Space Trilogy #1
In
writing the Space Trilogy, Lewis draws a strong parallel to the theme in his
work “Religion and Rocketry” that because of the inherent sinfulness of
humankind, space travel and the exploration of other planets will always
negatively impact other places.
The
presence of the Christian doctrine of the Fall and the depravity of mankind is
obvious here. Lewis, as he does in the Narnia books, is obviously bringing his
religious background into his writing of the myth. Again the question strikes
me—does Lewis intentionally smuggle Christian themes into his work, or is he
unable to divorce the things that have impacted his faith so strongly from his
writing? Either way, it is very interesting to me to see Lewis apply this theme
to a myth that extends far beyond the historical scope of the Bible. I have
never before seen a religious commentary on interplanetary exploration, but I
think that in doing so Lewis shows us, yet again, that the foundational truths
of Christianity need not be confined to the cultural box that we so often put
them in.
In the
Narnia books, Lewis emphasized the positive elements of Christianity. Aslan
embodies the love and grace of Christ in the Narnia series. In writing the
Space Trilogy, Lewis emphasized the more sinister elements of
Christianity—notably focusing on the self-destructive, hopeless nature of
mankind. When read together, the two series could give a beautiful mythic
picture of Christianity.
No comments:
Post a Comment