Using Fantasy To Teach Faith

This coming May 16th, Walden Media and Disney, are releasing the second installment of C. S. Lewis' masterpiece of children's fantasy, The Chronicles of Narnia. The movie, based on the fourth book in the series, is called Prince Caspian. However, it was the second book written by Lewis in the series. This may be the reason that Walden has decided to follow the original order of publication.

Lewis concept was to allow children to grab the truths of the Christian message in a format that captured their imagination. He used the Pevensie children, and others to follow, to allow every child the ability to enter the greater story of good conquering evil. Through them he invested the young reader with a since of greatness so that their young lives could be seen to make an impact in a world assaulted by evil powers.

The original audience of the fantasy novels had just emerged from the black cloud of Hitler's Nazism. Much like today, with the specter of aggressive Islamic Fundamentalism and their butchering of the innocent, children can find something in this story that can give them hope amidst the black smock of terrorism.

In Narnia there is something to fight for. In Narnia there is something to lay one's life down for. In Narnia there is a powerful being to find hope and strength in. In Narnia children can become world changers.

Aslan, the Christ figure, is the most necessary component of winning the battle. However, the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve are also necessary. When they come into the picture as the royal entourage that they are; all of Narnia comes back to life! In the real world of England where Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are from they are still too young and too weak to make a difference but in Narnia their strength is renewed and their powers are restored.

I encourage you to go out and pick up the book and begin to read Prince Caspian before the movie comes out in May. Introduce yourself and your children to a fun read and show them that their is a possible world where they can grow up to become heroes like the Pevensies and Prince Caspian himself.