Loving Narnia of another faith...besides Christianity

[Liberty Hoffman]

C.S. Lewis wrote the books with Christian themes in them, but I don't think he was trying to press any of this on someone who doesn't believe in Jesus.

and there was an article i read when LWW first came in theaters with an interview with Anna Popplewell. she said that she couldn't see how Aslan was like Jesus, but she loves Narnia anyway!

[greenbird37]

Wow! didnt know Anna said that! Narnia is just great no matter what the faith!

[Liberty Hoffman]

^^ I am sorry, but I forget what magazine I read Anna saying that in.....it was an article about LWW movie in a Christian magazine. it was either Worship Leader Magazine or Carisma Magazine......

[220chrisTian]

@Liberty: I tried the back issues of Charisma Magazine online, using the search words "Narnia" and "Anna" ... no luck. Worship Leader Magazine's online articles only go back to 2007.

[Liberty Hoffman]

^^ 200: I will try to find the magazine.....I know I have it somewhere!
I'll let ya'll know when I find it and tell ya'll what one it is!

[Hermitess of Narnia]

Yes, oh course it's possible! I loved Narnia myself before I became a Christian. (I did grow up in a Christian home, but you don't become a Christian by being born into it, you become one by truly asking God to forgive you for your sins.)

But now I can love Narnia two ways. I can understand what Lewis meant when he put certain themes in the books and connect with the characters better.

Because I know why Aslan is good and I know Who he represents, the things Aslan says stay with me as a practical application of what Jesus says to do the righteous thing.

I hope you continue to love Narnia for the rest of your life.

EDIT: I forgot this:

However, Aslan does state that good things done in the name of another deity do count. Regardless of your specific beliefs, this seems to be very welcoming of people of all kinds of faiths.

Well, we need to look at the context on this one.
First of all, Emeth did not like sin, he did not like pretending to be a merchant and deceiving the Narnians.
Second, Emeth bowed to the true power of Aslan:
"

[Hermitess of Narnia]

Yes, oh course it's possible! I loved Narnia myself before I became a Christian. (I did grow up in a Christian home, but you don't become a Christian by being born into it, you become one by truly asking God to forgive you for your sins.)

But now I can love Narnia two ways. I can understand what Lewis meant when he put certain themes in the books and connect with the characters better.

Because I know why Aslan is good and I know Who he represents, the things Aslan says stay with me as a practical application of what Jesus says to do the righteous thing.

I hope you continue to love Narnia for the rest of your life.

However, Aslan does state that good things done in the name of another deity do count. Regardless of your specific beliefs, this seems to be very welcoming of people of all kinds of faiths.

We need to look at the context.
Emeth did not like sin:
"But when I found that we were to go in disguised as merchants (which is a shameful dress for a warrior and the son of a Tarkaan) and to work by lies and trickery, then my joy departed from me."-Emeth
Emeth wanted to know more about Tash:
"For always since I was a boy I have served Tash and my great desire was to know more of him, if it might be, to look upon his face. But the name of Aslan was hateful to me."-Emeth
Emeth knew Aslan was greater than he was and bowed before him.
"Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheliess, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him."-Emeth
It is important to understand that something cannot be done both for Tash and for Aslan.
"For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted."-Aslan
Emeth had actually been seeking Aslan all his life.
"For all find what they truly seek."-Aslan

[Andrew]

Of course it's possible - I'm an agnostic leaning to deism, but I can still enjoy a great story!

[TheGeneral]

and there was an article i read when LWW first came in theaters with an interview with Anna Popplewell. she said that she couldn't see how Aslan was like Jesus, but she loves Narnia anyway!

I can relate to Anna on this. I know most Christian readers of Narnia really pinpoint Aslan as like Jesus (and I know there are some similarities), but to me he's actually quite different. For one thing I don't consider Aslan a perfect being.
But he's very powerful, kind, wild and free, and loving which I think people of most religions admire.

[Shy Galadriel]

I think that calling CS Lewis “narrow-minded” if he wrote the books solely for Christians somewhat miss out on the time and reason he wrote the series. He wrote the series to an audience that either was Christian or was deeply aware of the basic Christian elements. So in a way, he was writing to Christians. But that the books are enjoyed by those of any religion speaks of the universality of art. Art (whether literary, painting, music, etc.) can be appreciated by any culture or religious persuasion. I think that saying that CS Lewis wrote “only for Christians” or even saying that he wrote the series with the PURPOSE of pleasing both crowds is confusing the art of his work with his faith. The fact is, his faith covered all areas of his life, including his logic and art. Now, with that being said, I do think that he did seek to interest any sort of child with what he wrote… but bear in mind, once again, he was writing to a nation that was predominantly Christian in culture.

PS. Ouch, this sounds harsh… sorry guys! I tend to go very teacher-ish when I go into logic mode…

[Raticus]

I was raised a Roman Catholic, but have lapsed in and out of traditional Christian faith for a variety of reasons (unrelated to the Church). When I first read the Chronicles of Narnia (I was very young, about 7-8, and I'm 24 now.) I don't know if others will understand this, but I had the luxury of reading it without the influence of anyone or anything. I'm not labeling anyone here this, but sometimes it feels like people only like the Chronicles of Narnia because it's a vehicle for delivering Christian Bible stories about how great Jesus Christ is. I believe faith (whether you believe or not) is a personal journey everyone has to make, and sometimes that journey leads you through valleys and mountains. Later on in my life as I re-read the series, I began to feel this is expressed deftly in the Chronicles of Narnia, in which Aslan represents faith itself. He is there as a guide, as a pillar, but ultimately our voyage to him is one we have to willingly make ourselves. And while some in the surrounding countries have found deities other than Aslan (though I don't think this just represents other religions alone, but perhaps virtuous people of non-faith as well), they are not shunned or excluded, but welcomed and loved.

I personally find this to be a stronger message behind Narnia than "coming to know Aslan as Jesus Christ" not just because it's more inclusive to others, but that it represents the journey of faith that we all embark on whether that ends with belief or non-belief.

[sandyentersNarnia]

I think yes. Narnia is for everyone. It gives out moral lessons about life, faith, and love. It isn't illegal to read and learn from it right? So I guess Narnia doesn't choose which faith you are in. It says that even though you're a Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu(Hinduism), Narnia is about being faithful to your God and believing in him.

[Hermitess of Narnia]

Sorry for sounding one-minded, but I was reading part of the Quran today and Allah was definitely not like Aslan.
I hope people can enjoy Narnia no matter what they believe but we should all be very careful about saying Lewis was encouraging following all religions instead of a specific one. Narnia should never choose anybody's faith. You should examine what a religion's books say, not what people say about the books. If you decide to follow a religion just because your friend is doing it, then you are following your friend instead of the religion.

We can't say Narnia would endorse all religions because some religions have rules contrary to those of Aslan. The dwarfs in the last battle had a religion where they were worshiping themselves (their group, their desires). If we counted all religions, shouldn't they have been rewarded for their actions?

[Gandalfs Beard]

Sorry for sounding one-minded, but I was reading part of the Quran today and Allah was definitely not like Aslan.
I hope people can enjoy Narnia no matter what they believe but we should all be very careful about saying Lewis was encouraging following all religions instead of a specific one. Narnia should never choose anybody's faith. You should examine what a religion's books say, not what people say about the books. If you decide to follow a religion just because your friend is doing it, then you are following your friend instead of the religion.

We can't say Narnia would endorse all religions because some religions have rules contrary to those of Aslan. The dwarfs in the last battle had a religion where they were worshiping themselves (their group, their desires). If we counted all religions, shouldn't they have been rewarded for their actions?

Just thought it worth noting that CS Lewis derived Aslan from the Turkish word for Lion--Aslan. And the Turks (at least the ones that took over Anatolia) have been Islamic since the 8th and 9th Century CE.

GB

[sandyentersNarnia]

I think Narnia just shows that whatever faith you are in to, never let it go. It is the only way that makes you stronger, by having faith.

[Berserker]

Sorry for sounding one-minded, but I was reading part of the Quran today and Allah was definitely not like Aslan.

I'm not sure any god is like Aslan. He is a physical personality that represents Christian idealism, but he is certainly not quite like Christ (who did not guide his followers towards war against his enemies and in fact was betrayed specifically for this reason,) nor is he like the god of the Old Testament (who liberally annihilated whole civilizations and killed children via an angel of death, and who incidentally is more similar to the Allah of the Quran.)