**Comparing Narnia and LotR** - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 12-13-2005, 04:28 AM

What I've found most interesting about the movie so far (I haven't seen it yet) is the way Evangelical Christians have leapt on it as a means to evangelise:
http://nppnblog.blogspot.com/2005/07...-strategy.html
http://store.yahoo.com/biblestudies/liwiandwa.html
http://www.christianpost.com/article...ia.mania/1.htm
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.u...1&arch=f#ideas

Now, I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing. What interests me is the way Evangelicals have grabbed onto Narnia but didn't bother with LotR (ok, some did, but not to any extent in the same way).

From Lewis's own words I'm not sure he would have approved. Is this merely capitalising on 'Art'? Does it 'break the spell' of the secondary world Lewis created? Most importantly, will children be taken to see the movie because 'its good for them'? Will their (our) experience of the movie be enhanced or spoiled by such a close association with 'religion'? Obviously, when we read the book we can see as much 'allegory' in it as we wish to (many readers seem not to have picked up on that aspect of it at all, especially if they read it as children & it wasn't pointed out to them by a 'helpful' adult), but with all this blatant promotion of the movie by Evangelicals as 'a way to get children into Church' will the wonder & magic be lost as 'The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe' is forced to serve another ('higher'?) purpose?

12-13-2005, 04:28 AM	#10
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	What I've found most interesting about the movie so far (I haven't seen it yet) is the way Evangelical Christians have leapt on it as a means to evangelise: http://nppnblog.blogspot.com/2005/07...-strategy.html http://store.yahoo.com/biblestudies/liwiandwa.html http://www.christianpost.com/article...ia.mania/1.htm http://www.christianitymagazine.co.u...1&arch=f#ideas Now, I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing. What interests me is the way Evangelicals have grabbed onto Narnia but didn't bother with LotR (ok, some did, but not to any extent in the same way). From Lewis's own words I'm not sure he would have approved. Is this merely capitalising on 'Art'? Does it 'break the spell' of the secondary world Lewis created? Most importantly, will children be taken to see the movie because 'its good for them'? Will their (our) experience of the movie be enhanced or spoiled by such a close association with 'religion'? Obviously, when we read the book we can see as much 'allegory' in it as we wish to (many readers seem not to have picked up on that aspect of it at all, especially if they read it as children & it wasn't pointed out to them by a 'helpful' adult), but with all this blatant promotion of the movie by Evangelicals as 'a way to get children into Church' will the wonder & magic be lost as 'The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe' is forced to serve another ('higher'?) purpose? __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."