Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Knowing Aslan.”

Welcome back to Tumnus’s Bookshelf where we review any and all books by and about CS Lewis and the Land of Narnia. For today’s review we will be looking at Thomas Williams book “Knowing Aslan.”

Title: Knowing Aslan.

Author: Thomas Williams

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 1, 2005)

ISBN-10: 0849904943

ISBN-13: 978-0849904943

Summary:

Looking only at the central plot of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, author Thomas Williams looks at the allegorical image of Aslan and how His sacrifice for Edmund reflects Christ’s for us. In the end readers are given an invitation to accept the greatest gift of all.

Review:

With the release of the Narnia films, there is no doubt that the American Tract Society will put out clever little tracts to help use the film and the books to lead others to Christ. The book Knowing Aslan, while it sounds like it could be such a thing, it is not the case. Thomas Williams has not given us a didactic tract to hand out to Trick or Treater’s or to leave on toilet seats like those of Jake T. Chick. Instead he has abridged some selections from a much longer book The Heart of Narnia into a much shorter book that carefully examines the real meaning of Narnia.

One of this books strong points is that unlike so many tracts that are put out, this book is free from all of the “Church-anese” language like sanctification, redemption, transgression and the other words we like to toss around when trying to reach others. Much like the Narnia books, the words he chooses are words that you don’t need a Masters in Theology to understand.

He also stays free of using many of the cliché metaphors that are also used in most gospel presentations. The Spiritual Laws, the Bridge Illustration, and the other familiar aspects of a tract seem to be missing at a surface level, but in actuality are hidden perfectly within the imagery of Narnia. While it does conclude in a prayer, something about it feels more real, if you will, then many of the ones in a tract.

In terms of summarizing LWW, Williams does a good job of it too. The entire general plot line ( the kids leave London for Professor Kirke’s, Lucy finds Narnia, no one believes her, she and Edmund go to Narnia, Edmund betrays them, all four kids go to Narnia, Aslan saves Edmund, Aslan dies for Edmund, Aslan rises again, the White Witch is defeated and the four kids become kings and queens until they return to England.) is neatly packaged together for those who be familiar with the movie and not the book.

Despite how clear and concise this book is, it is hardly one just for children. He does deal with some rather difficult things in the 55 pages he is given. One of the first is that so many people look at Aslan and have a hard time reconciling the loving and yet still powerful Lion of Narnia with the image of god they have usually been presented. This is an idea foreign to most children as they are still familiar with the image of Jesus playing with children. He also mentions such things as drug and alcohol addictions, or being an honest worker at a company. In short, this book can work for both grown up and adult discussions.

One of the other disadvantages to this book, is an apparent lack of depth, at least in looking at the story itself. While the book is properlay summarized, the references are very limited. However this is not meant to be an in depth companion commentary as Devin Brown’s Inside Narnia series, a devotional book like Sarah Arthur’s Walking Through the Wardrobe, or like Williams The Heart of Narnia. If anything, this book is an edited down version of his longer work. Be that as it may, this little condensed version of certainly achieves it’s objectives.

Knowing Aslan is a nice little resource tool which may be handy to have on hand when viewing the Narnia movies with those of your friends who are not Christians who may have questions. It is also a very wonderful read for devotions. Plus it is a relatively inexpensive book ( $2.99 USD! ) making it a real bargain ( albeit a high quality bargain one compared to the little paper tracts) for those of you on a budget. However if you are looking for real depth and insight into the Chronicles spiritual aspects it is recommended that you either read The Heart of Narnia, Walking through the Wardrobe or any of the Inside Narnia books. Consider this to be but a dainty little appetizer to tide you over until a much bigger helping.

Three and a Half out of Five Shields.

Order the book from Amazon.com.

11 Comments

  1. I found some parts of your review disturbing. “This book is free from all of the

    • Yes, but this book’s primary audience isn’t so much for the saved but the unsaved, in particular those who were burned out by Church but yet were still attracted to Aslan. In fact Willaims even addresses such readers amny times in the book.

      Because Williams audience is the unsaved it is important that the language be easy for them to understand. We would loose them if we were witnissing and had to stop and explain everything to them. It has been proven that the unsaved respond more to someone speaking with them directly and simply in terms they understand, such as the Apostle Paul in Athens. He started with the Athenians on a common ground and worked up from there. Or as I said in my review, with the Narnia books themselves.

      This book helps provide that simple common ground for us with an unbeliever, as Paul had with the Athenians. There are many none-Christians who will read Narnia simply because it’s a fun fantasy adventure. I have some relatives who are staunch athiests who would never so much as watch a film like say Fireproof or Left Behind but yet they can recall very fondly their memories of the land of Narnia, but not so much the theological components and say how much they loved them as children and how much they want to share them with their kids. I have co-workers who aren’t Christians and are looking forward to the next Narnia movie for similar reasons. They love the Land of Narnia,and the characters as well and want more adventures in Narnia. With that in common it gives us a starting point, not so much to preach at them, but to open the door for discussions with them. CS Lewis himself was persuaded to become a Christian not by preaching but by discussions that steemed from shared interests with men like JRR Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, and Owen Barfield.

      I apologize for this confusion in these matters.

      • I should state that while I don’t think we should dumb things down, we do owe it to our those we share our faith with to make them feel like they can understand us.

  2. Allow me in closing to make a final anology. I enjoy studying science. I find the workings of the universe to be very fascinating. . However I can’t really understand what in the world they are saying in a Physics Text Book. My dad gave me a book dealing with the physics of Superheroes that not only uses these sceintific terms, but goes so far as to explain these terms by using anologies from superhero comic book and movies. My common ground then with the phsyics concepts is these comic book superhereos I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid. Do I know enough physics to carry on a discussion with say Stephen Hawking? No, probably not. But I do feel I know and understand physics better and in fact I am more interested in reading up more on physics because of it.

    • I understand seeking common ground with unbelievers. But I have very little training in theology — just a required minor in religion at the undergrad level [and the course material wasn’t much]. My doctorate will be in English! I’m an amateur theologian like C. S. Lewis. I learned what I learned by studying my Bible, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, Strong’s Concordance, etc. For this reason, Christianity’s theological terms are not a foreign language to me. I understand a whole lot more about atonement, redemption, sanctification, sacrifice, etc than Lewis ever did. I was horrified at his explanation of the atonement in Mere Christianity.

  3. Actually, I’m an English major too!
    You aren’t the only one to think that way in regards to Lewis. Notably Tolkien also had some issues with it and told him to leave theology to the professionals.

  4. Oh I don`t know much about physics, and as Lucy was the youngest, but the one who was always right, I think master degrees aren`t all you need to see the truth… Aslan is like Jesus, and maybe until you decide to trust in HIM and follow him even when it seems like you are going to a gorge , there you would be able to see the real facts on your life… exactly as Susan in “Prince Caspian” AS I said , I don`t know about physics, but I`ve seen Aslan (Jesus) working in my life, and that`s all the truth I need to know, `cause it is REAL

    • Amen, Aravis! 😀

      The source of all ‘true’ truth and wisdom and knowledge is Jesus Christ, not an education degree. That’s what we need. The world through its wisdom does not know Christ [1 Corinthians 1:20-21].

      Of course physics is real too. God created every branch of knowledge. I wonder what we can learn about God through physics? 🙂

      I think Lucy’s uncorrupted youth and purity had something to do with her ability to see truth, to see Aslan. She’s a true child of God. As we grow spiritually, we become ‘children.’

      Following Aslan to the gorge = physical crossing of the Jordan river [Joshua 3] and spiritual death to self [Matthew 16:24, John 12:24-25]. 😀

Comments are closed.