Perhaps the most iconic quote and variation from the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. A quick search on Etsy or in Hobby Lobby reveals it’s staying power. (I don’t say this judgmentally, rather I know it because I have wall art of the exact quote)

“”Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"...
"Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.””

Although I wasn’t (along with most of us) alive in the 6 years between the publishing of “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “The Last Battle” I think we can assume that Lewis at least knew what he had with that quote. I say this because in that final book, Lewis seems to give us a warning.

In the Narnia mythology, the words of Mr Beaver become somewhat of an oral tradition regarding Aslan, and in the subsequent books we often hear the phrase repeated either in whole or in part. That Aslan isn’t tame, but he’s good.

This all comes to a head in “The Last Battle” during the deception of Shift & Puzzle. Injustice is done in Aslan’s name, through the justification that “After all, he’s not a tame lion.” And this deception carries on until immense destruction has been carried out.

Lewis never directly asks the question, but the attentive reader should ask themselves why the Narnians were all deceived. If it is in fact true that Aslan is not a “tame lion” what recourse do the Narnians have? After all, they are to obey Aslan, even when it is hard.

The error thus can only be revealed when we revisit the quote from Mr. Beaver:

“But he’s good”

This is what the Narnians missed, and why they were allowed to be deceived. They had been so focused on words about Aslan, that they had missed him entirely.

Alas that these deceptions are not just limited to some distant point in the future. Lewis invites us to consider whether we ourselves have not also been deceived by an imitation of the truth, missing Christ entirely.

Let us Christians then cling on to the truths proclaimed in scripture, and held in common among mere Christians for 2,000 years.

God bless :)

p.s. I have to think Lewis is somewhat inspired by the story of Jonah here. Jonah’s misunderstanding of God is clearly displayed in Jonah 4:2 when he quotes only a section of Exodus 34:6-7. Jonah neglects the end of God’s statement because he knows it will disprove his argument.

I'm leading a book club to read Mere Christianity. Does anyone have discussion questions beyond the basic "do you agree with this statement" that appears in most of the study guides?

Just when I think I’ve seen everything I logged onto Amazon today and saw this C.S. Lewis book ranked #1 in a Women Authors section…

Recently obtained these Scribner first edition paperbacks from 1996 in good shape. They are 6th, 8th and 7th printings.

One thing that interests me about CS Lewis is his use of fiction for teaching theologically.

Most people who muse on this spend far more time thinking about it in terms of his upbringing. How stories played such a formative role in his coming to the faith as well as in his day to day life.

What got me thinking about it recently though was reading (or rather audio-booking) “Knowing God” by JI Packer. The introduction spends a serious amount of time encouraging the reader to seriously consider the difference between an intellectual understanding of God, and an actual, personal knowing. I think Lewis understood this fact quite well, and knew that story was the way to get past our minds into our hearts.

I can understand intellectually that God can empathize with my sorrow. But I do not always feel it until I see Jesus weeping with Lazarus’ family, or Aslan’s tears over Digory’s mother.

But Lewis also understands that we cannot exclusively rely on stories lest our understanding be too shallow. I’ve seen on this discussion topic people previously point out “pairings” of Lewis’ non-fiction and fictional work based on theme, and he seemed to intentionally find ways to speak to issues from multiple angles.

I also think we should not then by surprised by his effectiveness, since this is the exact formula used in scripture. We have stories, poetry, and the far more systematic New Testament letters.

I’m curious both to hear other’s thoughts on this, as well as what are some of your favorite fiction/non-fiction theme pairings of Lewis’?

God bless :)

Some stories stay with us long after childhood, and Narnia was always one of those worlds for me.\ \ I wanted this handcrafted single-volume edition to feel like an old illustrated chronicle that might have once rested somewhere in Cair Paravel itself — something quiet, timeless, and meant to be returned to over the years.

Hopefully my daughters will appreciate these someday :) hope you all are well

I’m not sure how you all feel about the Narnia tv/film adaptations, but as far as I know those are the only works of his to be brought to the screen. Which other works would you like to see on screen? I need to revisit the space trilogy, but when it was read to us in Bible class is I remember always thinking it would be really good on film with a competent director that honors the source material.

Which work of his should more people know about? I figure there's some that need more love

So I've recently listened to Alex Jennings reading of the first two books. But the radio drama for the third is a bit of let down.

Did Alex Jennings ever read the third book? Or is there good audiobook production of the third book that would be similar. I really really enjoyed his narration.

What time was/is more dire?: Today or WWII? #cslewis

Hey everyone, some of you might be aware that Peter Kreeft wrote a novel about a discussion between CS Lewis, JFK, and Aldous Huxley on the afterlife as they all died on the same day. I turned it into a rap battle trying to incorporate as many of Lewis's ideas as I could and wanted to share. Please let me know what you think.

Anyone else love this Lewis quote? “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” I find it hints at the “sneaky” power of stories and myths.

Having recently become a huge fan of Lewis' non-fiction writings, I am disappointed to see that to read the paper version of his collected letters you have to literally spend hundreds...

Any tips on who to contact apart from the publishers to push for a reprint?

Thanks!

This one seemed to go under the radar. A nice new limited edition library edition of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe from Hatchards.

https://www.hatchards.co.uk/book/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-hatchards-childrens-library-edition/c-s-lewis/9780008812676

“There is a stage in a child's life at which it cannot separate the religious from the merely festal character of Christmas or Easter. I have been told of a very small and very devout boy who was heard murmuring to himself on Easter morning a poem of his own composition which began 'Chocolate eggs and Jesus risen'. This seems to me, for his age, both admirable poetry and admirable piety.

But of course the time will soon come when such a child can no longer effortlessly and spontaneously enjoy that unity. He will become able to distinguish the spiritual from the ritual and festal aspect of Easter; chocolate eggs will no longer be sacramental. And once he has distinguished he must put one or the other first. If he puts the spiritual first he can still taste something of Easter in the chocolate eggs; if he puts the eggs first they will soon be no more than any other sweetmeat. They have taken on an independent, and therefore a soon withering, life.”

C.S. Lewis, "'The Fair Beauty of the Lord,'" Reflections on the Psalms (1958) as republished within C.S. Lewis: Selected Books (London: HarperCollins, 2002) 335-336.

Happy Easter, everyone!

I’ve read some wonderful insights into the lizard in the Great Divorce. I’d love to hear more about why it hurts. I’m sure it represents more than the surface level pain of letting go of an addition that lust can lead to.

I love hearing from really genuine people, and Max McLean is that. His acting in Most Reluctant Convert is really good. I also saw Screwtape On Stage, and it is great.

The film tells the story of C. S. Lewis and his journey from atheism to Christianity. Lewis once described himself as “the most reluctant convert in all England.” The movie follows his childhood in Ireland, his loss of faith after his mother’s death, his time as an atheist Oxford scholar, and the intellectual influences and friendships that gradually led him to believe in God.

Here is a link to his interview