Christian Allusions in The Chronicles of Narnia Books and Movies

When the first Chronicles of Narnia movie, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," came out, I saw a review in which the author said that the movie was not a Christian movie. I cannot remember where I saw the review, but I remember thinking that it was obvious that the movie had a strong Christian theme. I have to admit, however, that a person without a Christian background could see the movie and miss what I consider to be the plain references to the Christian faith.

It is helpful to keep in mind that C. S. Lewis, who wrote the series of books, became a Christian relatively late in life. While he may not have held some of the views on scientific issues that many evangelical Christians hold, he was certainly orthodox in his views of Jesus Christ and his saving death on the cross.

Let me list some of the allusions, both specific and general, that, for me, point to the Christian basis of the Narnia novels and movies.

Aslan as a Christ-figure. The central character in the novels and movies is Aslan, a lion, who represents Jesus Christ. As you follow the genealogies in the Bible, it is clear that Jesus is descended from the Israelite tribe of Judah. Then, in Revelation 5, Christ is referred to as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5). As the lion is known as the king of the jungle, so Aslan, in the Narnia stories, is the king of Narnia.

The Return of Aslan. A New Testament theme is the return of Jesus to the earth he left when he ascended into heaven. When Jesus returns, the process of making all things new will begin in earnest. When Aslan returns to Narnia, things will turn toward the renewal of life and land. In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Aslan does return.

The Sacrifice of Aslan. At the heart of the Christian faith is the death of Jesus on the cross as payment for the sins of the world. In the central episode of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Aslan volunteers to die in place of Edmund, a boy who has betrayed his family. Edmund deserved to die; Aslan took his place. The relationship to Christianity is obvious: we as sinners deserve God's wrath; Jesus took our place and took upon himself the wrath that we deserved

The Resurrection of Aslan. Aslan dies, but does not remain dead. He rises from the dead to the amazement of his friends and his enemies. Again, the relationship to the resurrection from the dead of Jesus is obvious.

The "Resurrection" of Many Beings. The White Witch, the symbol of evil in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," had turned many animals and other beings into stone statues. Following the resurrection of Aslan, these beings are "raised" from their stony "death" and brought back to life again. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus is the sign of the future resurrection of his people, the church.

The Corruption of the Earth. A major theme in the Bible as a whole is that, through the sin of Adam and Eve, the entire earth has been corrupted, torn away from the goodness that God achieved in the act of creating all things. In Romans 8:19-21, the apostle Paul talks about the decay that is true of the world as it exists today. In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Narnia has been turned into permanent winter and waits for the return of Aslan and the coming of the four children who will defeat evil and return Narnia to its original state.

The Struggle between Good and Evil. While religions other than Christianity tell of an epic struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil, it is certainly a theme of the Christian faith. That struggle begins in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 and ends in the book of Revelation with the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan. In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," that struggle is symbolized by the war between Aslan and the White Witch.

The above material will give you some idea of how C. S. Lewis worked his Christian faith into his Chronicles of Narnia. Even if you are not a Christian, you will find the books and the movies to be entertaining and instructive.