The topic of my master’s thesis in 2000 was C.S. Lewis. In particular, I examined how he was able to explain the gospel to the western rationalist mindset while at the same time exploring the faith through story, a growing value within a new paradigm shift at the time called “cultural postmodernism.”
In other words, if Lewis wanted to defend the faith, he wrote books like “Mere Christianity.” However, if he wanted to communicate the gospel, he wrote literary works like the Space Trilogy, “The Screwtape Letters,” “The Great Divorce,” and of course, the beloved Chronicles of Narnia.
I was deeply fascinated how Lewis could bring alive deep Christian theology through children’s books as well as letters from a cranky demon uncle to his newbie nephew demon advising him how to render his Christian “client” ineffective.
Particularly, I am inspired how Lewis could explain profound theological concepts through a children’s story: a deeper magic, Eustace’s encounter with Aslan after being turned into what his heart was: a dragon, and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver’s explanation of Aslan: “he’s not a tame lion, but he is good. He’s the king, I tell you.”
The central character of Narnia is, of course, Aslan, a magnificent lion who sang his creation into existence.
Lewis had explained Aslan as one who, if a place like Narnia needed Jesus, this is what he would look like. Aslan is far more than a simple “Christ character” (one who sacrifices for another), but as the Son of the Great Emperor—God the Son incarnate (in Narnia).
At one point, when Aslan is ready to send the Pevensie children back to their world, they ask, “Will we see you again?” Aslan’s response is direct, “Yes. But there you will know me by another name.”
Aslan is Jesus.
There is no question.
The world of Narnia hangs on to this alone.
Now, sadly, postmodernism is coming after Lewis’s beloved Chronicles. Postmodern deconstruction has put Narnia in its sites. For some reason, the Lewis estate sold the movie rights to Netflix.
I was not crazy about that when I first heard that.
Next, word came they hired filmmaker Greta Gerwig to direct “The Magician’s Nephew,” a woman notorious for shoving her agenda down our throats and then blaming the movie-goer—or more specifically, white males—when it flops.
This, I thought, cannot be good.
Then, she said that she wanted to “reimagine” Narnia.
On the grounds of Trinity Church in Oxford, I could hear Lewis turning over in his grave.
I hate it when Hollywood uses that word: reimagine.
Reimagine is a word Hollywood where they want to take story—usually a classic—and bring an edgy (read: woke) interpretation to it.
And it never turns out well.
Hollywood using “reimagine” is synonymous with “total destruction.” Amazon reimagined Tolkien’s Middle Earth, and it was a disaster (and will very likely do it again now that they have acquired the rights to the James Bond franchise).
They did it with Ghostbusters, Oceans 8, one could even argue anything about Marvel after Avengers Endgame.
Not to mention Batgirl as well as the new Supergirl.
And don’t get me started on the Snow White remake.
Now they’re going after Narnia, “reimagining” it from the Victorian Age of the turn of the twentieth century into the post-war 1950s. It looks nothing like what Lewis imagined it, and instead into what more accurately can be described as a showy rock opera.
Never mind that this absolutely upends the timelines of the remaining books. Hollywood no longer has the creative ability to make those adjustments without creating gaping plot holes.
Especially if they don’t understand the material to begin with.
Then word came out that Gerwig decided to hire actress Meryl Streep to be the voice of Aslan. To Gerwig, choosing a female for the voice of Aslan is be considered nothing more an artistic interpretation.
Maybe so.
But it’s one that has effectively ripped the heart of Lewis’s Narnia. Worse, it confuses Lewis’s original Christology surrounding Aslan.
Contrary to some claiming Narnia is an allegory, it is not. Not everything or character is a symbol for something. (What does Mr. Tumnus symbolize? Or the Dawn Treader?) Aslan is NOT an allegorical symbol of Jesus. He is Jesus for the world of Narnia.
Casting a female voice essentially castrates Aslan, turning him into just another mythological deity.
It gets worse.
Images of this new Aslan were released, showing sort of the face of a lion, but with fur, scales, feathers and even mismatched eye colors. Gerwig said her interpretation is modeled after rock star David Bowie, an artist who at one time claimed to be homosexual or bi.
The whole feel of the movie seems more of a rock opera. And Aslan is appearing more like little more than a pagan deity.
I believe Gerwig is being intentional in her “reimagining” of “The Magician’s Nephew.” She is not trying to merely be edgy and creative. It is more malicious.
Gerwig is deconstructing the Narnia Chronicles, completely disemboweling them of their literary creativity that so effectively has communicated the Gospel for decades.
And by deconstructing the gospel message in Narnia, she is ultimately attempting to deconstruct Christianity itself.
Not because the Chronicles of Narnia are sacred canon like scripture.
But because it is one of the most effective artistic explanations of the gospel in the last seven decades.
Another way to explain this type of deconstruction, for example, is if one filmmaker decides to make a biography about evangelist Billy Graham.
Only this time, the biographer wanted to “reimagine” Graham to be one who preaches Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: “God exists to make you happy,” a new theology that does little more than tickle the ears of those who don’t want to confront their sin.
By this reimagining of Graham, it tries to confuse or water down his ultimate message: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It does nothing to enhance the story, only to try to muddy up the message.
The truth is, however, the world has been trying to muddy up the gospel for over two thousand years.
But the gospel is still the gospel.
It makes me angry every time they try, but then again, what else do you expect from the world?
Netflix’s whole Narnia fiasco stuck another nerve for me. I have a special place in my heart for C. S. Lewis.
He was the topic of my seminary thesis. My wife and I visited the Kilns actually toured inside and saw a Kilns wardrobe. We visited the pub he and the Inklings visited. We toured his home church, sat in the same pew he and his brother sat in regularly during the service. (In fact, on the window to the left of this pew, an artist has since etched a tribute to Lewis and Narnia. See photo.)
I appreciate his humble approach to theology, his humor, and his way of communicating deep spiritual concepts that a thousand sermons could never communicate.
Lewis was a gift of contemporary Christianity. I wish there were more like him. I wish I had a sliver of his skill to bring the gospel to life.
Ironically enough, Lewis himself, within the very Chronicles itself lays caution to the world about deconstructing Jesus by those such as Gerwig as well as like-minded folks.
In the final book of the Chronicles of Narnia, “The Last Battle,” Lewis inserts a shady ape character named Shift. Now Shift finds an old lion skin and drapes over a hapless donkey named Puzzle and parades this donkey (“the ass in a skin” …quickly read that phrase out loud until you make the connection) around as the new Aslan incarnate.
Shift calls his reimagined Aslan “Tashlan,” after Tash, the demonic deity of the Calormens, Narnia’s nemesis.
In other words, Shift’s recreation is an antichrist.
I am not sure Gerwig has even read “The Last Battle.”
Or if she has, she has failed to connect the dots.
My prediction is that movie critics will gush over Gerwig’s filmmaking interpretation. In reality, Christians (minus the few who sacrifice every important Christian theology to gain acceptance by the world) will ignore it and the film will flop financially and fade away.
And Gerwig will blame the patriarchy for failing to understand her brilliance.
Me? I can live with that outcome.
I have no intention of giving this remake a try.
Be First to Comment