Title: God in the Dock

Author: CS Lewis

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1994)

ISBN-10: 0802808689

ISBN-13: 978-0802808684

Summary:

God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, is a collection of essays written by CS Lewis over the course of his life that examine  a wide range of issues, ranging from the ethical issue of vivisection,  to the importance of mythology, to the celebration of Christmas, to the reading of old books, to the still divisive issue of women as clergy.

 Review

God in the Dock is another discussion worthy collection of essays penned by CS Lewis. Much like Christian reflections, God in the Dock, and Of Other Worlds, was published posthumously by the Lewis Estates, collecting several of his essays that he wrote through out his life-time.

This book’s title comes from the eponymous essay, “God in the Dock”. The term comes from the courtroom usage of a trail. The Bench is where the judge sits, while the witness or person accused sits in the dock. In the essay, Lewis argues that in our day in age, we find ourselves examining God in the same way, wondering how a God who is good, and wonderful, and loving and merciful and compassionate can allow things like war , famine, disease, and poverty to exist.

It is certainly question that bears asking and that is the very same subject that many of these essays tackle. From essays on pain, to prayer, to the deity of Christ, to the incarnation, Lewis not only examines God and Christianity  and touch ethical issues like vivisection. This book also features and essay looking at the issue of Priestesses in the church, written back in 1948, an issue that still remains a hot-button item in many churches as they debate the role of women in the church.

Well some of the essays aren’t’ nearly s divisive, there are three that deal with the subject of Christmas and commercialism, and one on the importance of reading of old books, they all offer some food for thought. A few of the essays are even written in a dialogue style similar to the works of Aristotle and Plato where a “teacher” is having a discussion with a “student”. Another satirical essay, “Xmas and Christmas” is written like a lost chapter from a book by the historian Herodotus on the celebration of Christmas in England and brilliantly shows the juxtaposition or the “commercial” holiday versus the “true” holiday.

Two other unique essays in this book are the “short bits” which is a collection of essays Lewis started but never completed, and a reprint of a discussion Sherwood E. Wirt of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, that looks at the claims of Christ, the importance of coming to him, space travel, and  the then emerging Evangelical movement in America. The Discussion with Mr. Wirt also briefly highlights a meeting between CS Lewis and the Reverend Billy Graham and Lewis’s impressions of him.

Their certainly are some areas of controversy with this book. Perhaps the most controversial is that he also argues that mythology can help provide a good starting point for those who do not know Christ in his essay “The Grand Myth” as the myths contain many symbols that can point to Christ. Also he warns in his essay, “ The Dangers of National Repentance” that national repentance may actually be dangerous, as individuals may neglect to repent of their own personal sins and focus only on the much larger societal ills. In his essay on women clergy he also speaks out against the issue of having them serve in such a position.  These areas of controversy are certainly helpful s it can get us honestly talking about such things.

While to some there is certainly plenty of material in this book that is covered in some of Lewis’s other works, these essays are merely the framework for them. By reading this we get a much fuller picture of some of Lewis’ ideas. Once again, Lewis perfectly demonstrates in God in the Dock just why it is he is the undisputed “arm-chair theologian” of the 20^th century. His words in these essays are clear, concise, and still thought provoking and just as relevant today as they were when he first wrote them.

41/2 out of 5 shields.

Related Posts

• Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “A Grief Observed”
• Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Christian Reflections.”
• Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: ” Reflections on the Psalms.”
• Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “The Abolition of Man.”
• http://www.narniafans.com/?p=7153 Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed.

   

  Title: A Grief Observed
  Author: CS Lewis
  Publisher: HarperOne
  ISBN-10: 0060652381
  ISBN-13: 978-0060652388

  Summary:

   
  Written in the wake of the death of his wife Joy, CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed is a haunting, poignant and reverent recollection of one man’s journey through grief and recovery, and how his faith grew because of it. While the book has plenty of spiritual insights, it has many more insights into simply the human condition. Short, brief and to the point, this is not just the story of one man, but the story of humanity as it brilliantly captures grief every one goes through in the midst of a loss or separation of a loved one.

   

  Reviews:

  
  When this book was first published, CS Lewis submitted it under another Pen name, NW Clerk. The name itself comes from the old Anglo Saxon word meaning, “ I know not whom.” His reasons have well been documented. The book itself was essentially his journals he kept while grieving the death of his wife. He was concerned that readers would read the book and judge h him for his apparent lack of faith in the midst of a great personal crisis. Later, by the persuasion of his friends he published it under his own name.

  One can certainly understand why he would not want to publish it under his own name at first. In A Grief Observed, we see CS Lewis asking difficult questions. We see him wonder why God would allow him to fall in love, only to loose his wife. We do not see him lay out brilliant theological insights or expounding on doctrinal truths, at least not right away. Here, we see CS Lewis, less as a Titan of the apologetic world, and more of a broken man, similar to the Biblical character of Job, crying out to God and seeking answers.

  One of the most striking passages comes when CS Lewis addresses the idea of the consolations of religion. When he does they are very evident to the reader as the clever little aphorisms we toss around at funerals like ,” oh, don’t worry, you’ll see them again”, “ this too shall pass”, or “God has a plan.”

  Lewis retorts with, “ Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.” To first time readers, they can be struck by this passage and ask, how could CS Lewis say that? Logically, he should take great comfort in knowing that.

  Here however, and through out the book, we come to understand this is not Lewis the apologeticist. writing, this, is Lewis the man. A normal, ordinary human like all of us .When he says this, and everything else in the book, we find ourselves thinking where have I heard this before? It is in that moment we discover, thoughts, questions and even doubts no different then our own. We see Lewis, asking his readers as we ask those around us when we grieve to listen to us. We see him asking, not for answers but simply to be comforted.

  We do see how God guides Lewis through his grief and come to terms with Joy’s death, though at the same time we still get the incredible sense that something has been lost that cannot be returned. This book, like many of Lewis’s other works draws you in immediately. However because this one is more autobiographical in nature it is considerably the most engrossing of his non-fiction works. His style, even when it is in the midst of grief is still clear and concise.

  This is with out a doubt, the best of CS Lewis’s non-fiction works. Readers are encouraged to read it a first time before grief strikes them and then read it again while grieving. This is in the end not just a book, but a map through the road of grief, and a mirror into the human condition.

  Five out of Five shields

  Order the book from Amazon.com

  0 people like this post.

  Like 

  Related Posts

  • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “God in the Dock”
  • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Christian Reflections.”
  • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: ” Reflections on the Psalms.”
  • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “The Abolition of Man.”
  • C.S. Lewis Books receive new Cover Designs
  ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/7153/feed 2 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/7077 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/7077#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:34:58 +0000 Jonathon Svendsen http://www.narniafans.com/?p=7077 Hi, everybody.  Welcome  to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books relating to CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia . For today’s review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’ Christian Reflections.
  Title: Christian Reflections

  Author: CS Lewis

  Editor: Walter Hooper

  Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 1994)

  ISBN-10: 0802808697

  ISBN-13: 978-0802808691

   

  Summary:

  Here is a collection of the earliest short essay written by CS Lewis dealing with Christian doctrine, theology, and church traditions. Quick, concise, and to the point, they offer not only insights into many relevant topics, but show a glimpse at times of CS Lewis in his formative stages of his faith. We also get a rare glimpse of CS Lewis as a key writer of early sci-fi on the subject of space travel.

   

  Review:

  One thing that makes Christian reflections stand out so well, is the fact that largely many of the essays presented predate Lewis writing such notable works as Mere Christianity, Abolition of Man, and the rest of his works on theology and ethics . As such we see the ground work for many of his theological and ethical views.

  This collection itself was put together after his death and is wonderfully complied. The essay

  1 people like this post.

  Related Posts

  • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “God in the Dock”
  • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “A Grief Observed”
  • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: ” Reflections on the Psalms.”
  • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “The Abolition of Man.”
  • http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6981 This would be one amazing find, as The Last Battle is my favorite book in the series.  A first edition of the book has been discovered by a pair of charity bookshop volunteers.  Christine and Robert Williams were sorting through a delivery of donations to the National Trust’s second-hand bookshop at Mottisfont and came across a copy of the book.  Small, hardcovered, complete with a beautifully illustrated dust jacket.  The book was published in 1956 and could be worth as much as £1,000.

    This book is, of course, the last book in the series, and won C.S. Lewis the Carnegie Medal.

    “I think we knew we had something special as soon as we picked the book up,” says Christine.

    “It was in excellent condition, though obviously quite old, with the most beautiful images on the jacket and inside. When we realised it was not a re-print, we were pretty excited!”

    The book will be up for auction through Woolley & Wallis at Salisbury on June 17 (lot 33).  It is estimated to be valued between £700 – £1,000.

    The auction house is kindly waiving its usual fees, and the sale proceeds will go towards Mottisfont’s ongoing programme of conservation. For further details, contact Woolley & Wallis on 01722 424500 or visit www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk.

    1 people like this post.

    Related Posts

    • Narnia books boost appeal
    • Lewis books raise £34,000
    • REMINDER: Win this Set Visit to “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”!
    • Win this Set Visit to “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”!
    • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews : The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle
    ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6981/feed 7 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6965 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6965#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 15:44:25 +0000 Paul Martin http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6965 An Umbrian hill-town now has reason to celebrate something that they have long suspected: that C.S. Lewis took the name of the town known as Narnia to use for the name of the fictional world in the Chronicles.

    They have received proof by way of C.S. Lewis’s former personal secretary and biographer, Walter Hooper, who has given Giuseppe Fortunati a copy of a Latin atlas of Italy that belonged to Lewis.  In it, he had underlined Narnia.

    The town’s name has changed since Roman times, when it was called Narnia, to become Narni.  It is located 50 miles noth of Rome.

    However, as far as anyone knows, the connection between the town of Narni and Narnia probably stops at the name, as Lewis may never have actually went to Narni.

    Fortunati said Hooper told him it was also possible Lewis had been inspired by Blessed Lucia of Narni, a 16th-century visionary who received signs of the stigmata, for Lucy, one of the leading child characters in the Chronicles.

    ”But in this case Hooper explained that this was just his hypothesis because Lewis never told him anything,” Fortunati said.

    Hooper, a Catholic, was in Narni to pick up a relic of Blessed Lucia from a town church that will go on show in Oxford’s Oratory church.

    Read more at ANSA.it

    0 people like this post.

    Like 

    Related Posts

    • Italian town of Narni has acquired magical allure lately
    • Skeptical of the Skeptic: Devin Brown’s Review of The Magician’s Book
    • The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings similarities and differences
    • Disney Launches New Narnia-related Educational Tools
    • Pauline Baynes, Narnia’s illustrator, dies at 85 – UPDATED (2)
    ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6965/feed 3 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6926 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6926#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:28:07 +0000 Jonathon Svendsen http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6926 Hey, Everbody!  Welcome back to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books by and about CS Lewis and the land of Narnia. Today we will be reviewing CS Lewis’s Reflections on the Psalms.

    Title: Reflections on the Psalms

    Author: CS Lewis

    Publisher: Harvest Books

    ISBN-10:015676248X

    ISBN-13: 978-0156762489

     Summary:

    One of the more wittier works of literary analysis written by CS Lewis, this particular book covers the book of Psalms and examines them as literature . From the notions of death, blessings and curses that occur in the psalms, to the possible interpretations of the text, Reflecitions on the Psalms provides plenty of insights into the Bible’s great collection of ancient Hebrew hymns of worship.

     

    Review:

    Reflections in the Psalms is a wonderful mixture of both CS Lewis as  Christian thinker and CS Lewis as a literary scholar. Though it is true, that even in his apologetic works that he referred to great works of literature ( along with Scripture) it is very insightful to see him looking at a portion of scripture through the lens of literature. He admits early on that Reflections in the Psalms is not meant to be an “apologetic work” or a “scholarly work” It is not written or the literati or to preach to the unconverted. It is to essentially preach to the choir and engage in discussion with them about the Psalms.

    One thing that Lewis reminds us is that the Psalms, despite their brevity in their verses, are intended over all as songs to be sung in worship, not statements of doctrinal truth. After all, when Christ was tempted in the wilderness, Satan used the Psalms, whereas Christ refuted with the true doctrine of the law. It is through the context of the Psalms as songs of worship that he begins to examine them. He looks at all the intricate facets we find in these ancient Near Eastern poems and shows just how truly perplexing they are when taken in their whole context and not reduced to the bumper sticker slogans they have become.

    Lewis certainly does not look at things like pentameter, and structure in the Psalms ( as such things would be irrelvant with that form of poetry, especailly in an English translation of the Bible). He does look at however several reoccurring themes such as curses, blessings, death, nature, the beauty of the Lord, the ordinance of praise, and possible meanings to the Psalms. Lewis shares his own struggles with understanding the Psalms, which are struggles many readers have when they come across them, and also shares his insights into them.

    As this book is not meant to be a weighty theological book, or a work of apologetics, but rather a few brief reflections from one lay person to another, it is fairly easy and concise in terms of it’s readability.The chapters of this book are surprisingly short and refreshingly brief, which is just as well as analyzing literature at great lengths, can get rather dreary for non-literature majors. There is plenty of wit in this book, as well as wisdom. Also along with the Bible Lewis uses the Book of Common prayer as a resource.

    On a humorous note, in relation to the possible hidden meanings to the text, Lewis relating to his own work and allegorical meanings says that he has found some of them to be so ingenious and innovative that he wished that he himself thought of them.

    In all this is a most enjoyable read, and is sure to provide many more questions and discussions of the Psalms, and make readers look at them in a much broader frame of mind.

    Five out of Five Sheilds

    Buy the book from Amazon.com

    0 people like this post.

    Like 

    Related Posts

    • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “God in the Dock”
    • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “A Grief Observed”
    • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Christian Reflections.”
    • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “The Abolition of Man.”
    • http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6890 Jordan Davis has written an excellent article on C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia for The Nation.  It dives into Laura Miller’s The Magician’s Book, in which she is so deep into her own claimed perspective that she is in constant denial of what she wants to avoid.  He writes:

      Born in 1898 to a Belfast solicitor and his mathematics-trained wife, C.S. Lewis, or Jack, as he preferred to be called, was deemed by his tutor for the Oxford entrance exams to have been “born with the literary temperament,” and “while admirably adapted for excellence and probably for distinction in literary matters, he is adapted for nothing else.” It was true. An admirer of Beatrix Potter, young Jack wrote talking-animal novels and came to have hopes of success as a poet. One thing got in the way: he was not a poet. And not, by the way, in the manner in which Ford Madox Ford wasn’t a poet–Ford in his poems lived up to his standard that poetry should be at least as well written as prose. Lewis talked down to himself in his poems; this is the fatal flaw in much of what we know as bad poetry.

      Read the rest at The Nation

      0 people like this post.

      Like 

      Related Posts

      • Skeptical of the Skeptic: Devin Brown’s Review of The Magician’s Book
      • Logos: C.S. Lewis Society (12/8/08)
      • Narnia vs Golden Compass
      • The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings similarities and differences
      • Disney Launches New Narnia-related Educational Tools
      ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6890/feed 0 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6884 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6884#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 07:21:57 +0000 Paul Martin http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6884 This week’s mailbag features a topic that is very interesting to me: that of the relationship of J.R.R. Tolkien and his writing to C.S. Lewis and his.  Other topics include what Anna Popplewell and William Moseley are up to next, and Andrew Adamson’s past in Papua New Guinea.  I’ll see if I have the time to reach back into the mailbag archives after the five letters that I received this week.  Be sure to look through the comments from last week’s mailbag for some fascinating follow-up information as well!  Let’s get started!

      Do you know what Anna Popplewell and William Moseley are up to these days? Are they working on any new films?

      -jediash1

      Paul: Both are in school right now.  Anna Popplewell just ran a charity race, and has been attending Oxford, where she has not only acted in some plays, but she’s also directed!  She’s not currently attached to any film projects.

      William has auditioned for other roles and is rumored to be joining the film Ironclad where he would act along side Megan Fox, Robert Carlyle, Paul Giamatti, James Purefoy, Richard Attenborough, Bob Hoskins, Pete Postlethwaite and Angus Macfadyen among others.  The film is set in the year 1215, the rebels of England forced the tyrannical King John to put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, but months later he broke the seal and assembled an army to take over the country again. In his way was the Rochester castle, a place that would become the symbol of the rebel’s struggle for justice and freedom.

      THIS QUESTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE LAST BATTLE

      If Fox gets a big hit with Voyage of the Dawn Treader and they continue to make the rest of the books, will they include Susan in The Last Battle even though C. S. Lewis does not? Will they keep her in for the sake of the audience?

      -C.S. Layman

      Paul: This is a question that is much like one that I was asked last week, to which my answer is practically the same.  If they were to include Susan, which I would do were I to direct the film (hint hint!), it should only be on Earth, so that the audience has a good feel for why she’s not coming back.  This is something that is taken care of only in a few lines of the book, but in movie form would require a little more to it.

      THIS QUESTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW
      

      I would like to point out something about the question posed by Manasi Lad. In The Magician’s Nephew, Uncle Andrew accidentally drops some coins into the young Narnian soil which grow into two trees, one silver and one gold. Later on in the book, Aslan commands that these trees be chopped down and made into crowns for the first King and Queen of Narnia, Frank and Helen. That is why they are not in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They had been chopped down hundreds of years ago.

      -Maggie

      Paul: Thank you, Maggie!  This is something that I had forgotten, and I appreciate the help!

      Is Ben Barnes returning as Prince Caspian in VDT since Prince Caspian is supposed to be older in the third movie?

      -Walter Dodd

      Paul: There are two answers to your question.  The first answer is no, he will not be returning as Prince Caspian.  However, he will be returning to the role of Caspian.  This time as King.  This is one reason why the cast an older actor.  There wasn’t the need to establish a new actor in the role who is supposed to be only 3 years older.

      Hi all, it’s been so long since I last sent in a query about 3 years ago, its been great to watch this site flourish. I’m so glad you brought the mailbag back. First of all i just wanted to say for anyone who didn’t know. On the Prince Caspian DVD with special features, on the menu there is a golden lion in the top left corner. Its easier watching on a computer but you can click on it to see some short film footage. When using the DVD remote you scroll down to the last topic and click left and it should highlight the lion. On the first menu it has a short movie made by Skandar showing ‘Blonde cam’, on the second menu its the Pevensie’s fighting over who actually saved Trumpkin, and the third is just a cameo of a stage worker. I just wanted to say this in case someone hadn’t noticed yet.

      My real question is, on the DVD features (the first one I think) Andrew Adamson says that he lived in Papua New Guinea for his childhood years which helped inspire the new film’s message. I am currently in Papua New Guinea (16 years old)myself, at the International school and I was wondering about his history here? What school he went to? where he stayed? Hope its not to hard but i think it would be interesting to learn. Thanks, and don’t give up on the mailbag! it rocks.

      -Jason Fotheringham

      Paul: Thanks for writing in again, Jason!  I remember your letters and am happy to have the mailbag back as well!  As for Adamson, I recently learned of this myself, and had not known about it before either.  I wish that I could answer this for you, but the simple fact is: I don’t know how to do that.  Perhaps someone that knows can write in?

      What is the current status report on production for Dawn Treader? I know we are in pre-production, but what are they actually doing right now? Also, when does filming begin?

      -Jonathan Fletcher

      Paul: Take a look at the news about the Gold Coast.  It’s nearly completely secured, which means that set building will start happening shortly.  They’ve been actively seeking out filming locations for some time now.  They’re also in the middle of the screenplay re-write.  Filming begins in late July.

      Where did C.S. Lewis get his inspiration for all of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’? Also, I thought I heard that C.S. Lewis encouraged J.R.R. Tolkien in continuing to write ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Do you know anything about this? Thanks a lot!

      -Tarwe, the Narnian Elf

      Paul: I wish I could tell you where Lewis got inspiration for all of the Narnia series, but I will tell you this.  It started with a picture that was in his head of a lamp-post in the woods and a fawn next to it carrying parsels, and an umbrella.

      He couldn’t get the image out of his head, and began writing.  There are many many books that delve into Lewis’ inspiration for the series, and it’s far too many books to list here.  If anyone has suggestions, feel free to comment the titles along with the author as well as a short synopsis, if possible, of what the book is about.

      As far as The Lord of the Rings, yes: Lewis did encourage Tolkien to write the sequel to The Hobbit.  They were contemporaries and friends, both teaching at Oxford and both part of a group called The Inklings.  You can read about that group and the impact that each had on the other’s writings in a book called “The Company They Keep” by Diana Pavlac Glyer.  It’s got the most complete listing of all of The Inklings that you’ll ever find in one place.  This book is the culmination of 50 combined years of research and hard work.  It is well worth your time.

      I heard the writer, Diana Glyer, speak last year at LionCon, and boy did she ever have great insight into both Lewis and Tolkien.  She even spoke about how Tolkien’s famous quote about his dislike of Narnia is blown way out of proportion, and it was based on only having read a few chapters of the first book in the series: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

      Tolkien was asked, as The Hobbit was a big hit, if he had a sequel to the story that could be released.  He didn’t have one at the time, but people were encouraging him to continue the story.  So Tolkien sat down to write it.  At first it was a light and easy story, very similar in style to The Hobbit.  But then the Wraith appeared in Hobbiton.  And the rest is history.

      Is there any Lewis / Tolkien Scholar that would like to either comment more on this, or even contribute an essay about this for the site?  Feel free to e-mail us!

      And with that, it’s late, and I apologize for not getting to more of the old e-mails this week.  I’ll keep trying. We’ll get there!

      0 people like this post.

      Like 

      Related Posts

      • C.S. Lewis Society Update, 5/24/07
      • NYC Prince Caspian Event at Union Square Barnes & Noble
      • Down the pub with Tolkien and C. S. Lewis
      • C.S. Lewis Society Update, 6/23/07
      • Texas State Professor finds Lost Lewis Manuscript
      ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6884/feed 10 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6842 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6842#comments Sun, 03 May 2009 20:54:44 +0000 Josh Hancock http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6842 In recent years, there have been two different fantasy series that share similarities. They have the same basic plots, the same basic creatures, and so on. Looking at the posters, cases, and trailers, you would think they were very alike, but when you look deeper, you see that they are very different indeed. This fact shows itself through the success of the books and films of their names.

      “The Chronicles of Narnia” have been a beloved series for families everywhere since the 1950’s. They started out as a single novel which gained so much popularity that it soon gave birth to a series of seven imaginative tales.

      The “His Dark Materials” series have been among us since 1995 and have gained various awards and praise. The first novel, Northern Lights, which was later released in America as The Golden Compass was published in 1995. It was followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass which completed the trilogy.

      The first book in each series, and the second in The Chronicles of Narnia, have been recently adapted into major motion pictures. There are similarities, as was stated earlier, but there are also differences. These differences have been debated and quarreled over for years, and here are some of the reasons why:

      First, we will look at the authors of the novels. “The Chronicles of Narnia” were written by a man born on November 29, 1898. He lived in Belfast, Ireland and later taught in Oxford for nearly thirty years. C. S. Lewis struggled greatly in childhood and onward, these struggles pushing him to atheism. Later in his life, however, Lewis’ friend and fellow writer J. R. R. Tolkien, author of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, witnessed to him and Lewis converted to Christianity in 1931. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, published in 1950, was the first children’s book Lewis ever wrote. Being a devoted Christian, Lewis paralleled his fantastical world with stories and teachings from the Bible.

      The author of “His Dark Materials” comes from a completely different viewpoint. Philip Pullman was born on October 19, 1946 in Norwich, England, frequently moving from base to base due to his father’s career with the Royal Air Force. The first book in Pullman’s series was published in 1995 and was followed by two sequels. Pullman is currently writing another book in the “His Dark Materials” series which will be called The Book of Dust. Pullman says that he has received many questions about his portrayals on religion in his previous novels and will further explain the extent of his atheist beliefs in what he says will be a very large novel:

      “This is a big subject and I’m writing a big, big book…”

      Unlike Lewis, Pullman sewed bits of atheistic teachings into his worlds and creatures with the intent of steering children away from Christianity. Some could say that Lewis had God on his side, for “The Chronicles of Narnia” has boomed with success whereas The Golden Compass is the only novel in Pullman’s series to be adapted to film.

      The Golden Compass crashed at the box-office, even though it cost the same to make as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. After being asked his opinion on why this was, C. E. Moore says:

      “It just so happened that when they finally hit screens one was good and one made people want their money back (with the exception of the kick-butt polar bear jaw-breaking scene). Another possibility is that the Narnia films are based on a series of books written by an Oxford don and those books continue to be loved and cherished by millions the world over years after Lewis’ death while The Golden Compass is written by a man who has a special place in his heart for attacking the deeply held Christian beliefs of individuals through children’s stories that are not equally loved nor as well-written. What do you think?”

      After the unsuccessful release of The Golden Compass, New Line announced that they would not be releasing any sequels to the film. Many people have their opinions on why Narnia is more of a success, but with Lewis’ wonderful characters and his devotion to God and Pullman’s statement: “My books are about killing God”, I would ask you the same question Mr. Moore did:

      What do you think?

      0 people like this post.

      Like 

      Related Posts

      • Editorial: I Don’t Want This Pullman to be MY Conductor
      • The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings similarities and differences
      • A Call to Fans for ‘Collector Showdown’
      • Hope professor offers ‘Narnia’ lecture
      • Narnia blockbuster spells a new chapter for CS Lewis
      ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6842/feed 52 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6834 http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6834#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:37:04 +0000 Jonathon Svendsen http://www.narniafans.com/?p=6834 Hey, everybody! Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we reveiw any and all books dealing with CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. For today’s review, we will be covering CS Lewis’  The Abolition of Man.

       

      Title: The Abolition of Man

      Author: CS Lewis

      Publisher: HarperOne (March 20, 2001)

      ISBN-10: 0060652942

      ISBN-13: 978-0060652944

       

      Summary: Written in response to a book dealing with the teaching of the English language, CS Lewis sounds a call to the preservation of society, our past and most importantly our moral truths. Citing prominent ancient thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Confucius and St .Augustine, Lewis reminds us that the chief purpose of education is to strengthen us not just intellectually but morally and emotionally.

      Review:

      Not all books by CS Lewis deal explicitly with the doctrines of Christianity. The Abolition of Man, is one such book. It deals with education, and it‘s role in teaching morals to young people. At a first glance of the title one may thing it is all about finding freedom in Christ from our bondage to sin. This book all begins with the subject of teaching the English language.

      CS Lewis wrote this book in response to a book that he called “ The Green Book” by Gaius and Titius, which upon investigation was actually a entitled The Control of Language: A Critical Approach to Reading and Writing by Alex King and Martin Ketley. This is a feature of the book that is most appealing. Unlike so many current authors who will use there works as a public forum to bash other writers view points, and can distract from the over all work, Lewis takes a higher ground and shares the ideas with out revealing the authors. It is just as well as it is very likely that the book in question is no longer in print as like most books on education it gets disregarded once new theories set in.

      Lewis was very displeased with “The Green Book” as it did not teach English grammar as it intended, but rather taught morals and schools of philosophy that he deemed dangerous. His book was meant to be the answer to that.

      While Abolition of Man partly deals with teaching English, it deals more with what education should be about, which is not only broadening minds, but passing on of moral truths. There are even several warnings in the book about the “danger” of progress with out morals and where some of it could lead us, replacing morals with science and disseminating the then growing trend of moral relativity.

      Lewis makes very few “Christian” statements about the Fall or Salvation. Lewis himself states that his book is not meant to direct any one towards a belief in God. He also quotes other sources such as ancient Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Hindu proverbs and thinkers like Plato and Confucius to show how every ancient culture did believe in some form of absolute truth. He even appropriates the concept of the Tao- which according to Webster’s comes from the ancient Chinese word of Dao which loosely translated means the way, right way of life, or path of reason.”

      The book is very well written, but it does get a little long winded at times ( this was after all, one of the main reasons JRR Tolkien based Treebeard the Ent in Lord of the Rings of off CS Lewis.) Some readers have admitted having difficult with this book, mostly due to this aspect, as well as it’s lack of Christian doctrine. Becasue of this, the book istelf is best suited for older readers and is highly recommended for educators. It must be read more then once if readers wish to understand the meaning of Lewis’s arguments. The ideas, much like many of Lewis’s are meant to be discussed, especially in a world that desperately needs some moral fiber.

      4 out of 5 shields

      Order the book from Amazon.com

      0 people like this post.

      Like 

      Related Posts

      • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “God in the Dock”
      • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “A Grief Observed”
      • Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Christian Reflections.”
      • Tumnus’s Book Shelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: ” Reflections on the Psalms.”
      • C.S. Lewis Books receive new Cover Designs
      ]]> http://www.narniafans.com/archives/6834/feed 1