Many children and adults alike have enjoyed C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. The series of seven fantasy novels draws on Christian themes and Greco-Roman mythology to create a world like no other, yet behind the talking animals and the battles of good versus evil is assumed to loom a Christian allegory. Author Stephen D. McConnell reveals that the books' Christian message is far more deep and complex than using supernatural stand-ins for religious virtues. He argues that the books' spirituality can be found in the journey itself, as the children struggle to trust their various spiritual guides as they traverse the mythical land of Narnia. "All previous references to the Chronicles that I had heard and read led me to believe the series was intended as allegory. Thus, I went looking for all the corollaries to the Christian story. Little did I know this approach was not Lewis' intention," says McConnell. "As I explored further and read essays of Lewis and his literary companions, the Inklings, I began to realize that something far greater was at work in the Chronicles." Take Me to Aslan: C.S. Lewis and The Art of Trusting examines the purposes Lewis had in mind as he wrote the Chronicles series. As McConnell believes the children's struggle to learn who to trust is key to understanding their spiritual journey, he shows how trust roles are developed in each of the stories. In the first part of the book, he provides background on the spiritual roots of one of the greatest Christian writers of the past century. In the second part, he provides a series of questions for each story to help readers avoid biblical presuppositions so they can take in the greater whole of the story. McConnell's goal is to show how Lewis sought to portray that the way we come to know God is largely through the people we trust to point us to Him. By reading this guide, others who go on to read the Chronicles or watch the film versions will experience the spiritual fiction in a whole new way.
Many children and adults alike have enjoyed C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. The series of seven fantasy novels draws on Christian themes and Greco-Roman mythology to create a world like no other, yet behind the talking animals and the battles of good versus evil is assumed to loom a Christian allegory. Author Stephen D. McConnell reveals that the books' Christian message is far more deep and complex than using supernatural stand-ins for religious virtues. He argues that the books' spirituality can be found in the journey itself, as the children struggle to trust their various spiritual guides as they traverse the mythical land of Narnia. "All previous references to the Chronicles that I had heard and read led me to believe the series was intended as allegory. Thus, I went looking for all the corollaries to the Christian story. Little did I know this approach was not Lewis' intention," says McConnell. "As I explored further and read essays of Lewis and his literary companions, the Inklings, I began to realize that something far greater was at work in the Chronicles." Take Me to Aslan: C.S. Lewis and The Art of Trusting examines the purposes Lewis had in mind as he wrote the Chronicles series. As McConnell believes the children's struggle to learn who to trust is key to understanding their spiritual journey, he shows how trust roles are developed in each of the stories. In the first part of the book, he provides background on the spiritual roots of one of the greatest Christian writers of the past century. In the second part, he provides a series of questions for each story to help readers avoid biblical presuppositions so they can take in the greater whole of the story. McConnell's goal is to show how Lewis sought to portray that the way we come to know God is largely through the people we trust to point us to Him. By reading this guide, others who go on to read the Chronicles or watch the film versions will experience the spiritual fiction in a whole new way.
