As often happens, a Google search leads me into unexpected places. While searching for a particular USA Today online article, I found another one entitled, "'Narnia' won't write off Christian values." C.S. Lewis was "the 20th century's most revered Christian apologist" and authored other works such as The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity, a book that Chuck Colson credits as being influential in his conversion to Christ.
"...in hindsight it becomes startlingly clear that this tweedy, pipe-smoking scholar was not only a clever author of children's tales and a keen apologist, but also a true prophet for our postmodern age. Lewis might seem an unlikely candidate for the role, not being a theologian but an English professor, and what's more, a convert late in life. What was it that made him such a keen observer of cultural and intellectual trends?
"For me, the question has intense personal significance. Twenty-five years ago, my friend Tom Phillips read me "The Great Sin," a chapter in Lewis's Mere Christianity dealing with pride. The words pierced the heart of this White House hatchet man, and the book became instrumental in my conversion.
"The ministry of Prison Fellowship is likewise indebted to Lewis."
While the controversy and the article from USA Today are a bit dated (2001), the article does talk about the following important issues:
What makes "Christian" literature "Christian?" The Chronicles of Narnia series is written in allegory, but contains a clear Christian message behind the story.
Should spin-offs of older classic works be produced? If so, what responsibility is there to remain true to the original, both in style and in message?
Focus on the Family has recently announced the availability the of the Chronicles of Narnia in a dramatized audio form. It will be available after April 15, 2003.
A thorough list of C.S. Lewis' works on Amazon.com is available here.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
