Faith in Film, Participant Suggestions part 2

Yesterday I offered the first half of a response to a participant suggestion during our "Faith in Film" class, which wrapped up on August 23. The participant suggestion was a look at "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia." In yesterday's post (Faith in Film, Participant Suggestions), I offered some thoughts on the Christian themes in "Lord of the Rings." Today I'll conclude a look at that question with some thoughts on the Christian themes in "The Chronicles of Narnia."

I think there is a principle difference in the way both series are looked at by viewers. With "Lord of the Rings," the three films, based on the three books, are basically one continuous story, and you really have to evaluate the whole work on that basis. "The Chronicles of Narnia" is a bit different. With that book series, while I think many are familiar with "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," the first part of the series, there is less emphasis on the work as a whole. Each adventure is a self contained story.

So in a sense, I think the comparison really should be between "Lord of the Rings" as a series and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." That really is the most popular of C.S. Lewis' books and is the one where the Gospel message is laid out most clearly.

I was critical of putting too much emphasis on the ability of "The Lord of the Rings" to convey the Gospel. That's because, while the film has some series Christian themes, I don't think there is a true Christ-figure. As a friend and colleague of mine said, in reality Gandalf functions more as a prophet or Elijah figure. There is no denying there is a Christ figure in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."

Lewis' first book creates not only an engrossing fantasy world and characters, it lays out the Gospel message in the narrative. There is a clear delineation between good and evil and there is no doubt that Aslan — who takes the form of a lion — serves as the Christ figure.

Aslan even follows the Christ-figure model. He offers wisdom, compassion, and encouragement to the kids. Then he even goes a step farther, he sacrifices his own life to save Edmund. He is executed but rises again from the dead to help the kids and the armies of Narnia overcome the evil queen and armies. He is unquestionably the king of Narnia.

I would also say that "Narnia" works best with children and teens. The story contains allegories of truth that pertain to people of all ages, but the story really sets up beautifully for younger audiences. "Lord of the Rings," with its dense themes and mythologies, appeals more to older viewers.

While both films are different in both their thematic approach, the worlds they create, and the audiences they attract, the two series' do a nice job of bringing important Christian themes to life. Both movies will continue to reach mass audiences because they should be appreciated as incredible works of fiction as well. The film craft used to bring the films to life is strong and the meat of the stories is retained in their cinematic adaptations.

There is a lot to like about both "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia," I just believe Christians need to moderate their praise and the way they talk about how these films encompass the Gospel.