R + F Podcast Episode 005 | Deeper Magic from the Dawn of Time

Welcome to the final week five of the Religion + Fiction Book Club! We’re exploring chapters 15–17 this week in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I won’t rehash here what I’ve explored above, but here is a bit about what we’ll cover, and some questions to consider for the book club.* 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 5 Thoughts + QuestionsIn this final week we come to the end of the story and discover the end results of where we left off last week at chapter 14.Deeper Magic from the Dawn of TimeAfter Aslan’s sacrificial death for Edmund’s treachery, Susan and Lucy ‘held each other’s hands for mere loneliness and cried again; and then again were silent.’ (158)The scene is reminiscent of the scene at the cross of Christ, when all the hopes of the disciples were dashed—and really all those moments when it seems like the loneliness and hopelessness and horribleness is never going to end.Sort of like 2020!When have you had such an experience—when you feel as if nothing is ever going to happen again, that it is never going to be the same.? More MagicOf course, Aslan’s death isn’t the final word in the story—because he comes back. There is more magic to be had! As Aslan explains:“She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.” (163)The beauty of this story is the same beauty and majesty as the Christian story—that death in all its forms doesn’t have the final word in our story because of the resurrection.What do you think about the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus? What does it mean for the world—for you?Museums v. ZoosAslan’s resurrection doesn’t just have significance for him—it matters for all of Narnia.In chapter 16, we find the fruit of his resurrection, where the cold, stone statues become warm and living. And ‘the courtyard looked no longer like a MUSEUM, it looked more like a zoo.’ (168)Same with us thanks to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We who are in Christ have passed from death to live—from a museum-life to a zoo-life!And just like Peter and Edmund, Lucy and Susan who find their true selves and identities and purpose thanks to Aslan’s words—we too find our life, our true selves, in Christ’s life, death and resurrection.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.Thanks for participating in my first Religion & Fiction Book Club! Hope to do it again soon 🙂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