Lewis/Narnia #1
One of
the most fascinating elements of Lewis’ Narnia narratives, to me, is the
Christological imagery used by Lewis throughout. I wrote my Narnia short story
on one of the most illustrative instances of this imagery in the series—the
scene in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in which Aslan offers himself as
a substitutionary sacrifice to save Edmund’s life. Lewis’ infusing of Christian
themes into his otherworldly myths is very interesting to me for several
reasons.
First, it makes a statement about the
author. Clearly CS Lewis is a devout Christ-follower and is renowned even today
for his great work in advancing Christian philosophy and understanding in the
modern era. His writing of the Narnia books shows that the impact of
Christianity on Lewis’ life pervades into his creative output. We cannot say if
it was more an intentional writing-in of Christianity by Lewis or if the
archetypes set forth by the Christian tradition were just so powerful in his
mind that he could not compose another world without them. Either way, the
Narnia books show us that CS Lewis’ faith was so strong that it could not be
kept in his own world.
Second, Lewis’ use of Christian
themes show us that the heart of the Christian narrative of grace and divine
love need not be confined to a specific setting in the world, or in a world. This is fascinating to me
because the critical moment of Christianity, the death and resurrection of
Christ, is a firmly historical event that cannot be divorced from the religion.
Yet, the truth of Christ’s love and sacrifice can transcend this world and
manifest itself in others. Lewis’ work shows us that.
Studying the impact of Christian
themes in Lewis’ Narnia has showed me that myth can, indeed, bring us closer to
understanding “the real.”
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