as was Wilson's nonfictional Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl—to open our eyes afresh to the sheer strangeness and wonder of all that we normally take for granted.
Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:Collected Ghost Stories, Origins, and Dragon's Tooth are available from Barnes & Noble and other retailers.
John Wilson is editor of Books & Culture, a Christianity Today sister publication.
CT also has more books, film, and music reviews.
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Wilson's Bookmarks, February 2012, Vol. 56, No. 2, Page 50
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