Puddleglum on Wish Fulfillment

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

-from The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

Take Care When Reading the Chronicles of Narnia

You can get into a lot of trouble by thinking too much about these books. It just struck me that 2 Kings and 2 Queens ruling in Narnia simultaneously fits more with an Orthodox understanding of Church Hierarchy than a Roman understanding. Then it hit me that the High King's name is Peter. Is this Roman? Then the thought came to me that Aslan said, "Once a King or Queen in Narnia, alway a King or Queen in Narnia." Does this mean that Lewis was a Calvinist?

The fact is that Lewis did not write these books as allegories, though they do have some allegorical elements. If you want to know what Lewis thought of the Roman or Presbyterian churches, you'll have to get that from his non-fiction writings. For his final thoughts, you'll have to visit him in Narnia in the eschaton.

These are children's books. It seems that the lessons he wanted to teach are very clear (and not always about religion). If you're itching to get into an allegory, try his Pilgrim's Regress.

White and Snowman

I believe this will be the last of the Snowman pictures. That's Old Andy standing with the ephemeral tall guy. Andy was the closest thing I ever had to a grandfather, and I miss the old man. He had no reason to treat us boys with such kindness, other than that was just the way he was. I still pray for him, and I believe he still prays for me.

I've been working on a post about C.S. Lewis's chapter on Friendship in The Four Loves, but I'm finding it difficult for some reason. In the meantime, why don't you have a look at this sympathetic critique of Lewis's Mere Christianity by N.T. Wright.

Come to think of it, when I see photos of C.S. Lewis, I'm always reminded of Old Andy. Hey, Andy, tell Jack I said, "Howdy."

Lewis's Vision of Hell

"...'[A] damned soul is nearly nothing: it is shrunk, shut up in itself. Good beats upon the damned incessantly as sound waves beat on the ears of the deaf, but they cannot receive it. Their fists are clenched, their teeth are clenched, their eyes fast shut. First they will not, in the end they cannot, open their hands for gifts, or their mouth for food, or their eyes to see.'"

C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce