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So you want to know more about C.S. Lewis?
Feb. 27, 2009
Narnia, Christianity and the Rebirth of the 'Faery Tale'
Lewis did not take his religion lightly, describing himself in his book Surprised by Joy as 'perhaps the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England'. He struggled with his beliefs, constantly pushing himself to expand his understanding beyond that which he had been taught about reality and logic, and trying to reconcile these beliefs with those imaginative passions that had been the focus of his life.
The results of this struggle are nowhere more evident than in his creation of Narnia. The overwhelming message of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis's first Chronicle, is a summation not only of Lewis's own road to religion, but of the wider tenets of the Christian faith: the entrance to Narnia is closeted and hidden; an unexpected door to wonder through which a person can step if they can only learn to look beyond the mundane and real.
Lewis looked beyond his own reality and modality, finding Christianity in the same way that the child-protagonists Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan look beyond the reality of the wardrobe to reveal Narnia, a land of magic and fantasy. As did Lewis, they go about exploring this new world with wonder and delight.
So Lewis filtered the Christian message through fantasy, weaving biblical allegory together with modern myth in seamless fashion. Fittingly for Lewis's first Chronicle, the underlying message of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the ultimate allegory: the love, sacrifice and rebirth of the lion, Aslan for the sins of Edmund.
Though Tolkien disapproved of Lewis's mixture of Christian imagery and mythological figures, and disagreed with his use of fiction to discuss religion – believing that to be a subject better suited to theologians - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe works not because of or in spite of Lewis's Christian symbolism, but because it is first and foremost a wonderfully woven story. Lewis's search for the 'modern faery tale', which had begun through his friendship with Tolkien, had finally taken shape.
In Narnia, the mixture of truth and myth catches the imagination and the soul whilst enlightening the spirit; bringing some of the most important Christian teachings to generations of children and adults alike, and inviting all to delight in the telling.
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About Me
Enter the Wardrobe and find out all of the things you wished you knew aobut Narnia! In the posts that follow, accompany me as I rediscover The Chronicles of Narnia, providing summary, analysis, and a series of activities that will enrich your Narnia experience. Whether you are completely new to the world of Narnia or are a seasoned reader of Lewiss Chronicles, I believe you will find much to love in my online wardrobe. So please, ask questions and comment on what you think about my exploration of the Findings of Narnia. I give thenarniaacademy.org all credit for the inspiration of this blog. Copyright © 2005 Electronic Learning Resource Network, Inc., and other copyright holders. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 1999-2005 Learning By Grace, Inc. All Rights Reserved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You Might Know Me Best As maidenofvirtue. Please visit my other blogs: maidenofvirtue, horsebackriding, and radiantpurity. Also my sister and I's blog: farmgirlsisterchicks. And my Mother's: keeperofthefires. THANK YOU!
Narniaexposed's favorite quotes"We're free Narnians, Hwin and I, and I suppose, if you're running away to Narnia you want to be one too. In that case Hwin isn't your horse any longer. One might just as well say you're her human."— C.S. LewisLinks
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Apr. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment