Fiction and Religion in

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

Chronological Order

1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956

Publishing Order

The reading orders

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

The plot is fascinating.

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

“Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.”

“Creatures, I give you yourselves,” said the strong, happy voice of Aslan. “I give to you for ever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not do so.”

Genesis

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

“[…] She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward. […]”

The Sacrifice

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

“Here is your brother,” he (Aslan) said, “and – there is no need to talk to him about what is past.”

“It was, however, clear to everyone that Eustace’s character had been rather improved by becoming a dragon.”

“You’d never know him for the same boy.”

Edmund Pevensie

Eustace Scrubb

Learning from mistakes

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

Come closer to see the right path.

“Are you not thirsty ?” said the lion.“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.“Then drink,” said the lion.[…]“Do you eat girls ?”“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.[…]“But your task will be the harder because of what you have done.”

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

“Rabadash,” said Aslan. “Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of ?) and your anger (who has done you wrong ?) and accept the mercy of these good kings.”

The ones that don’t give up

“Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child psychology and decided what age group I'd write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't write in that way. It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord.”

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

Clive Staples Lewis a.k.a. Jack

Fiction and Religion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”

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