The Gospel in Narnia

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/mission/resources/the_gospel_in_narnia/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 27 May 2008--The popularity of C.S.Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia continues to grow. Sales of the books, now over 100 million, increase every year and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was recently voted the most popular Children’s Book ever in the UK. Meanwhile the film of the book has been officially classified as one of the all-time top grossing movies worldwide. This has opened up a whole new audience, most of whom have little contact with the church or are even aware that the books are infused with Christian ideas. With production of the next two films under way, and planning for the remainder of the series in the pipeline, this global phenomenon presents an extraordinary opportunity for the gospel.

However Christians face a real challenge in seizing this opportunity effectively. For apart from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, many of us are less familiar with the remaining Chronicles and are even less sure about their connection with the Christian message. So, following Lewis’ own ‘outline of Narnian history’, let us go on a brief journey through each of the books, highlighting the central biblical themes that he has woven into the fabric of the stories.