The children's classic, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, will hit theaters on Friday. Be sure to check out Narnia Web for all the latest news, reviews, and clips.

In other news, the following excerpt is from one of the most balanced Narnia-related stories I've seen in a mainstream newspaper:

Lewis, an atheist turned devout Christian theologian, weaved plenty of religious symbolism into "The Chronicles of Narnia," a seven-volume adventure series of which "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was the first book published, in 1950. The hero of the series, Aslan the lion, is often viewed as a Christlike figure: Aslan dies at the hand of his wicked enemies, is miraculously resurrected, and saves those who believe in him.

But the Narnia books also include plenty of nonreligious mythology and fantasy as they spin out their fairy tales of moral courage and good vs. evil. (Source)

I actually made it to the end of the story without cringing.

People with a bias against Christians, or Christians with a bias against fantasy literature, are quick to point out that C.S. Lewis didn't intend to write the book just for a Christian audience. As I wrote a few days ago, that hardly matters. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe clearly has Christian overtones. In fact, they are obvious.

But if you're an unbeliever who hasn't read the Bible and doesn't know the Gospel message or any such things as "salvation" and "redemption," you can still relate to "Christian" traits like self-sacrifice, honor, loyalty, and love. We believe that everything good comes from God, and Christ-like qualities can be found in any type of literature.

Some think the Christian message is a heavy-handed lecture about hell and damnation. Well, part of it is about hell and damnation, but that's not the whole message! They also believe that to judge others shows lack love. Christ followers know better. We are commissioned to take the Gospel to all men, and part of the message is that unless one repents of his sins and believes that Christ died for those sins, he is under God's wrath and will be eternally damned if he dies still in his sins. We can't judge sin, but we must tell people that they are sinners in need of a Savior.

Now that may sound like fairy tales to unbelievers, but to those of us who believe, it is a joyous, miraculous revelation! God has graciously provided a way for us to avoid just punishment and be reunited with him forever. A holy God washing away the sins of rebellious, contentious, and depraved man. I know of no greater love.

Are you going to see the film tomorrow? I'd love to know what you thought of it.

Related:

• Narnia Week at Common Grounds Online
• Narnia Hate Watch at RedState
• Read the entire collection, The Chronicles of Narnia

(Disney image)

Previously published as "'Christian' Elements in Fiction" at La Shawn Barber's Corner.

While reading articles on the Harry Potter phenomenon, I found myself intrigued by the "Christian" elements of children's literature.

I assume most people have at least heard of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, part of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series, if not read the book or watched the movie versions on TV. Disney is releasing a movie version of the book in December, and the story is as old as time: the battle between good and evil.

Nutshell: Four kids (siblings) are living with a professor during WWII, and while exploring the house they find a spare room with a wardrobe. They walk through it and enter a mythical land called Narnia, ruled by a lion named Aslan and cursed by the White Witch. Similar to some people's reaction to the name of Christ, one of the children, seduced by the White Witch, recoils at his name, while the other three feel delight.

Continue reading 'Christian' Elements in Narnia

Visit Moviefone to view the trailer of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

In October I spoke at a conference called the God Blog Convention, and attendees were treated to a preview clip of what I know will be an excellent movie.

I found a story via Narnia Web titled, Is that lion the King of Kings?. The writer asks, "Is the world created by British author C.S. Lewis a rip-roaring piece of fantasy — or a fairy tale suffused with Christian imagery?"

Both. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy story replete with Christian imagery. For example, with the power of his voice, Aslan the Lion sings Narnia into existence (depicted in The Magician's Nephew). God created the world by speaking it into existence. Christ, free from sin, sacrificed himself on the cross for those he came to save, all guilty of the most heinous crimes. Aslan, innocent of a crime, sacrifices himself for the guilty party. Aslan the Lion is a creator. Christ, the Lion of Judah, is the Creator made flesh. These parallels are only surface level; the imagery goes much deeper.

I'm blogging about the USA Today article mainly because of this passage:

"I'm an evangelical Christian, but the enthusiasm with which my fellow evangelicals are leaping at the possibility of using this film as an 'evangelistic tool' — a phrase that's often used — is distressing to me," says Jacobs, author of The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis. "Lewis wrote a story about redemptive sacrifice, but he didn't set out to write that. He set out to write a children's book that would be exciting and adventurous.

"He was not trying to win anyone to Christianity with this story. And I think you can tell that by the way so many people can read it and love it without having any idea of the biblical connection."

Alan Jacobs, evangelical Christian, is missing the point entirely. As an English major who studied Literary Criticism, I know the author's intent is important in understanding themes and symbolism in their work. But in this case, C.S. Lewis's intent hardly matters when the imagery is so overt. It matters little whether Lewis was "trying to win anyone to Christianity with this story." It doesn't change the fact that characters represent biblical ideas. And just because the book has mass appeal doesn't prove that Lewis wasn't trying to "win" souls.

Stories like Narnia and Harry Potter are so popular because they “echo the Great Story we are wired to receive and respond to,” says John Granger, Orthodox Christian and author of Finding God in Harry Potter.

If we believe that God created each of us with an innate desire for a connection to God, then we must believe that the unsaved share this desire. Certain themes — unconditional love, sacrifice, hope — resonate with most people. That's why engaging and entertaining books like Harry Potter appeal to so many.

Clive Davis has a Narnia round-up.

(Disney Enterprises/Walden Media image)

It should shock no one that movie studios are interested only in the bottom line when it comes to selling their wares. That Disney is pitching a movie based on a series of books with strong Christian allusions to a Christian audience shouldn't be making headlines. But alas, it is.

From the Associated Press:

While refusing to call it a religious movie, Disney is using the same company that promoted Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" to publicize "Narnia" through churches across the country. The goal is to create the perfect Christmas blockbuster, appealing to both secular and religious audiences…Rice said only 5 percent of the marketing budget for "Narnia," which opens Dec. 9, targeted faith-based groups. Still, there were eight showings for church groups nationwide, including one in November for about 700 pastors and church staffers at the Colorado Springs headquarters of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family.

There are Christian allusions throughout, from spiteful brother Edmund (Judas) and his noble brother Peter, a fellow "son of Adam." The heroic lion Aslan, an obvious symbol of Jesus Christ, sacrifices his life to save Edmund and is resurrected the next day in plenty of time to defeat the White Witch and her evil minions.

In October I wrote about "Christian" elements in fiction, one of my favorite new subjects.

Just as "The Passion of the Christ" was well-received in churches across the country, I predict The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will receive much more support and break box office records. Movie-going and viewing are part of American life, and I'm glad to see stronger spiritual themes emerging.

See related Barna study.

Narnia Resources:

• The Narnia Academy
• Narnia Fans
• Narnia Web

I saw "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" as a child, and I'm pretty sure I'd read the book before that. I'm slowly making my way through all seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia for three reasons: 1) A producer at BBC radio has asked to interview me about the books after I wrote this post; 2) This blog purports to be a source for Christian themes and symbolism in fantasy literature, so the blog hostess must read all the books; and 3) I know I'll love all seven.

"The Magician's Nephew" was a charming tale written after "The Lion" but placed ahead of it in the line-up. It explains how Narnia came to be and features a familiar scene were Aslan the Lion sings Narnia into being.

According to Kyrie O'Connor of the IndyStar, the fifth book, "The Horse and His Boy," contains a few politically incorrect elements:

The book, first published in 1954, may never get to the screen, at least not in anything resembling its literary form. It's just too dreadful. While the book's storytelling virtues are enormous, you don't have to be a bluestocking of political correctness to find some of this fantasy anti-Arab, or anti-Eastern, or anti-Ottoman. With all its stereotypes, mostly played for belly laughs, there are moments you'd like to stuff this story back into its closet….

[T]he Calormen is not simply a bad place to be from. Worse, the people are bad — or most of them, anyway — and they're bad in pretty predictable ways. Calormen is ruled by a despotic Tisroc and a band of swarthy lords with pointy beards, turbaned heads, long robes and nasty dispositions. Calormen is dirty, hot, dull, superstitious. In truth, it's pretty unsettling. (Source)

As a product of his times and environment, C.S. Lewis wrote his books the way he saw fit, and the historical context must be taken into account. That's the purview of literary criticism.

I'm sure some people object to writers injecting the Gospel into stories or Christian bloggers (like moi!) hunting for it. After I've read "The Horse and His Boy," I'll review it and come to my own conclusion.