Christian Fantasy: Lewis, Williams, and ???

[the_faery_queen]

thanks gollum!

 

[chongjasmine]

C.S Lewis's chronicles of Narnia has many christian references in it. Aslan seems like the christian God to me, especially in the scene when he died and later became alive again.

Russell kirkpatrick's fire of heaven trilogy also seems to have many christian refererences in it. The Most High seems like the christian God, and the destroyer definitely seems like Satan to me.

 

[chongjasmine]

And what do you think of writing fantasy based on one's own religion? Propaganda, exploitation, or simply a case of authors using the themes and symbols that move them personally?

I think if an author is a christian, then he or she may be writing about his or her religion because it is something very much a part of his or her life. As long as the writing is not a hidden propoganda to convert others to his or her religion, I think it is all right for an author to write about his or her religion. Acually, even if it is propoganda, I think it is still all right. Because freedom of writing should mean that all writings be respected, including propogandas. So long as it is good propoganda. Good, as in, the story is good.

 

[chongjasmine]

Sounds good Gollum.

Has anyone heard of Russell Kirkpatrick? His books are rich with Christian metaphors, and not just basic Christian stories such as Creation or the Crucifixion (which also feature), but commentaries about the character and sometimes hypocrytical behaviour of modern Evangelical Christians. I wrote and asked if he was a Christian, but he was not able to give me a clear answer ... unlike Lewis who was very clear and outspoken about his own faith.

I think he is a christian. I read somewhere in his website that he had been an assistant pastor before. Therefore, it makes sense for him to be a christian.

However, in his book, Hal, who is the Christ figure (in that he is actually the most high,aka, God, in the book) is actually the son of the destroyer. That is the only part very unchristian in the book.

 

[thepaladin]

Glad I came across this thread, it was started before I came to the sight.

When a Christian writes from a Christian point of view that's natural. Many published works (more now than in the past) are written from the point of view of one or more traditional eastern religions (by this I'm refering to Hinduism...Islam..etc. not so much Eastern Orthodox Christanity). There are also fictions from the point of view of Atheism, as well as wicca, the "New Age" etc.

Writers generally (probably) write from the world view they find natural...and of course that they wish to endorse. This is (so far as I'm concerned) fine. It can be done with more finesse or less.. On that score it's up to the reader to decide what they like to read. Authors can write from the point of view and as heavy handedly as they like. Book sales determine from there.

 

[Fried Egg]

What about Stephen Lawhead? He's a christian SF/Fantasy author...

 

[Connavar]

Many of Gemmell's books are full of Christian leanings,stories that focus on priest characters,redemption of bad,violent men is the hole point of many of his works.

In his best books I find the religious tone inspiring cause its not propaganda,its heart warming at times. Its faith that could be any faith. Not church organized religion.

 

[Window Bar]

Tolkien, Williams & Lewis, all being Christians, could certainly be expected to use the symbols of Christianity--and they used them well indeed. But those of us who are not necessarily Christians are nonetheless members of (or have been exposed to) Western culture--which is based on two principle stories: Christianity and the Hero's Journey.

We may, therefore, end up writing Christian allegory whether or not we are believers. The symbols of sacrifice and redemption are quite powerful. They touch the heart. They are probably the main reason that Christianity spread. People are far more interested to lend an ear to a heart-grabbing story than to a hundred thousand words of dry dogma.

Therein, of course, lies the risk. We might as well dress in Hobbit clothes and hold Frodomas celebrations at the Winter Solstice. At least, to the best of my knowledge, no one has declared war on anyone for failure to believe in Frodo. If only Christians and Muslims could take the cue.

 

[thepaladin]

Well, I'm not declaring war on anyone...but, I've got a couple of recommendations. (we Christians are so dangerous by the way lest it be missed, this was meant to sound light hearted, I am not offended, no really. Sometimes we don't get offended, honest.)

There are some fairly good Christian fantasies out there aside from the ones mentioned. All The Bells on Earth and some of Blaylock's other books come to mind, Lawhead is mentioned above, there's George MacDonald (another writer C.S. Lewis liked). MacDonald's Lilith is one of my favorite books, though pretty esoteric. There are also some openly Christian fantasies that run hot and cold (some are good others not written so well) I still plan to try a few of those. There are probably others I'm not thinking of right now..I'll drop back if I think of any more.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

All of GK Chesterton's fiction was a Catholic apologia, often subtle, sometimes (especially in the Father Brown tales or The Club of Queer Trades) quite transparent. This certainly applies to his novels The Napoleon Of Notting Hill, a sort of future-fantasy and The Man Who Was Thursday, a chaotic, often chilling novel that was included in Lin Carter's Ballantine Adult Classics series. These two books certainly belong in a discussion of Christian fantasy and Chesterton was both a better fantasist and a better apologist than Lewis, in my admittedly non-Christian opinion.

 

[j d worthington]

Much has been said about it elsewhere, but I would have to argue that religion -- or at least religious belief -- permeates LotR, as well as other of Tolkien's writings. It isn't nearly as overtly stated, but it is most definitely a strong factor, from the Elves' chant to Elbereth ("A Elbereth Gilthoniel") to Sam's call on the same Vala (Bk. IV, ch. 10), to Gandalf's description of his return (as well as his early days in Middle-earth, which implies he was sent by such Powers), to Galadriel's lament ("Namárië"), and so on. Frankly, I think it is part of what makes LotR such a strong book -- the fact that such faith underlies the entire structure of the work and the actions of so many of the characters is influenced by their faith. And, as it isn't so didactically handled, it comes across as woven into the fabric of the world itself, a natural part of Middle-earth rather than something imposed on it as a conscious artifice.

Another suggestion I would add to those above is the anthology edited by Robert H. Boyer & Kenneth Zahorski, Visions of Wonder: An Anthology of Christian Fantasy (a companion volume to their The Phoenix Tree: An Anthology of Myth Fantasy, and The Fantastic Imagination and The Fantastic Imagination II). As well as several of the writers listed above, it includes pieces by Richard Garnett, Oscar Wilde, Kenneth Morris, A. E. Coppard, Vera Chapman, John Buchan, Selma Lagerlöf, and several others....

 

[Clansman]

Fried Egg mentioned Stephen Lawhead above. Christian belief permeates his writing, and he takes pains to show the difference between power-hungry false priests, and true priestly disciples of Christ. He does not hesitate to take aim at the very corrupt structure of the Roman Church during the Middle Ages, where it owned most of the land in Europe and extracted crushing rents and tithes from its tenants, while the upper echelons of the priesthood lived in luxury. The contrast between, for instance, Tuck and Bishop Hugo (a very bad man) in the King Raven series was blatant, and purposefully so.