This is Part 5 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.

 

This episode features a conversation with John de Jong, author of The Theology of George MacDonald: The Child Against the Vampire of Fundamentalism. (Available on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/wmp27hpc)

 

John de Jong is from Cambridge, England where he is involved in the Anglican community. After a degree in physics and a career in audio engineering, John studied philosophy and religious studies at the Open University - alongside his church work as a music director - before gaining a PhD in theology and literature from King’s College London. His research focused on George MacDonald.

 

A parallel career as a guitarist, songwriter and lyricist fuels an ongoing interest in the relationship between Christianity and the arts. This is reflected in two recent recordings in collaboration with Czech composer Daniel Kyzlink, one a work written for symphony orchestra and rock and jazz musicians, the latest a more intimate recording of John’s guitar-based songs. John’s lyrics and academic work, like the writing of George MacDonald, challenge conventional Christian ideas about what it means to be a follower of Jesus – especially in a twenty-first century more interested in the person of Jesus than the religion founded in his name.

 

John's music can be found here: https://johndejong.bandcamp.com/album/good