Do all fictional ideas pre exist in God's spirit?

[Thomas_Jennings]

"Man is not ultimately a liar. He may pervert his thoughts into lies, but he comes from God, and it is from God that he draws his ultimate ideals … Not merely the abstract thoughts of man but also his imaginative inventions must originate with God, and in consequence reflect something of eternal truth.
“In making a myth, in practicing ‘mythopoeia,’ and peopling the world with elves and dragons and goblins, a story-teller … is actually fulfilling God’s purpose, and reflecting a splintered fragment of the true light.”-JRR Tolkien.

Is this the case? Do imaginative inventions originate with God?

Obviously evil ideas don’t…but, as with morality…evil is negation not creation, so this fact does not discredit the idea that what ‘is creation’ has God as an infinite source and creator.

I seem to remember Peter Kreeft said something about Mark Twain still being the original creator of his fictional narratives despite God being the creator of all…having said which, Kreeft promotes Tolkien’s idea that fictional characters (in a Plato’s ‘the Forms’ way) may reflect a Higher. I cannot see how both statements can be true! Either ‘elves’ and ‘yetis’ (for instance) pre exist in God’s mind or they don’t have an objective existence outside of Man!- Surely.

 

[seagal]

"Man is not ultimately a liar. He may pervert his thoughts into lies, but he comes from God, and it is from God that he draws his ultimate ideals … Not merely the abstract thoughts of man but also his imaginative inventions must originate with God, and in consequence reflect something of eternal truth.
“In making a myth, in practicing ‘mythopoeia,’ and peopling the world with elves and dragons and goblins, a story-teller … is actually fulfilling God’s purpose, and reflecting a splintered fragment of the true light.”-JRR Tolkien.

Is this the case? Do imaginative inventions originate with God?

Obviously evil ideas don’t…but, as with morality…evil is negation not creation, so this fact does not discredit the idea that what ‘is creation’ has God as an infinite source and creator.

I seem to remember Peter Kreeft said something about Mark Twain still being the original creator of his fictional narratives despite God being the creator of all…having said which, Kreeft promotes Tolkien’s idea that fictional characters (in a Plato’s ‘the Forms’ way) may reflect a Higher. I cannot see how both statements can be true! Either ‘elves’ and ‘yetis’ (for instance) pre exist in God’s mind or they don’t have an objective existence outside of Man!- Surely.

Interesting question. I would say that God gave us the gift of an imagination but that anything that comes from that is from us. Of course we can ask God for inspiration and he could/would provide that in some way. Evil people can have fertile imaginations also, and I don’t think their thoughts come from God.

I don’t see Kreeft’s statements as contradictory. He said (if your quote is correct) that Tolkien’s idea is that fictional characters “reflect” a Higher. That’s not saying they were created by God. To me it sounds like he’s saying that these characters act like a mirror and reflect the image of God. Just my :twocents:

 

[Pat_Payne]

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I seem to remember Peter Kreeft said something about Mark Twain still being the original creator of his fictional narratives despite God being the creator of all…having said which, Kreeft promotes Tolkien’s idea that fictional characters (in a Plato’s ‘the Forms’ way) may reflect a Higher. I cannot see how both statements can be true! Either ‘elves’ and ‘yetis’ (for instance) pre exist in God’s mind or they don’t have an objective existence outside of Man!- Surely.

Look at it in this concrete way: A beautiful diamond cut by an expert gemcutter. Who is responsible for the gem? Is it God for fashioning the original diamond deep in the earth, or the expert hands of the cutter who painstakingly cut and polished that gem to its ultimate beauty? Why can’t it be both? Beauty always leads towards God. Truth leads towards God. He created us for beauty and truth. So whether Tolkein created Gandalf or God put the seed of the idea in his head, God is the ultimate cause, as the stories point towards beauty and truth.

(That being said, I still believe that the only rational explanation for Jar-Jar Binks or the entirety of the Star Wars Holiday Special has to be demonic influence. )

 

[TheSeeker2014]

Is this the case? Do imaginative inventions originate with God?

Obviously evil ideas don’t…but, as with morality…evil is negation not creation, so this fact does not discredit the idea that what ‘is creation’ has God as an infinite source and creator.

Yes, imagination is from God and is a gift. It is part of us being made in His image… having vision. What we do with this gift of vision or imagination is either Good or Bad and that comes from the heart of the man… not from God.
It is a will given to us.

 

[Kay_Cee]

As an author who has created fictional characters, I can tell you that, before writing, I first pray to my heavenly muse, that is, the Holy Spirit.