An extraordinary theological commentary on Christianity in Narnia.

"Markus Muhling takes the reader on an adventure into Narnia, stopping at various sites along the way. In a manner that is accessible and applicable to all readers he opens the door onto this fantasy world uncovering some of the key aspects of Christian theology that lie beneath the surface of C. S. Lewis' story "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Muhling presents a comprehensive analysis of themes such as the battle between good and evil and the consequences of sin and redemption. Travelling further into Narnia, Muhling compares different interpretations of Jesus' death on the cross. He links this with the implications that the Christian message has on everyday life."--BOOK JACKET.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams offers fascinating insight into The Chronicles of Narnia, the popular series of novels by one of the most influential Christian authors of the modern era, C. S. Lewis. Lewis once referred to certain kinds of book as a "mouthwash for the imagination." This is what he attempted to provide in the Narnia stories, argues Williams: an unfamiliar world in which we could rinse out what is stale in our thinking about Christianity--"which is almost everything," says Williams--and rediscover what it might mean to meet the holy. Indeed, Lewis's great achievement in the Narnia books is just that-he enables readers to encounter the Christian story "as if for the first time." How does Lewis makes fresh and strange the familiar themes of Christian doctrine? Williams points out that, for one, Narnia itself is a strange place: a parallel universe, if you like. There is no "church" in Narnia, no religion even. The interaction between Aslan as a "divine" figure and the inhabitants of this world is something that is worked out in the routines of life itself. Moreover, we are made to see humanity in a fresh perspective, the pride or arrogance of the human spirit is chastened by the revelation that, in Narnia, you may be on precisely the same spiritual level as a badger or a mouse. It is through these imaginative dislocations that Lewis is able to communicate--to a world that thinks it knows what faith is--the character, the feel, of a real experience of surrender in the face of absolute incarnate love. This lucid, learned, humane, and beautifully written book opens a new window onto Lewis's beloved stories, revealing the moral wisdom and passionate faith beneath their perennial appeal.

Renowned C. S. Lewis scholar Kathryn Lindskoog has here expanded and updated her classic study of Lewis's Narnia series originally titled, "The Lion of Judah in Never-Never Land: The Theology of C.S. Lewis Expressed in his fantasies for Children." Now with the addition of a study guide, including a look at the chronological order of the series of the seven books, the "Journey into Narnia" is filled with abundant and fresh new background information that not only puts the series in its context but explains many of the English terms unfamiliar to the American reader. Ms. Lindskoog provides many Biblical parallels which illumine the plot. These concise insights and applications are designed for personal reading pleasure as well as being practical helpers for teachers, parents and ministers. When C. S. Lewis read the first draft of this manuscript, he commented, "You are in the center of the target everywhere. For one thing, you know my work better than anyone else I've met; certainly better than I do myself.... You (alone of the critics I've met) realize the connection or even the unity of all the books-scholarly, fantastic, theological-and make me appear a single author, not a man who impersonates half a dozen authors, which is what I seem to most. This wins really very high marks indeed." This important text of Lewis scholarship has been copied, widely used but never surpassed.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams offers fascinating insight into The Chronicles of Narnia, the popular series of novels by one of the most influential Christian authors of the modern era, C. S. Lewis. Lewis once referred to certain kinds of book as a "mouthwash for the imagination." This is what he attempted to provide in the Narnia stories, argues Williams: an unfamiliar world in which we could rinse out what is stale in our thinking about Christianity--"which is almost everything," says Williams--and rediscover what it might mean to meet the holy. Indeed, Lewis's great achievement in the Narnia books is just that-he enables readers to encounter the Christian story "as if for the first time." How does Lewis makes fresh and strange the familiar themes of Christian doctrine? Williams points out that, for one, Narnia itself is a strange place: a parallel universe, if you like. There is no "church" in Narnia, no religion even. The interaction between Aslan as a "divine" figure and the inhabitants of this world is something that is worked out in the routines of life itself. Moreover, we are made to see humanity in a fresh perspective, the pride or arrogance of the human spirit is chastened by the revelation that, in Narnia, you may be on precisely the same spiritual level as a badger or a mouse. It is through these imaginative dislocations that Lewis is able to communicate--to a world that thinks it knows what faith is--the character, the feel, of a real experience of surrender in the face of absolute incarnate love. This lucid, learned, humane, and beautifully written book opens a new window onto Lewis's beloved stories, revealing the moral wisdom and passionate faith beneath their perennial appeal.

Published in the early 1950s, C. S. Lewis's seven Chronicles of Narnia were proclaimed instant children's classics and have been hailed in The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature as "the most sustained achievement in fantasy for children by a 20th-century author." But how could Lewis (a formidable critic, scholar, and Christian apologist)conjure up the kind of adventures in which generations of children (and adults) take such delight? In this engaging and insightful book, C. S. Lewis expert David C. Downing invites readers to join his vivid exploration of the Chronicles of Narnia, offering a detailed look at the enchanting stories themselves and also focusing on the extraordinary intellect and imagination of the man behind the Wardrobe. Downing presents each Narnia book as its own little wardrobe - each tale an opportunity to discover a visionary world of bustling vitality, sparkling beauty, and spiritual clarity. And Downing's examination of C. S. Lewis's personal life shows how the content of these classic children's books reflects Lewis's love of wonder and story, his affection for animals and homespun things, his shrewd observations about human nature, along with his vast reading, robust humor, theological speculations, medieval scholarship, and arcane linguistic jokes. A fun glossary of odd and invented words will allow readers to speak with Narnian flair, regaling friends and family with unusual words like cantrips, poltoonery, hastilude, and skirling. A masterful work that will appeal to both new and seasoned fans of Narnia, Into the Wardrobe offers a journey beyond Narnia's deceptively simple surface and into its richly textured and unexpected depths.

By popular demand, this best-selling online Bible-study has finally been brought to print! The Eternal Truths of Narnia is a much-sought-after study that has seen tremendous success both in an individual and group study. Through thought-provoking questions, culturally relevant topics, and parallel Scripture pas-sages the book encourages the reader to discover the eternal truths found in all seven books of the Narnia series. With specific notes and discussion tips for lead-ers of Bible study groups, this detailed workbook will draw readers of all ages into the deeper biblical truths found within the Chronicles of Narnia series.