What if I told you that some of your favorite books of fantasy— Alice in Wonderland , The Chronicles of Narnia , The Lord of the Rings —owe a tremendous debt to a man you may never have read, or even heard of? George MacDonald stands as a pivotal, though often overlooked, figure in the birth of modern fantasy. This book uncovers his remarkable legacy while exploring the enduring power of mythopoeic storytelling to shape spiritual and literary imagination. Tracing the origins of fantasy through MacDonald’s nineteenth-century works, this study shows how he wove profound spiritual truths into his tales through rich symbolic layers. We examine his influence on contemporaries such as Lewis Carroll and John Ruskin, as well as on later giants like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. A close analysis of key works—including Phantastes and The Princess and the Goblin —underscores MacDonald’s lasting impact on both fantasy literature and Romantic Theology. By reclaiming MacDonald’s visionary voice, this dissertation restores him to his rightful place at the heart of modern imaginative storytelling.