1. Lisa says:

    This is a useful explanation, I think. Too many people see the word “wizard” and immediately assume “evil”. This is a good article to point to the next time I come across that mindset. Thanks, R.L.!

  2. I don’t have a hard-and-fast dividing line, I guess.  If the “magic” in the storyworld is actually more of a science, that negates it as magic to me, and a lot of stories are like that.  In most cases fantasy magic is an innate ability of the user or a scientific part of their world.  I haven’t read many books where it wasn’t, but I’d probably not be comfortable with those books and put them down, unless the good guys were – as you said – clearly using these powers as gifts of God and in His service.

  3. Julie D says:

    I’ll keep this in mind for my mom sometime. It reminds me of how the Noldar in the Silmarillion were called “Nomin,” (The Wise) by the early Men.

What do you think?