[Vision2020] Narnia

[Joan Opyr]

On 19 Dec 2005, at 12:42, Michael wrote:

> Children love reading C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books.  The Christianity in 
> them is not preachy and in line with the broad appreciation for Lewis 
> in both non-Christian and Christian circles. Lewis does not consider 
> Narnia allegorical, but just his faith and scholarship naturally 
> exposing itself in the creative process. I’d highly recommend them; 
> they are truly classics.  (his space trilogy is cool too;  heck, all 
> his stuff is cool….)  My wife and I go to see Narnia Tues. First time 
> out on a movie date in years.
>  
> Michael Metzler
>  

Now, I don't say this to spoil Narnia -- I imagine that Tilda Swinton's 
White Queen is even more terrifying that her portrayal of the Angel 
Gabriel in Constantine; Ms. Swinton is always worth the price of 
admission -- but there is something deeply NOT Christian about the 
Chronicles of Narnia.  While they may succeed as literature, the 
Chronicles (according to Tolkien and many others) fail as Christian 
allegory.  Why?  Because Aslan as Christ does not work.  Aslan is the 
noblest of beasts, not the lowliest; not the most humble.  One of my 
favorite writers, Terry Pratchett, has written that the books would 
work better as Christian allegory if Aslan were, say, a donkey rather 
than a lion -- a modest, scorned, frowned-upon beast -- not the king of 
the beast but the least among them.

Theologically, Michael (and others), what do you think?  We can enjoy 
Narnia as a Disney spectacular, but I do wonder about it as Christian 
allegory.  I think it's a slippery slope.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

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