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Historical Parallels in Chronicles of Narnia

// June 2nd, 2012 // Comments // Books, Church, Kingdom Theology

Do the Chronicles of Narnia mirror Christian history?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Christ’s atonement

Prince Caspian – The Reformation

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – ?

The Silver Chair – ?

The Horse and His Boy – ?

The Magician’s Nephew – Creation

The Last Battle – Apocalypse/Final Judgment

The middle three are harder for me to pin down. Do they just mirror things like sanctification in the life of the believer? Seems it should be more than that, in light of how closely linked the others appear to be.

I suppose The Horse and His Boy could be a mirror of Acts 10 and the inclusion of Gentiles, maybe?

Any thoughts? Would you make the same connections? Would you add any I’ve missed? Which of mine would you change?

Review: The Last Battle

// May 25th, 2012 // Comments // Books, Family, Uncategorized

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have finished my journey through the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia in seven days. Quite an enjoyable trip!

This was the only book I rated four stars of the series. This is not because the story isn’t as good or as well written. I rather enjoyed it! The only reason I have marked it down is because I didn’t enjoy the pessimistic view of Lewis’s eschatology. It certainly came out in this story. Of course, many are upset by his welcoming the Calormene into Aslan’s country based on his faithful service to the god Tash. I don’t really understand why Lewis would write this, but it doesn’t detract from the story. These were probably the only two bits of Lewis’s theology that I either disagreed with or didn’t understand in the whole of the series.

I did notice one other thing throughout my reading of the series. Lewis spends much more time telling the story of the adventure than he does the results of the adventure. You will find that he tends to wrap things up ever so quickly in the final pages of the books. I think Lewis most certainly feels that the greater joy is found in the adventure than it is in the conclusion.

I am now off to read my companion tour guides to Narnia, Douglas Wilson’s What I Learned in Narnia and Michael Ward’s Planet Narnia.



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Review: The Magician’s Nephew

// May 24th, 2012 // Comments // Books, Family, Uncategorized

The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Today is day six, and I’ve finished the sixth of the seven Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. This one is one of the favorites of my children. It is thoroughly enjoyable.

The Magician’s Nephew is the Genesis of Chronicles of Narnia. It has inspired me to want to read Silmarillion, the Genesis of Middle Earth. Reading how these great authors describe the genesis of their own worlds brings evokes thoughts of the beauty of our own Genesis in our minds.

The idea that Aslan sang Narnia into existence makes it more obvious that God’s speaking our world into existence most certainly would have been His singing it into existence. Oh to have been there to see the stars and trees and creation dancing the divine dance of creation!

This too is a must read.



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Review: The Horse and His Boy

// May 24th, 2012 // Comments // Books, Family, Uncategorized

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book five. A fun book and highly recommended, just as are all of the others.

The story of the lion scratching Aravis’ back, or walking along the ledge with Shasta, are great stories, often used as sermon illustrations and lessons. C.S. Lewis is a masterful storyteller and works so much of the truth of Scripture into his stories.

You can’t help but to fall in love with Narnia or her inhabitants.



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Review: The Silver Chair

// May 21st, 2012 // Comments // Books, Family, Uncategorized

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book I’m reading on my plan to read through the seven Chronicles of Narnia books in seven days. I’m making great time on this vacation in Narnia. I’ve read four books in just the first three days. Of course, my trip will likely slow down as I go into the weekdays…

Puddleglum is hilarious. Do not miss out on this if you get the chance to visit him. He is a silly character, who, as Jill points out, is the bravest (and possibly wisest) of the group. Like Reepicheep, he represents the foolishness of this world being made strong by God. My favorite seen is when he is confronting the evil queen/witch who has convinced them all (with her enchantments) that Narnia and Aslan do not exist. Puddleglum screws up the courage to tell her that even if they have made up Narnia and Aslan and all else, what they have made up is far better than the real world she has created, and that he will gladly fight for what has been made up and spend his life in search of it, rather than live in her “real” world.

Take that secular materialists!



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Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

// May 20th, 2012 // Comments // Books, Family

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Day three of my week vacation in Narnia is here and I have completed the reading of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. A magnificent book!

There are many stories and adventures in this book, more than the movie had time to portray, and each of the characters are heroes in their own right. But, there is one character–although not the protagonist of the book–who is a great hero and very likely under-appreciated by many: Reepicheep.

The boys and men of our world would do well to learn from Reepicheep. He is a man’s man, who protects women and the disadvantaged. He stands fast in the face of danger and adventure. He defends justice and honor. Yet, his person–a mouse–is symbolic of what we would consider weak and undesirable. God continues, through Reepicheep, to show us that his wisdom and strength are not always manifest in what we perceive to be wise and strong. Reepicheep is a hero that our boys should be taught of, and taught to imitate. He is a hero that we ourselves, as men, should learn from and imitate.

Reepicheep.



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