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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Joan,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Yep. But that is
what I think C.S. Lewis said himself. He wanted to get children’s
imagination going so that they could grow into the true Myth. I read something
he wrote a long time ago saying that folks sometimes mistook the Chronicles as
allegory—they were never meant to be. But there are still many
delightful parallels. In fact, I read a review of the movie criticizing the
movie’s ability to transfer over some qualities of the book’s Aslan
that were more Jesus like. The problem with a donkey perhaps is figuring out
how to present the donkey once he rose again. Also, isn’t man
created just a little lower than the angels? The incarnation was an act
of ultimate humility, but it was not ugly or perverse.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Michael Metzler<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 19 Dec 2005, at 12:42,
Michael wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>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.<br>
<br>
Michael Metzler<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
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 <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Constantine</st1:place></st1:City>; 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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Joan Opyr</st1:PersonName>/Auntie Establishment<br>
www.joanopyr.com<br>
<br>
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