Reenchantment: From Prometheus to Jesus

Reenchantment has been a growing topic of conversation in recent years. There is a longing for more than the modern and post-modern eras offered us. Christians and non-Christians alike are expressing a longing for transcendent beauty and mystery. Science cannot deliver on its promise to explain everything. We know there is something beyond the answers we have been given. Max Weber, one of the fathers of sociology, stated over 100 years ago, modernity is characterized by the “progressive disenchantment of the world.” We have reduced humans to DNA strands. We have reduced the movements of planets in the universe to vectors in trigonometry, pulled and pushed by gravitational fields. We have eliminated all sense of wonder, and we are the worse for it.

In fairness, we are thankful for the advances of medicine, technology, and transportation. But, we know there is more to life than scientific explanations, efficient mobile devices, and modern conveniences. We are more than flesh, bone, and brains. Cultural contributions of the last century are failing to inspire. We hunger for more than this flattened, disenchanted world we inherited from modernity.

The Longing We Possess

We long for stories that speak to the meaning of life. We hunger for a sense of mystery that points the way to the beauty beyond the square pegs and square holes that modernism has obsessed over. We know, intuitively, there is more. While logical syllogisms helped us solve mathematical problems, we need different tools to tease out the mystery of life. Beyond new tools, we need another language and another vehicle to explore the mystery, meaning, and loveliness of life. At the heart of this pursuit, is a longing for the mysterious beauty of the Gospel. We want to be reenchanted.

Reenchantment and The Gospel

Christians have a unique opportunity to bring depth, mystery and meaning into discussions of “Reenchantment.” We know this is not a new phenomenon, but an ancient desire given to us by God. It is evidence of a spiritual hunger. And the good news is that this hunger is not only among artists. It is present in clergy, theologians, and everyday believers.

The other good news is that Christianity offers a story of the cosmos that is alive with meaning, mystery, and the divine presence of a transcendent God. It provides us with the tools for recovering imagination, wonder, and the sacredness of life. From Substack essays to seminary classrooms, from poetry to podcasts, this conversation about reenchantment is an invitation for the church to rediscover the beauty and mystery that has been there all along. It is also an opportunity to share it with a world longing to hear this good news.

Prometheus and Man’s Search for Momentary Enchantment

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a story of both defiance and compassion. He looked upon humanity, cold and struggling, and wanted to help. He saw the gods of Mount Olympus refusing to share fire with humanity, and he was incensed. He concluded that he had to take matters into his own hands. The only way to help was by stealing fire from the gods.

Stealing fire was the answer for Prometheus. He was a thief. He may have given something to mankind, but it required stealing from the gods. For this act of rebellion, Zeus punished him brutally. Prometheus was chained to a rock, suffering daily torment as an eagle sought to devour his liver, only for it to regenerate each night. His suffering is unending, and his sacrifice is portrayed as noble.

This is one method of seeking reenchantment. At its core, it is a yearning to take matters into our own hands, to seize the power and mystery of heaven, and bring it down to our level. We want to capture mystery, then we want to package mystery, and then we want to offer it to others. But like Prometheus, this is a desire for the power of fire without a deity, and an experience of mystery without a relationship to the divine.

We are told by critics that this fire is a symbol of technology, knowledge, art, and independence. It represents gifts and tools of insight. But for Prometheus, in the world of Greek mythology, this was the only way to acquire the light and heat of the fire. The Greek gods were selfish and unpredictable. A thief was the only answer, if humanity would begin to flourish.

Such is the fantasy and mystery of false religions, and the epic novels that fuel our imagination with godless worlds. It is hubris fighting to overcome nihilism. In the end, we can see both the beauty of stories like Prometheus, and the tragedy. The beauty is in the courage of one man to risk his life to make life better for all mankind. The tragedy is that his pursuit, in a nihilistic world of unjust gods, only leads to punishment.

There must be a better way.

Jesus and God’s Gift of True Enchantment

Christians have the same desire for mystery. They have the same longing to understand the heavens we see each night, and to understand the deeper mysteries of life. But our story is quite different.

Whereas the Greek gods were selfish and uncaring towards humanity, the God of the Bible is loving, caring, and relational. This God created us to have a relationship with Him. But we lost that mysterious and beautiful communion with God when we were kicked out of the Garden. Now, intimacy with mystery is lost. Now, ultimate peace is out of reach. What are we to do?

From the day Adam and Eve left the garden, God left traces of this mystery. He placed hints in the heavens, signs in the seasons, and remnants of intimacy with Him in our relationships. As Solomon stated,

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,
but the honor of kings to search out the matter.”
– Proverbs 25:2 (ESV)

For thousands of years, we have sought to unravel the mysteries of time. Scientists, magi, and kings have spent fortunes, ‘searching out the matter.’ In recent decades, and now with A.I., countless people have tools to search out the mysteries God has concealed. It is no longer reserved only for royalty. But this mystery is far beyond anything discovered through microchip computational capacities. This mystery is entwined within intimacy with God, which cannot be experienced or understood in any other way.

This is why the true story requires a different kind of thief. Jesus came to earth to steal the thunder and power of Hell. This is because the one thing holding us back from encountering the ultimate beauty and mystery of God, is not some secret knowledge that has been hidden from us, but the sin in our hearts. We could never reach up to heaven and steal power from God. Even if we could propose such a plan, we would soon realize that standing in the presence of God would kill us. (Ex 33:20) This is because He is holy, and we are not.

And in His death and resurrection, He accomplished something far more powerful than fire: He did not merely offer a break from the cold. He shattered the dominion of death itself. As the Apostle Paul wrote,

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15).

And more poignantly speaking of the grave,

“O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Jesus is the antithesis to Prometheus. Rather than a rebel climbing into heaven to steal power, He is the Son of God who leaves His throne in heaven, to give us new life. Jesus did not steal from the gods; He gave Himself, as God, for the weak, the outcast, and the sinner. He entered not Olympus, but judgment on a cross. He did not sneak away without payment, but paid with his life.

And all of this, so that we might once again enjoy communion with the God of the universe. For only in that communion do we start to understand the beauty of all creation, and the hope of all mankind. This is true because the Biblical story of Jesus is more than a myth. It has the power to inspire, but unlike Greek myths, like the story of Prometheus, this story is true, written in history, and made real in our hearts.

Prometheus and Jesus: The Universal Desire for Enchantment

Prometheus climbed the heights of Olympus to steal fire from the gods. Jesus descended into the depths of death to steal the thunder of hell. One defied the gods of Greece to bring light to humanity; the other stormed the gates of hell to bring life and hope to humanity. One is a myth reaching for truth. The other is truth breaking through the veil of myth to reach our hearts.

Prometheus and Jesus:
One is a myth reaching for truth.
The other is truth breaking through the veil of myth.

If Prometheus gave us fire, Jesus gave us freedom and a new life. He broke the silence of the grave. He tore the veil between God and man. And He did not do it as a thief avoiding punishment, but paid the price for our sin so that no man or deity would come looking to punish us.

The Shadow and the Substance

Prometheus is a beautiful myth. But myth has limits. Like a shadow on a cave wall, the myth reflects a truth it cannot reach. It gives us archetypes, metaphors, and symbols—but not salvation. Prometheus was only able to help one nation. Jesus took the keys of hell, and overcame death for all nations. Prometheus gives us a picture of a man lighting a torch; Jesus embodies the truth of a God who can open the mouth of a tomb and walk out in resurrection power.

Just as we see in the Bible, many symbols and stories in the Old Testament were but shadows of Christ. From the Passover Lamb, and the Manna (bread of Heaven) in the desert, to the words of the prophets, the ministry of the priests, and the protection of Israel’s king. All of it was a foretaste and a shadow of Jesus. As we are reminded in God’s Word:

“These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
– Colossians 2:17 (ESV)

“They [priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.”
– Hebrews 8:5 (ESV)

The Value of Myth

C.S. Lewis began as an atheist, drawn to the power of myth. He loved these grand stories and longed for more. Eventually, he saw a more beautiful story in the Gospel. He recognized something deeper and richer than other myths. This is why he and Tolkien called the Gospel, “The True Myth.” Myths, as he understood them, are not lies. They are echoes of truth, born from our deepest longings. But only in the Gospel is this supposed “myth” made real and fulfilled in history. Only in Christ do we find the true story of which all other great stories are echoes. Unlike Prometheus, Jesus doesn’t just play the part of a savior figure, like an actor on a stage. Jesus is the Savior. He is the fire, the light, the thunder, the way, the truth, and the life.

We don’t need someone to steal from the selfish gods of Greece.
The one true God, has given to us freely, all that we need, through the sacrifice of His own life. The mystery and beauty we long for in reenchantment is found here.

Following in the Footsteps of C.S. Lewis

Today, our culture is in a development stage much like C.S. Lewis before his eyes were opened to the beauty of the Gospel. Our neighbors have been told that philosophy and science have proven that Nietzsche was correct when he wrote, “God is dead.”

But like C.S. Lewis, our culture is full of men and women in whom, as Ecclesiastes tells us, God has placed eternity in their hearts. They know deep down, they were made to be in the Garden of Eden, enjoying communion with God. They know intuitively they were made to live in the New Jerusalem, once their sin is wiped away, when God remakes the heavens and the earth.

But, just like C.S. Lewis, they need a fellow traveler and sojourner to help them see what has been right in front of them all along. They need to be inspired once again to see the beauty and mystery in this world. They may need grand stories of trolls and precious rings, like that of Tolkien. Maybe they need stories of a talking Lion who shows them Christ in a new way, as Lewis did. Or maybe they need your voice, and your new twist to speak to them in a fresh way. Something Lewis and Tolkien would never have imagined. And maybe it isn’t in a novel, but in a video game, a TV series, or an animated feature.

What we do know is that God uses creatives like you to speak in a new way to lost people. People who are longing to see the truth, the beauty, and the mystery of the Gospel for the first time. They may not walk through the doors of a church. They may not have grown up hearing any stories of the Bible. What they need is your voice, and creative storytelling to reach them.

And God is inviting you to play a role. He wants you to help open their eyes to the beauty of salvation, life everlasting, and the joy of being alive in Christ. Prometheus will inspire some, but only the Gospel can speak to our deepest longings, and only the Gospel can fulfill the desire for communion with the God of the universe. This is what our fascination with mystery points to, and this is why we long for reenchantment. The good news is that the world is desperate for something only the Gospel can provide.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Copyright © 2025 Joel & Michelle Pelsue. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

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