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 Lewis’s 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! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:08:00 -0500 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:08:00 -0500 Clive Staple Lewis had a relatively happy childhood spending most of his days with his brother, Warnie, where storytelling and a love of art were family pursuits. He was also very close to his mother, so much so that her death left young Lewis devastated at age 10. Lewis was raised in a Protestant family where his strong values in the belief of God and work were rooted. This was shattered after the death of his mother. He suddenly felt that God either did not exist or was harsh and without compassion. After his mother’s death, his father, Albert Lewis, started to focus more on Home Rule debate as well as politics, and C. S. Lewis was sent to a boys boarding school in England. It was during his school days that he began to assert himself, standing up against accepted rules and regulations. His beliefs began to take a different direction, and Lewis found himself turning his back on religion – staunchly declaring that God was a mere myth. This pronouncement was later seen to be based from his past grievances, mainly the sorrow he felt in believing that God did not look after his mother. As a young man, Lewis was not without his issues, compounded with the fact that he was also angry with his father for sending him away to school. The religious values he grew up with had indeed started to slip away during these difficult early years. Later on, Lewis changed his faith from Christianity to Idealism with no absolute idea of a personal god. This all changed when Lewis met Nevill Coghill. Coghill introduced Lewis to his unique perspective on Christianity, which profoundly changed the way Lewis viewed life. Charged with a heightened curiosity on the subject, Lewis embarked on a theological study, and he began to read the works of Christian authors. His impassioned search for God lead him to become a Pantheist, whose beliefs declare that there is an impersonal God in everything. In 1929 he became a theist. Theism is the belief in one or more gods and goddesses. After two years, he converted back to being a Christian and this was the start of his great writings. Although he eventually converted back to his original Christian beliefs and values, Lewis always believed that human emotions were something uncomfortable, embarrassing and to be avoided. A belief also thought to have been rooted with the death of his mother, and the enormous pain he suffered as a child. Life took a turn for the worse for Lewis, when his wife died of cancer at a young age, causing him unbearable suffering again. Losing Joy, who was the love of his life, confirmed Lewis’s resolute on emotions. However, instead of turning his back to God once more, Lewis dealt with his grief by writing a moving argument with God about death in his book entitled A Grief Observed and eventually made his peace with God. One can see Lewis’s core values by looking at his work as most of these brilliant and often touching writings address ethical and Christian themes, some, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and other Chronicles of Narnia, in the context of imaginative fiction.   This was originally by Duncan Rize.   ~Mandy http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/684631/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/684631/ By Duncan Rize Although C.S. Lewis is known to many as one of the most powerful literary voices of conservative Christianity, some scholars feel his view of salvation is much more liberal than one would expect. In fact, it would be safe to say that he argued more for a universal interpretation of salvation, the idea that Christ’s death enabled all of humanity’s salvation, not only people of the Christian faith. In fact, his The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series are, say some scholars, trying to convert the reader by “baptizing” the imagination through literature with the hope that “reason” will follow. Lewis’s legacy is still strong, and young readers around the world can become enraptured in this story of adventure, intrigue, and salvation alike. It is what makes the book series so remarkable and so “reachable” to those of all ages (especially young adults) for all time. That is what makes a classic. It is also no secret that Lewis’s successful books are not the only part of his life that holds true to his legacy. In fact, the story of his life and how he was drawn to Christianity may in fact be more of a testament to his young readers than even the books themselves. While he was studying at Oxford, he befriended J. R. R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings series, in a meeting of literary “loose” Oxford friends called “The Inklings,” where they both met for drinks, conversations, and readings of each other’s works. He became a very close friend of Tolkien, who was a devout Catholic. At the time, however, Lewis was not religious, and was in fact an agnostic. Amazingly enough, Lewis was known to dismiss myths and fairy tales as children’s stories and nothing else. Later in his adult life he was converted to Christianity on a motorcycle ride. The rest of his legacy is history. The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe is by far his most famous achievement, and over fifty years later, these books still enchant the minds of children and adults across the world. Lewis wrote stories that are even now relevant to anyone that ever undergoes change. But what makes his writing even more inspiring is that it reaches out and touches those readers who have never read the Bible, or to those who have never felt the teachings of Christ touch their hearts. It brings the Christian message into their hearts, and into their minds, through, as Lewis put it himself, the “baptism” of the imagination, which makes these books more than just a legacy, but a living and inspiring history and testament to the Christian faith. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/678028/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/678028/ Hullo, everyone. I'm so sorry I haven't been on my blog for so long  -  I've been dreadfully busy. It's awful! Anyways, I am here to announce the winner of Contest #2! Congrats Earthling!   The Question was: "Besides Lewis and Tolkien, can you name 2 other members of the Inklings?" Earthling's answer: "I believe Owen Barfield was one? And I'm not sure, but I think Roger Lancelyn Greene?" The Correct Answer: "Owen Barfield, Roger Lancelyn Greene, Charles Williams, Adam Fox, Hugo Dyson, Christopher Tolkien, Robert Havard, Warren "Warnie" Lewis, and more." Congradulations on a good guess to narnialover95 also! Below is the Winner award for Earthling. And a contestant award for narnialover95. =)       http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/678023/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/678023/ Many of us have visited Narnia during childhood. The Chronicles of Narnia, a vivid, charming and imaginative series, are enjoyable on their own merits. However, the author, C. S. Lewis had other motivations when he penned these stories. They mirror his conversion to Christianity, and the all the characters and situations are allegorical representations of Christian Doctrine. Aslan, the Lion, represents a Christ figure, wise, all knowing and benevolent. He, like Christ, was sacrificed and resurrected--Christ on the cross and Aslan on the stone table. C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1898. He proved early on to have poor aptitude for math but much facility for language. He published professionally for the first time in 1919, a magazine article called “Death in Battle.” He studied at Oxford from 1919 to 1924 and received an honors degree in the Classics, Ancient History and English literature. He went on to become a philosophy tutor at the same college, for 29 years. What caused this scholar, philosopher and skeptic to change his focus and views on Christianity? C. S. Lewis began his career as a decided non-believer. He began to doubt the full capacity of the intellect to totally explain the questions of life. This shift started at the death of his boyhood tutor. This experience caused Lewis a feeling of uncertainty. He began to realize that there were questions in life that reason and intelligence, in themselves, do not cause. His friend and mentors were also part of his conversion process. One night, he had took a long walk and enjoyed an involved conversation with J. R. R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic and author of the Lord of the Rings series, as well as Hugh Dyson, another Christian and Professor of Reading at Oxford University. Their words answered his lingering doubts and questions. As Lewis described it: in Surprised by Joy, "When we set out to Warnade Zoo, I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did." C. S. Lewis was converted by the evidence that Jesus Christ was the Savior and became known as “ The Apostle to the Skeptics.” He devoted the rest of his writing life to works based on his Christian faith. He wrote a number of books and articles that explain the Christianity and why faith and reason are compatible. In his Christian writings Lewis claims that that the elements to even a reluctant “conversion” are: the presence of a mentor to guide the convert, the convert exercising his free will, the presence of supernatural forces which, optimally, drive the convert to submission, Pain associated with the conversion process and a blessing or curse as a consequence of the choice. The Chronicles of Narnia mirror the process. We have a group of curious children entering a secret door to a new land. This may represent the questioning or longing that motivates the convert. The children are assisted and mentored by Aslan the Lion. Edmund is the epitome of the reluctant convert, when he is tempted by magic and the wiles of the White Witch. These can be the supernatural forces that push a person to conversion. Edmund betrays the other to the white Witch and can only be saved by Aslan’s sacrifice at the stone table. This is very painful for Edmund and drives him into belief in the wholesome magic. Then the blessings follow when Aslan is restored to them. C. S. Lewis displays both his genius and faith when he wrote this remarkable series that serves both as a wonderful story and a reaffirming of Christian faith. He has served, even after his death, as a mentor and role model to reluctant converts who are drawn into the charm of Narnia, and then discover that the Christian author was once a non-believer. It is a wonder legacy and testament to belief in Christ as Savior. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663262/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:09:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663262/ Q: Besides Lewis and Tolkien, can you name two other members of the Inklings? Answer with a comment and name two or more people who were in the Inklings. If you guess correctly, I'll award the first three people with a Narnia Smarts Blog Award homemade by me. Good luck! ~ Mandy http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663250/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663250/ 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. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663249/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/663249/ What are the "Inklings" of Christianity? C. S 'Jack' Lewis was born in Belfast and after the death of his mother in 1908, Lewis found his religion to be an increasing burden as he struggled to bring together what he had been taught about faith and prayer with his own knowledge that his prayers had failed to save her. Frustrated by conflicting thoughts, he turned to Celtic, Norse and Germanic mythology, and romantic poetry, outlets which appealed to both his passion and his intellect yet made no religious demands or assertions of truth. Mythology provided him with tales of old gods and religions, each adding to his own confusion over what was the 'true' religion. Finally, Lewis abandoned all religion, including Christianity, naming it a kind of 'nonsense' that humanity tended to invent; no more true than the old religions of myth. While his spiritual beliefs withered, his imagination flourished, and Lewis's love of myth and romanticism led him to study Classics and English at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he later returned as a lecturer. It was there, at a faculty meeting in 1926, that he met J. R. R Tolkien; the man who was to challenge him both spiritually and intellectually, and who would play a central role in Lewis's return to Christianity. Tolkien, a devout Catholic who taught both Anglo-Saxon literature and Norse mythology at Oxford, was a kindred spirit. A fellow lover of Norse and Icelandic literature, Tolkien invited Lewis to join the group 'The Coalbiters' – a society that read, loved and discussed Northern mythology. Though the group dwindled in early 1930, it was reborn as the more well-known group 'The Inklings'. The discussions of this group provided the perfect mix of myth, religion and romanticism for Tolkien and Lewis's friendship, and creativity, to grow. In a time when the reality of the post-war England was grim and dark, they immersed themselves in heroic saga and myth, finding honor, truth and spirituality in the words of legend. At this time, myth was all but ignored in literary circles as being 'children's tales'. Lewis and Tolkien decided to make it their task to bring the 'faery tale' back into modern readership. Without one another, Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings, might never have come into being. However, Tolkien's influence on Lewis is perhaps most noticeable in his religious beliefs. In September 1931, an increasingly questioning Lewis - along with Tolkien, and fellow 'Inklings' member and Anglican Hugo Dyson - spent a whole night pacing Addison's Walk on the Magdalen Campus, debating the truth of religion. Tolkien, a strict Catholic, argued that mythology and the Gospels provided the same satisfaction of imagination and intellect; using the 'myth' to convey truth. It was a concept that Lewis both loved and accepted readily from mythology, but had rejected in religion from an early age. Dyson and Tolkien argued that Lewis was holding the scripture to a higher standard of truth than he did for any other form of expression. Finally, Lewis had no choice but to admit that they were right, and it was to mark the turning point in his spiritual, and literary, career. More about Narnia, Christianity, and the Rebirth of the Faery Tales next post! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/660583/ Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:48:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/660583/ Hullo there, I have a winner for the Narnia Smarts Contest #1! The Question was: What  is Shadowlands? Her Answer: The Shadowlands is this world, or any place that is a mere shadow of the real thing. We may love what we see here on earth, and look forward to more of the same in heaven, but it's really the opposite. The things here are mere shadows, or copies of heaven's glories. The Shadowlands is also a movie about the life of C.S.Lewis, I've heard, although I haven't personally seen it. The Correct Answer: Shadowlands is a movie released a few years back about the romance and marriage involving Douglas Gresham's mother, Joy, and C.S. Lewis. It is the lovely GraceElizabeth! I will award all whom answered with a blog award, though, because it would be jolly rotten of me not to when they all knew the answers! So Congrats to GraceElizabeth! Second Place: Earthling! Third Place: nachoaveragegirl! I have lots of fun entries coming up, so don't go away! Keep roarin', ~ Mandy ~ The Narnia Smarts Blog Award: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/660572/ Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:05:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/660572/ Hullo, everyone. I hope your having a splendid day! I have decided to hold a contest in between posts. It's only one miniature question, and all you have to do is comment if you think you know the answer. Whosoever is the first person with the correct answer, I will award you with a homemade Narnia Smarts Blog Award. How much do you know about Narnia? The Question: What is Shadowlands? HINT: It was produced in two different ways. Comment your answer and I will congradulate the winner on my blog within a week. Good luck! ~ Mandy http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/658222/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:13:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/658222/ Meet the creator of the Chronicles of Narnia! His life was anything but boring. C. S. Lewis’s Early Life Clive Staples Lewis was born in Ireland in 1898 to Albert and Flora Lewis. He had one older brother, Warren Hamilton Lewis. Early in his life, he adopted the name "Jack," simply because he liked the sound of it. From that point on, he was known by this nickname to close friends and family. Lewis’s mother died in 1908, and he was sent to a number of different schools in England. In about 1913, he abandoned his childhood Christian faith. As a boy, Jack had a passion for "dressed animals," falling in love with Beatrix Potter's stories and often writing and illustrating his own animal stories. He and his brother, “Warnie,” together created the world of Boxen, which was inhabited and run by animals. Lewis loved to read, and as his father's house was filled with books, he often felt that finding a book he hadn't read was as easy as finding a blade of grass. As a teenager, he was wonderstruck by Richard Wagner and the songs and legends of Norse mythology. They intensified a longing he had within him, a deep desire he would later call "joy." He also grew to love nature. The beautiful scenes he saw in nature reminded him of the stories of the North, and the stories of the North reminded him of the beauties of nature. In his teenage years, his writing moved away from the tales of Boxen, and he began to use new literary forms (poetry and opera) to try and capture his interest in Norse myth and in the natural world. In 1916 Lewis won a scholarship to University College, Oxford. However, in 1917 he enlisted in the British Army, and was commissioned an officer in the 3rd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. He arrived at the front line in the Somme Valley in France on his 19th birthday. He was wounded during the Battle of Arras, and on his recovery assigned duty in England. He was discharged in December 1918, and returned to his studies. C. S. Lewis’s Conversion to Christianity: For much of his life, C. S. Lewis was decidedly anti-Christian. He was an atheist, and held a materialistic worldview. This began to change when he met J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien, who is now best known as the world-renowned author of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, made Lewis’s acquaintance while the two men were teaching at Oxford. The two immediately became friends. They shared an intense interest in myth, “faery story,” and the philosophy of language. As he became better friends with Lewis, Tolkien, who was a devout Roman Catholic, spoke with his new friend about the realties of the Christian faith, trying to lead him into the truth. As time wore on, and Tolkien and Lewis became better friends, Lewis began to accept certain elements of Tolkien’s argument. The turning point came in September of 1932 over the course of two particularly eventful evenings. On the night of September 19, Lewis, Tolkien, and their friend Hugo Dyson engaged in an intense late-night discussion about the nature of Christian truth. Then, on the 28th of September, Lewis returned to the Christian faith while riding in the side-car of his brother Warren’s motorcycle. Warren had himself just recently converted to Christianty, and was taking Lewis to the Whipsnade Zoo. In his biography, Surprised by Joy, Lewis relates the story, saying: "When we set out I did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and when we reached the zoo I did.” Lewis joined the Anglican church that year, taking his first communion on Christmas Day. After joining the church, Lewis proceeded to write a variety of great books, including novels (of which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the most famous), works of philosophy and scholarship, and many dearly loved Christian writings. By the time of his death in 1963, C. S. Lewis had become one of the world’s most celebrated Christian authors. To this day, his work continues to inspire and educate. I hope you enjoyed learning about C.S. Lewis! Please comment - it is much appreciated. Questions are welcomed. ~ Mandy http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/658190/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:29:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/narniaexposed/658190/