R + F Podcast Ep. 003 | “Who is Aslan?”

Welcome to week three of the Religion + Fiction Book Club! We’re exploring chapters 8–11 this week in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I won’t rehash here what I’ve explored in the episode, but here is a bit about what we’ll cover, and some questions to consider for the book club.Book Club Episodes* Week 0 — An introduction* Week 1 — “Once there were four children…”* Week 2 — “Peter! Susan! It’s all true.”* Week 3 — “Who is Aslan?”* Week 4 — “Can anything be done to save Edmund?”* Week 5 — Deeper Magic from the Dawn of TimeWeek 3 Thoughts + Questions“Who is Aslan?”These chapters bring us to the heart of the book, turning our attention to Aslan and all he means for Narnia and the children—as well as what and who he mans for us.Aslan is imagined as a sort of Christ figure. How would you answer the question: Who is Jesus?How does Luke 4:14–23 bring clarity to this question?“Safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he is good.What do you suppose is meant by this comment on Aslan by Mr. Beaver? Why us goodness better than safety?In what ways do we try to make Jesus himself safe? Why is his goodness, for us and our lives, better than safety?“Humans are both brilliant and bad.”This is how one theologian frames our human identity. We’re all Good Monsters! Turn on social media—Facebook, twitter, and you get the full spectrum of humanity, right? Both the good and the funny and kind and uplifting—and also the evil and not-so-funny and spiteful and wicked.Edmund sort of embodies this epic struggle between good and evil that plays itself out on both the world stage and individual human stages.And interestingly, the “mention of Aslan gave [Edmund] a mysterious and horrible feeling—just as it gave the others a mysterious and lovely feeling.” Why do you suppose this was? What does this tell us about our own epic battles and struggles with good and evil?“Looks as if her power is already crumbling”The week ends on an incredibly hopeful note: the arrival of Father Christmas and the impending doom of winter!How do you suppose Father Christmas symbolizes the weakening of the White Queen’s power over Narnia? Why is Christmas itself a symbol of everything being put to right?This world is not the way its supposed to be—as we remarked the first week. But we do have these glimmers of hope—the rushing water, the patches of grace, the dark green fir of a tree—we see all of this when the good news of rescue and recreation in Christ breaks into someones life.1 John reminds us, “the reason the Son of God, Jesus Christ, appeared was to destroy the devil’s work”In what ways have you seen glimmers of the devil’s work being destroyed in your own life, in your own world, through the power of Jesus’ good news?Next week we will discover more of what he means for this adjacent world of Narnia—and what Jesus means for us through his sacrificial work.Would love to hear your perspective on these questions and anything else in the first virtual lesson.Use the comment field down below to respond to the questions and my session, and feel free to add anything else I missed.Next week, we will dive into 12–14, which is timely given they cover the hope of Christmas and the reason for the season. Should be perfect inspiration for the week leading up to celebrating the birth of our own Aslan. Hope to see you again next week, and feel free to pass this along to anyone else you know.Grace and peace,~jeremyJ. A. Bouma believes nobody should have to read bad religious fiction—whether it’s cheesy plots with pat answers or misrepresentations of the Christian faith and the Bible. So he tells compelling, propulsive stories that thrill as much as inspire, while offering a dose of insight along the way. Available at most online retailers and direct: shop.jabouma.com. Get full access to Religion & Fiction Newsletter at bouma.substack.com/subscribe