Re: Narnia books/secular

[John Paul Davis <johnd at antioch-college_edu>]

> 
> To re-market these books as something "new and secular" would be 
> ridiculous - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> 


I find that the "sacred/secular" division is a false one anyway. The 
Narnia story is sacred on it's won, apart from the conections (or lack 
thereof) to Christian imagery. They're sacred like all well-made art is 
sacred - and especially like all good stories and songs are sacred. Good 
stories, songs, poetry, all good art is always the story of humans 
trying to understand themselves, the world around them and therefore, by 
extension, God. The Narnia stories *seem* more "sacred" because they 
deal with subject matter we tend to categorize as "sacred", i.e. 
"supernatural" stuff - magic and the like - but if you take Lewis's 
view, magic is *more* natural than, say, technology. The connections 
people are so willing to see between the Narnia stories or LoTR are 
valid in the same way that connections between Islam and Christianity or 
Judaism and Christianity are - they're all different ways of handling 
similar subject matter.
The Narnia stories are as legitimate a way of understanding God as the 
Christian story, IMHO.

- John

np: Water No Get Enemy: Femi Kuti
-- 
John Paul Davis
Center for Community Learning
Antioch College

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ned Flanders: Let's just agree to disagree
Principal Skinner: I don't agree to that
Mrs. Krabapple: Me neither
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