Storied Revelations: Parables, Imagination and George MacDonald’s Christian Fiction by Gisela H. Kreglinger (review)

(140). Löwy and Sayre, on the other hand, give a whole chapter to Ruskin’s social criticism. Dupré sees Romanticism as being driven primarily by ideas. He argues, for instance, that ‘‘if we claim that Romanticism formally begins with the French Revolution, we must add that it was not the result of that political event. It consisted in a radical transformation of modern consciousness supported by a systematic rethinking of its intellectual foundations’’ (274). Dupré emphasizes the Romantics’ anxiety about the elusive ‘‘thing-in-itself’’ while Löwy and Sayre emphasize their anxiety about ‘‘dark Satanic mills,’’ about the material transformations of modernity. Both shine light on the complexity of history. In sum, Dupré offers an erudite introduction to Romanticism with an original focus. It will interest specialists but will also work well in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. (It would pair nicely with Warren Breckman’s excellent 2007 reader Romanticism: A Documentary History, for instance). It is a fitting capstone to his trilogy on the ‘‘spiritual sources’’ of modernity, which promises to be a reference point for years to come. Steven Knepper Virginia Military Institute Gisela H. Kreglinger, with a forward by Eugene H. Peterson. Storied Revelations: Parables, Imagination and George MacDonald’s Christian Fiction. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013; Pp. xiv + 236.: ISBN 13:978-1-62032533 -9, $28.00 (pbk). Although the relationship between George MacDonald’s theology and his fiction is often discussed, Gisela H. Kreglinger believes that MacDonald’s less overt theological works have been largely misunderstood by the scholarly community. She suggests that contrary to popular belief, ‘‘it is precisely in his less overt theological works of fiction that one finds some of his most profound thinking on the lived dimension of Christian faith’’ (4). Kreglinger supports this by exploring MacDonald’s theology of the revelation of God, which draws upon Novalis in particular. Ultimately, Kreglinger argues that MacDonald’s fiction should be understood as parable. Only then does the reader understand the deep yet subtle theological elements in his fiction. At the end of the book, Kreglinger uses Lilith as a case study for understanding MacDonald through a parabolic lens. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to MacDonald’s theological background. While attention is given to MacDonald’s Scottish Calvinistic heritage, Kreglinger mainly focuses on MacDonald’s love for and understanding of the Gospels and on the many literary works that shaped his ‘‘pastoral imagination.’’ The second chapter seeks to define and explain the purpose of parables. It quickly becomes a lesson in literary devices. In order to understand what a parable is, it is important to understand what it is not. Kreglinger examines metaphors and allegories before working towards an understanding of parables. The criteria of parables include possessing a Book Reviews 353 short narrative form, avoiding overt references to God, in order to create ‘‘negative space in which to explore and express [a] new understanding of God and the nature of his kingdom’’ (48), and using the familiar to invite listeners/readers to explore the unknown. Kreglinger also discusses how parables often surprise and even disturb their intended audience. By shattering expectations, Kreglinger argues, parables ‘‘open up a new and deeper vision of how God works in this world’’ (52). The chapter ends with a discussion of how Jesus’ parables have lost their shock value due to overfamiliarity and a limited understanding of their first-century context. The third chapter focuses on the literary influences that developed MacDonald’s theology. Kreglinger gives particular attention to Novalis’s Hymns to the Night (1800) and Heinrich von Ofterdingen (1802). Using Hymns to the Night, Kreglinger argues, ‘‘For Novalis, it is only in Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection that redemption is found’’ (72). This leads to a paradox of Christianity: it is in the darkest moments where God’s light is revealed. Kreglinger uses passages from Heinrich von Ofterdingen to discuss dreams, which Novalis believed are by nature revelatory and ‘‘have thus the potential for revealing truth but only because they are sent by God as ‘a divine gift’’’ (70). Next, Kreglinger considers Coleridge’s understanding of the imagination. Before explaining Coleridge’s primary and secondary imagination, she places...