Just Finished Reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lucy Fan

Lucy Fan

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**May Contain Spoilers**


I'm very late in reading the series, compared to most people here. Better late than never though. ;) Anyway, I think I know the answer to this question, but I wanted to make sure I was right in thinking: Aslan told Lucy and Edmund they can't return to Narnia because they're too old. Lucy said they'll never meet Aslan in their own world and that was the reason why they were sad in never returning to Narnia. Aslan says they will meet Aslan (or have met him) but he is known by another name in their world. I'm assuming that that name is Jesus? Someone mentioned to me that Aslan represents Jesus and that's why I'm assuming this. Each book I read so far has a clearer meaning as to why Aslan represents Jesus. I feel so inspired by reading this series so far. I know it'll be strange not having the Pevensie children in the other two books, as I journey through the Narnia timeline in history and future, but as long as Aslan is in it, I'm sure it'll be Ok. :)

If anyone has any input please feel free. :)
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HOTBOX VAPORIZER
 
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Yes, Aslan DID mean that He is Jesus. NO OTHER explanation makes ANY sense at all coming from a Christian author. When Aslan said that the children were meant to get to know Aslan by another name on Earth, what other name would have mattered so much? Winston Churchill? Dwight Eisenhower? Albert Einstein? Elvis Presley?

Many Christians feel they have to keep Aslan suspended in a limbo of allegory: "Okay, Aslan does look a little bit like a symbol of a parallel of a likeness of an image of a prototype of a simile of a metaphor of a shadow of a reflection of somebody who might vaguely be called Christ-like." I think the reason why they feel this way is that it would be blasphemy for a fantasy writer to MAKE UP some character traits, project them onto the known Person of Jesus Christ, and claim that the projection was as authoritative as the information on Jesus given in God's revealed Scriptures. Yes, that would be blasphemy...but that WAS NOT what Mr. Lewis was doing. He was sort of working in the opposite direction: given the known characteristics of Our Lord, Mr. Lewis was imagining what material form Jesus might assume if He wanted to create a place like Narnia and move about visibly in it.

Somewhere, Mr. Lewis recorded that the character of Aslan was not even in his mind at the VERY start of imagining the Narnian world--but that He suddenly "came bounding in, and brought the story in with Him." Still without elevating any work of men to the dignity of sacred Scripture, God certainly can give a "prompting" inspiration to creative persons as he chooses; and I believe that God Himself gave Mr. Lewis the first nudge to portray Him in His Second Person as the Great Lion.
 
Vdt

Copperfox said:
Yes, Aslan DID mean that He is Jesus. NO OTHER explanation makes ANY sense at all coming from a Christian author. When Aslan said that the children were meant to get to know Aslan by another name on Earth, what other name would have mattered so much? Winston Churchill? Dwight Eisenhower? Albert Einstein? Elvis Presley?

Many Christians feel they have to keep Aslan suspended in a limbo of allegory: "Okay, Aslan does look a little bit like a symbol of a parallel of a likeness of an image of a prototype of a simile of a metaphor of a shadow of a reflection of somebody who might vaguely be called Christ-like." I think the reason why they feel this way is that it would be blasphemy for a fantasy writer to MAKE UP some character traits, project them onto the known Person of Jesus Christ, and claim that the projection was as authoritative as the information on Jesus given in God's revealed Scriptures. Yes, that would be blasphemy...but that WAS NOT what Mr. Lewis was doing. He was sort of working in the opposite direction: given the known characteristics of Our Lord, Mr. Lewis was imagining what material form Jesus might assume if He wanted to create a place like Narnia and move about visibly in it.

Somewhere, Mr. Lewis recorded that the character of Aslan was not even in his mind at the VERY start of imagining the Narnian world--but that He suddenly "came bounding in, and brought the story in with Him." Still without elevating any work of men to the dignity of sacred Scripture, God certainly can give a "prompting" inspiration to creative persons as he chooses; and I believe that God Himself gave Mr. Lewis the first nudge to portray Him in His Second Person as the Great Lion.
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Thanks very much. :) I think it was you who told me that he represents Jesus now that I think about it.
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UGGS
 
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He was referring to Jesus. Lucy makes reference to Him again later, but I won't spoil any more of it for you since you still have a ways to go in reading the books.

You've found one of my favorite bits of the Chronicles....not that you couldn't tell from my siggy. I think this bit holds the purpose for which the stories were written in a lot of ways. We've been brought there a little, so that we may know Him better here.
 
When a mother wrote to CS Lewis concerned that her little son Laurence loved Aslan more than Jesus, Jack wrote back ...
CS Lewis said:
Tell Laurence from me, with my love: 1. Even if he was loving Aslan more than Jesus (I'll explain in a moment why he can't really be doing this), he would not be an idol worshipper ... God knows quite well how hard we find it to love Him more than anyone or anything else, and He won't be angry with us as long as we are trying. And He will help us. 2. But Laurence can't really love Aslan more than Jesus, even if he feels that's what he's doing. For the things he loves Aslan for doing or saying are the things Jesus really did and said. So that when Laurence thinks he is loving Aslan, he is really loving Jesus: and perhaps loving Him more than he ever did before.
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If you look at Aslan's appearances in the various books, there is nothing he does or says which Jesus might not have done or said, and much that we know Jesus already has done or said.
 
Votdt

I haven't been brought up on religion, but it doesn't mean I don't believe in God and Jesus. I do wholeheartedly. I wonder if by reading these books I'm sort of being educated without realizing it. Well, I do realize it now but I don't know if what I realized is the right thing to realize.

I know the Narnia books aren't a bible and they're not 100% speaking of the life of Jesus from birth to death. But, I think some of what's in the books about Aslan, etc is kind of like what people would read in the bible? Given the fact that I've never read it. I'm just assuming. If someone wants to correct me feel free. I feel like I'm wrong.
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Kitchen Measures
 
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Lucy Fan said:


**May Contain Spoilers**


I'm very late in reading the series, compared to most people here. Better late than never though. ;) Anyway, I think I know the answer to this question, but I wanted to make sure I was right in thinking: Aslan told Lucy and Edmund they can't return to Narnia because they're too old. Lucy said they'll never meet Aslan in their own world and that was the reason why they were sad in never returning to Narnia. Aslan says they will meet Aslan (or have met him) but he is known by another name in their world. I'm assuming that that name is Jesus? Someone mentioned to me that Aslan represents Jesus and that's why I'm assuming this. Each book I read so far has a clearer meaning as to why Aslan represents Jesus. I feel so inspired by reading this series so far. I know it'll be strange not having the Pevensie children in the other two books, as I journey through the Narnia timeline in history and future, but as long as Aslan is in it, I'm sure it'll be Ok. :)

If anyone has any input please feel free. :)
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Oh, lucky you. VotDT is my favorite Narnia book!!!
 
Well, the Bible is a completely different kind of literature than the Bible, Lucy Fan, so reading the Bible is a completely different experience than reading CON.

However, if you read the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you read the life story of Jesus -- told from four different perspectives. Luke's Gospel starts with the birth of Jesus in the manger, while John's Gospel start with describing Jesus as He was with God before He came to earth ...

So, yes, the adventure of Christ's life is told in the Gospels, but it is quite different than reading a sort of fairy-tale like CON. The thing CS Lewis did so well, one thing he did so well, was to make Aslan's words and actions so very plausible as words and actions that Jesus said and did or could have said and done without violating His nature as God and Man.
Protagonist said:
lol, jesus.

for me, he probably meant Chuck Norris... nah, James bond. That'd be pretty cool.
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???
 
The Chronicles of Narnia do not exactly teach you a systematic theology of the Bible. But Aslan IS Jesus, not Chuck Norris; and what the books do for you is that by absorbing what they teach, what IS in the Bible will make more sense to you. For instance, the "de-dragonizing" of Eustace will give you a greater appreciation for what Jesus told Nicodemus about the need to be born again.
 
Protagonist said:
or, it could just be an event in the story. You can contrast anything in a story to your favorite book or movie.
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But in this case, we know what CS Lewis intended because he told us that Aslan = Jesus as He might have been in another world.

You can contrast the pigs in Orwell's "Animal Farm" with the Founding Father's of the USA if you want to, but you would be way off base because they were clearly meant as symbols of Trotsky, Lenin et al.

It's just your choice of whether you want to be way off base or not.
 
I think this is why we love CoN and Aslan, because we know there is a real person in whom Aslan was based. And I love him with all my heart.
 
Votdt

BarbarianKing said:
I think this is why we love CoN and Aslan, because we know there is a real person in whom Aslan was based. And I love him with all my heart.
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Same here. I think that's why I was so set on getting my Aslan stuffed animal so I could give Aslan a hug, even though it's not the real Aslan.
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British Recipes
 
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I also just finished VDT and I was greatly impressed by the symbolism towards the end of the book. I guess it has been so long since I had read it, I forgot that it was there.

There are too many references to Aslan being Jesus Christ for it to be anyone or anything else. First when he appears as an albatross and dispels the darkness where Lord Rupe was marooned is parallel to where Jesus states that He is the Light of the world and that those who walk with Him shall not experience darkness but have the light of life.

Then when Aslan meets them in his country he assumes the form of a lamb before returning to his form of a lion.

Yes I think we can reasonably assume that Aslan was referencing Christ when he said that they should get to know him in their world.
 
Lucy Fan said:
Same here. I think that's why I was so set on getting my Aslan stuffed animal so I could give Aslan a hug, even though it's not the real Aslan.
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You could just tell the real Aslan (Jesus) that you wish to give him a hug. I think he would love to hear that. Really, you should try it. Let me know what happens.
 
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