I agree; if it's sound theology you want, don't expect much help from fiction, but if you want a good read, most theologians aren't good at that either! Bunyan is one exception, I marvel at his prose abilities. Note, many of the Puritans were schooled in the ancient (but pagan) classics.
It is profitable to talk with one's children about their stories (many are good but none are perfect) & invite comparisons with God's Word.
My kids also enjoy "The Wind & the Willows" and Jane Austen (esp. after seeing the recent movie).
Incidentally, our children will be damned to Hell if they are not regenerated by the Holy Spirit and therefore never close with the Lord Jesus Christ and come to an abiding faith in him. This saving faith ordinarily comes via the preaching and reading of the Word of God, and it indicates that we have a duty to bring them to church, and worship with them and teach them in the family. But it does not mean that we may not also play with them, watch movies with them, and read them stories. As we do these things as well, should they also not be edifying and uplifting?
As for the Fairy Tale qualities - Centaurs, Fawns, talking animals and the like, you are in danger of declaring centuries of childrens stories including tales like the Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel forbidden to Christians, not to mention the wider world of poetry and literature. Such an approach is more than scripture calls for and smacks of a deliberate decision to ignore the common grace elements of the world. Admittedly there are good stories and bad stories, good poems and bad poems, and as Christians we need to learn to discriminate between them. Who better to teach children this critical discernment skill than their parents?
A few points, C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia books as allegories. In one sense they are entertaining stories (and there is no biblical injunction against telling entertaining and edifying stories) and in another sense they are stories used to provide illustrations of biblical truths. Using allegories, anecdotes, and examples to shed light on biblical truths is something that Pastors do all the time in sermons, Jesus himself used parables which are earthly stories with heavenly meanings in order to teach the truths of the kingdom. Lewis did not intend to supplant the Gospel, merely to shed light. So he was emphatically not saying "worship Aslan" he was saying in a story "Children, Jesus is like a mighty lion."
Also, The only user of magic in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is the White Witch. Her magic is evil and deceitful which is appropriate because she is intended to be an allegory for Satan. At no point in the story are we supposed to think that magic or witches are good - quite the opposite.
you say the story is to convey the themes of the BIBLE. this is a fairy tale which is magic. man cannot redo what JESUS has already accomplished. teach and or study yhe BIBLE to understand what GOD has done or else we damn our children to hell. i may not know much but i know that these books and movies are not pleasing to GOD.
When did I indicate I wanted to replace the Bible with the Narnia series? This was just a review of a recently released DVD, which is worth watching on a family movie night. Unlike the vast majority of films released these days, it's edifying .
For the record there is nothing that can replace the inspired word of God in its role as the sole rule and guide for all of our faith, life, and practice.
What I was doing in this blog was simply reviewing a movie. On occasion I will post positive or negative reviews of books or movies indicating my opinion on whether or not the are worth reading or watching. I will never be indicating that any of them can "replace" the word of God in any of its normative functions.
why do you want to replace the BIBLE with a fairy tale? why consider the different translations of the BIBLE and preach out of something that is antichrist? I cannot find aslan in the scriptures.
“ Great Sermon! ” This is a great sermon. It is very true that people today rally around charismatic (meaning enthusiastic) preachers or whatever preacher suits their desire rather than wanting to hear truth preached and be taught the holy word of God. This sermon addresses those issues very plainly and inteligently.
“ Great Sermon! ” This was a take on Christmas that I didn't expect but found very intriguing. I also didn't know that the pilgrims and many of the founding fathers didn't celebrate Christmas till I heard this and read the essay. I guess I'll be thinking more about whether this really is something I should do at church.
“ Great Sermon on the Unity of Believers Regardless of Race ” While I rejoice in the gospel's ability to bring people of all ethnicities into fellowship, I believe we should never be more concerned with ethnic integration in worship than we should be with right worship and doctrine, and unfortunately many churches are more interested in pleasing man than God. It is better for a church to have a dominant ethnicity and have correct worship and doctrine than to be interracial and have corrupt worship and doctrine. Churches should integrate naturally, but as in other facets of society, integration should not be forced. There is nothing wicked about Christians of any ethnicity finding solace with their own people. After all, God created the different ethnicities, and His creation is good. The best way to enjoy biblical diversity is to honor the natural ethnic separateness that so many unfortunately interpret as wrong. Biblical diversity is threatened when man decides to define it according to humanism rather than biblically. What better way to celebrate diversity than to honor the separateness that makes diversity what God intended? We have unity in salvation, but we are still very different people. And ignoring that is as dishonoring to God as racial supremacy is, not to mention societally detrimental.
6/7/06 11:14 PM
4/21/06 10:20 PM
