Monday, December 12, 2005

The Lion, the Witch, and Some Evangelical Insight

Several months ago I complained a bit about the hype over LWW and the inevitable "this is the next great tool for the advancement of the kingdom" prophecies. So I guess it shouldn't surprise me to see well-intentioned folks expressing disappointment over some elements of the book that have been omitted in the film, to the supposed obfuscation of the gospel.

Suffice it to say that I was pleased a few minutes ago to see Steve Camp making some of those same points that I did:
I appreciate good writing, literature, and the use of allegory in story to drive home a powerful message. Lewis does that here… But as good as his imagery and allegory is throughout 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' it is not the message of the biblical gospel hidden within the allegory.

As I have read through several reviews of this film by well respected Christian thinkers, bloggers, theologues and Biblicists, it’s stupefying how any one of them could think that Lewis’s allegorical story was 'an atoning death, retell the story of Christ's passion and resurrection. This story of salvation history is told with theological precision and with a continuous eye on the Gospel accounts of the life and death of Jesus.'

2 comments:

Jerad McClure said...

I agree with your post in part.
I have read the books and I think that the movie was an excellent adaptation to the big screen.
It is a good story.

I can find no place where C.S. Lewis, reffered to 'The Chronicles of Narnia' as an allegory.
I believe he disliked it being called as such.
The Bible can never be replaced; nor should it ever be "dummed down" in various translations.

Ben said...

Jerad,

You're correct. In fact, from secondary sources I understand that Lewis sometimes repudiated suggestions that LWW was allegory. My complaint is how so many people are critiquing LWW on the assumption that it is. So my quarrel is more with them than with Lewis.

And by the way, I don't think Camp is right on some aspects of his critique, but I do agree with his point that LWW is not gospel, and we should not try to make it what it is not.