If you enjoyed a novel by C.S. Lewis or a film based on any of Tolkein's books, you owe a debt of gratitude to George MacDonald, a pioneer in the fantasy literature genre, but also a deeply committed Christian minister, who ended up turning from the pulpit to the pen and paper, writing full-time and publishing extraordinary works of theology. His The Hope of the Gospel, from 1892, is a challenging but ultimately illuminating tome that asks its readers to consider the good news and the instruction from the Gospels with an intensity and an open-hearted understanding.