This month’s issue of Imprimis, a free publication of Hillsdale College, features an interview with Bob Beltz, special adviser to Walden Media and senior pastor at Highline Community Church in Centennial, Colorado. He speaks about CS Lewis, the Chronicles, and which other Lewis’ books are film-worthy.
Beltz has contributed to the Narnia films as well as other Walden properties, including the Michael Apted-directed Amazing Grace.
CLICK HERE to read the full interview. Note: you’ll have to scroll down just over half-way down the page to see the beginning of the interview. Here’s a sample:
Imprimis: Lewis was a Christian writer, and many consider the Chronicles of Narnia to be a Christian allegory. Do you agree?
Beltz: Lewis said it wasn’t an allegory, [and this] has been quoted a lot. But oftentimes no one goes on to quote what else he said. He called [the Chronicles] a “supposal.” To him, as a scholar of medieval and renaissance literature, allegory had a very specific meaning. And when you read the Chronicles, it’s really not an allegory. [So] he called it a ‘supposal’—as in “suppose there’s another world, and that world needs redemption.” At the end of Dawn Treader, when Lucy is so sad that she’s never going to see Aslan again, Aslan says to her, “I’m in your world too, and I have a different name, and you have to learn that name, and that’s the whole reason you’ve come to Narnia is to know me there.” That’s probably the strongest statement [of the Chronicles’ purpose] that Lewis gives us.
“I’m in your world too, and I have a different name, and you have to learn that name, and that’s the whole reason you’ve come to Narnia is to know me there.” It is so sad that most of the world ignores the true meaning of these lines,even the cast and crew doesn’t seem to understand it and I don’t want to think they won’t see heaven ignoring the fact that God’s redemption was right in front of them all the time..Hope they know the truth before it’s too late.
Well said!
Well said!
You go voyager, thank you ! I love that part I wanted to shout for joy when I heard that in the movie. Thank soo much! At least you are not scared to say that, i would.
I agree with Mr. Beltz on the Dawn Treader thing, but I disagree about the allegory situation. Narnia is a perfect allegory… Aslan equals Jesus, Tash equals Satan, WW eqauls Satan’s temptations, Edmund equals Judas (only in LWW) etc… What I love about the Narnia books is that you have to look for the Bible story within them, you have to think about which bible story Lewis is representing.
Well, that’s because the chronicles are, as Lewis himself said, a “supposal.” 🙂
It’s kind of an allegorical supposal. 😉
Thats what makes those books especially awesome! 🙂
Yeah..They have more depth in their stories than other books..
FNAFA… 😀
that’s why i don’t get why so many people prefer lord of the rings over narnia. what’s the superiority of it?
CS Lewis himself said the Narnia books were not allegorical. Review the definition of the word.
yeah, but he was a real stickler over the word. most people would consider it a loose allegory.
Hmmm, well, I haven’t done any research on this, so correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that the word ‘allegory’ may have had a different meaning then than it does now. Perhaps that is why Lewis did not call it an allegory. 🙂
As a side note, I reckon Edmund is more like Saul/Paul than any other biblical character (see TLC Character Connections- that was what convinced me).
As another side note, I recently re-read the Last Battle, and discovered that the last paragraph was the most beautiful piece of literature I have ever read. My brother and I read it to each other five times over simply because it was so lovely. The thing I love most about the CoN is that, allegory or not, the meaning is unmistakable. 😀
Sorry, meant to reply to WarriorOfNarnia’s comment. *looks embarrassed*
No you’re fine! Great comment by the way! I totally agree with you about the last paragraph in the Last Battle!!!
It gave me goosebumps when I read it everytime..Too beautiful for words.. 🙂
I agree… the fact that Lewis was able to put into words what is contained in the last paragraph is a real statement to how great a writer he was. The joy leaps off the page and it is impossible to keep a grin off your face (and goosebumps off your arms) when you read it. 😀
And the best part about it is that it’s actually true! *shivers with delight*
THank goodness, somone is getting the message! Thank you for sharing!
ya actualizaron el box ofice y VDT esta empatada con The Golden Compass en recaudacion a nivel mundial.
narnia rules, compass drools! compass is straight from the pit of hell, if u ask me.
I only mean to the grosses.
Compass sucks! And for all those who haven’t seen GC (I haven’t) I heard that at the end God dies!!! REALLY!? I totally agree with ShellyBelly!
I HAVE read GC…to me, at first, it all sounded a bit disturbing:and I read in one of my Narnia fact books that teh author(Philip Pullman) tried to include the wardrobe scene into his book so people could see the irony of it(since he was trying to turn Lewis’s idea around:I dont know, that’s what I understood) but it’s an okay book:just don’t let it get into your head that much
It doesn’t do any good saying “Compass Sucks” or “compass drools” because it doesn’t change anything. I’m not in anyway trying to defend Golden Compass, but saying that it “sucks” doesn’t change anyone’s opinion on the subject. Try creating a argument for your statement… support your believes. Also I’m not allowed to read those books nor do I want to.
I haven’t read or seen GC, nor do I plan to, but I do know that Phillip Pullman was a massive aetheist who hated what C.S. Lewis was teaching children, so he wrote a book to contradict the Chronicles of Narnia.
The ironic thing? The Chronicles of Narnia is still far more popular and loved than GC ever could have been. 😀 I guess Pullman didn’t realise that you can’t fight love with hate. Love will always win. *winces, hoping that doesn’t sound too corny*