Biblical Allusions In The Chronicles Of Narnia
Throughout the series, Lewis uses aspects of the creation story, particularly the idea of animals, to attract a younger audience. Lewis creates an entire world where animals are personified to help children take an interest in and to connect with the characters (Brennan). Two major characters that act as large biblical allegories include Aslan and Reepicheep. Aslan is the “noble lion of Narnia,” and acts as a Christ figure. Lewis explains that if there were a world like Narnia, and the world were to become corrupt like Earth, Jesus would enter Narnia as a lion because He would want to fit into the world of talking beasts. This correlates with the idea that Jesus came to Earth as a man because he wanted to connect with the world of mankind (Lewis,
…show more content…
Though this abnormality in Lewis’ beliefs is not biblically supported, it also doesn’t line up with the concept of Universalism because later passages in The Last Battle reveal that those who truly served Tash, a symbol of the antichrist, were condemned to a place without Aslan - a place that presumably represented Hell (Mueller). Though children who read the Chronicles of Narnia may not understand the importance and the meaning of the biblical allusions incorporated within the text, Lewis incorporated the ideas in hopes that the books would be an imaginative tool to help children and their families become familiar with biblical themes and Christianity without turning them off by using fancy language and theological discussions that people may not have been exposed to before. The Chronicles of Narnia could be seen as an effective use of moral and dramatic criticism as Lewis tries to convey the point that life without Christ is detrimental to one’s soul. Not knowing God could lead to condemnation, and the reader should walk away from the story with a sense that Christianity is a religion worth serving. Furthermore, Lewis wrote with the purpose of creating an enjoyable book for his audience. He uses simple, friendly language, relatable human characters, personified animal characters, and an exciting new world that captures the reader’s
Though this abnormality in Lewis’ beliefs is not biblically supported, it also doesn’t line up with the concept of Universalism because later passages in The Last Battle reveal that those who truly served Tash, a symbol of the antichrist, were condemned to a place without Aslan - a place that presumably represented Hell (Mueller). Though children who read the Chronicles of Narnia may not understand the importance and the meaning of the biblical allusions incorporated within the text, Lewis incorporated the ideas in hopes that the books would be an imaginative tool to help children and their families become familiar with biblical themes and Christianity without turning them off by using fancy language and theological discussions that people may not have been exposed to before. The Chronicles of Narnia could be seen as an effective use of moral and dramatic criticism as Lewis tries to convey the point that life without Christ is detrimental to one’s soul. Not knowing God could lead to condemnation, and the reader should walk away from the story with a sense that Christianity is a religion worth serving. Furthermore, Lewis wrote with the purpose of creating an enjoyable book for his audience. He uses simple, friendly language, relatable human characters, personified animal characters, and an exciting new world that captures the reader’s