| Author | Message | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 448 Registered: 5-2009 |
Just a quick post--lots of grandkids visiting, but would like to share this. It's an excerpt from a response letter written to a little girl in 1957: "It makes me, I think, more humble than proud to know that Aslan has allowed me to be the means of making Him more real to you. Because He could have used anyone-as He made a donkey preach a good sermon to Balaam."...C.S. Lewis I never heard of Narnia until I read these books in my twenties! (EGW on fiction, you know). What a shame they were never mentioned, not once, in all my years (1st-college) in adventist education. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1725 Registered: 6-2006  |
Ellen White wasn't stupid ~ she knew if people started reading other books they most likely would discover the material she was poaching...  Leigh Anne | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 716 Registered: 10-2006 |
I LOVE the Chronicles of Narnia and learned so much through reading those books. (I didn't grow up Adventist, but came in through a prophecy seminar as an adult. C.S. Lewis wrote so much great stuff. I also loved the Screwtape Letters, Surprised By Joy and Mere Christianity - among other books he wrote. They are powerful and life changing! I did learn very quickly when I "came into the truth" that Adventists don't read fiction - and fantasy was particularly bad. Ellen said so. As a teacher, I was very interested in the local JA. I was told the school was very proud of the fact that it contained absolutely no fiction. | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 838 Registered: 12-2007 |
I was told as SDA that all the C.S. Lewis books were "Satanic" and about "witchcraft". So,,, they are really ok ? I have never read one of them. Francie | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 719 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yes! They're not only OK, they're great. There is a white witch in the Chronicles of Narnia, but she is Satan. There is also a reference to the salvation act as the white witch not understanding the "magic". It's not about magic like the Harry Potter books. They really are wonderful books. I also loves the movies - but of course the books are SO much better! (By the way, read them in order) If you want to read something by C.S. Lewis, I suggest the Screwtape Letters as a good place to start. Its a series of letters from Screwtape to an apprentice demon, Wormwood telling him how to tempt people to fall away from Christ. It is a Christ honoring book even though my description may not make it seem that way. Mere Christianity is wonderful, but very deep, too. C.S. Lewis was an amazing man. It was so cool to read how he came to Christ. He was setting out to prove Christianity wrong. I won't spoil anymore of the story. There are lots of C.S. Lewis fans on this forum. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1729 Registered: 6-2006 |
Francie, Count me in as a C.S. Lewis fan. He was an athiest who converted to Christianity and became one of the greatest Christian apologists of the 20th century. My favorite books of his are "The Great Divorce" and "The Four Loves" (I did actually start reading him with the "Screwtape Letters"). I admit though, that as a native southern Californian, I keep a small dictionary nearby when reading some of his fiction. He was also a professor at Oxford in England and actually speaks English, LOL!! Such a wonderful author who was not afraid to express his love for his savior. Leigh Anne | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8353 Registered: 3-2004  |
So many books to catch up on!!!!!! Diana L | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 451 Registered: 5-2009 |
Francie, run right out and get the Chronicles of Narnia. They are "children's" books that are for children of all ages. They are delightful and about Christ, not Satan. They are beautiful & creative. I just read a statement written by Walter Hooper, former personal secretary to C.S. Lewis telling how Jesus Christ was the 'centre' of Lewis's life and discussing such things as the deeply moving portrayal of Aslan's death on the Stone Table. When you read this series you will quickly see what they really are about--I know what you mean, though. We had to explain to someone in the family, who had only read Pacific Press books , what they were actually talking about and they just had no concept. | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 728 Registered: 8-2008 |
I love the Chronicles of Narnia. I have them in audiobook form on my iPod and I listen to them often. Yesterday I listened to The Last Battle on my iPod while cleaning my garage. The theme of deception and truth reminded me of Adventism versus the Gospel. | ||
| Doc Registered user Username: Doc Post Number: 581 Registered: 2-2003  |
I love these books too. My wife and I came across the Chronicles of Narnia (or at least, got round to reading them, I had heard of them before), when we were in our 30s. So much for being children's books, we could not put them down. I loved the science fiction trilogy too, which I read somewhat earlier - Out of the Silence Planet, etc. Awesome stuff! And of course, as someone has mentioned, he was English :-) And what I always mention to the Hungarians, is that he used to enjoy a pint and a pipe down the pub. Drives the legalists crazy... Adrian | ||
| Doc Registered user Username: Doc Post Number: 582 Registered: 2-2003 |
By the way, I love the first book, the Magician's Nephew, and I have never seen an adaptation of it. The BBC left it out of their 80s series, and it has not been filmed either, as far as I know. Or the Last Battle... Or the Horse and his Boy... I hope they get round to it... AB | ||
| Doc Registered user Username: Doc Post Number: 583 Registered: 2-2003 |
Out of the Silent Planet - that is. (Thulcandra -if I remember right. Why do I always retain such unbelievably useless information?) Of course, Lewis and Tolkien were mates, and loved inventing languages. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1730 Registered: 6-2006 |
Doc, the space trilogy was great!! My favorite was the last ~ "That Hideous Strength". That one I couldn't put down. Amazing imagination Lewis had. Several years ago I read a book by Douglas Gresham about Lewis called "Lenten Lands". It was basically the story of this boy and his mother meeting Lewis, and of course later Lewis marrying his mother. I believe it inspired the movie "Shadowlands" with Anthony Hopkins. I highly recommend both the book and the movie. LA | ||
| Doc Registered user Username: Doc Post Number: 584 Registered: 2-2003 |
That film was great too! Very moving. I watched it with my mother. Haven't read the book. AB | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1304 Registered: 7-2007 |
Here's a neat quote by C.S. Lewis: "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1305 Registered: 7-2007 |
Oh, I really liked the first of the Narnia movies. You could see the allegory to Christianity. The second one didn't seem to be much of an allegory at all. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11461 Registered: 12-2003  |
I've got to chime in here as well and say I love the Chronicles of Narnia, and I also really liked the space trilogy. I hadn't even HEARD of any of these books until I was in my 20's I discovered the space trilogy while I was teaching at Gem State Academy (can't remember how I learned of them...), but I didn't discover Narnia until about 10 years later. I was teaching at a tiny Christian school in San Bernardino, and I had a seventh-grade boy who read incessantly. He insisted I borrow his Narnia books...and I could not believe how amazing they were. I re-read several of them after I left Adventism, and they totally came to life. I had enjoyed them the first time, but after knowing who Jesus really is and how we are saved, those books became amazing. I'm particularly fond of The Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair (thrum, thrum, thrum...). Focus on the Family has a wonderful audio version of these books. It's not just read by a voice; it's word for word, but it's actual audio theater. It's really gripping and, because it's word for word, it makes those books come alive. In fact, it was the audio version that got Richard through all of the books. He could listen while he did other things, and he was able to hear them all within a week. (I'm not implying Richard doesn't like to read—he reads a lot—just generally not novels!) Colleen | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 733 Registered: 10-2006 |
I for some reason never was interested in reading the space trilogy. You guys have convinced me... Off I go to buy more books. I really liked the focus on the family recordings - especially the Chronicles of Narnia. We always took either Adventures in Odyssey or one of his other audio books in the car. They are all really good. What memories those audiobooks created... Asurprise, the movies are NEVER as good as the books! | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2469 Registered: 8-2004  |
Asurprise, The second movie was much further from what the books actually say than the first movie. I love all seven books, and like the movies where they attempt to carry the message of the books. Here's hoping the third movie actually does that! | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1311 Registered: 7-2007 |
I hope so too, Helovesme2. The third movie is supposed to be put out by another company, if I'm not mistaken. Here's the trailer for it. (A little way down the page.) http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100617/official-trailer-for-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-hits-web/index.html | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8364 Registered: 3-2004 |
I thought I had never seen any Narnia movie. I have. I saw one in Arkansas in 2007 with my son and his family. Now I want to borrow the books from the library. Diana L | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1314 Registered: 7-2007 |
Neat trailer, isn't it? I hope this movie will reflect Christianity the way C.S. Lewis meant to in the allegory. | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 847 Registered: 12-2007 |
Ok, you guys have convinced me ...LOL I need to get one of the books or movie. I just watched the trailer from the link Asurprise posted... looks like a good one to take the grandkids to :-) (would never have taken them to see before all your comments as I was always told they were "Satanic" SIGH :-( Lies, lies, more lies... dont read anything not published by Pacific Press or Review + Herald,, all others are of the Devil,, they will pervert your minds..... More like show a Christian way other than the SDA mindset!! I agree with Richard's idea about putting them on ipod to listen to so can listen while doing other things. :-) BTW... a friend of mine just got a "nook" like a kindle, etc... she LOVES it. I was wondering,, does anyone here know if you can download pdf files off the computer onto those ? You would not believe the amount of paper and printer ink I have used printing out things I want to save or print out to read later and a lot of it never gets read... I have downloaded a lot of the old Proclamations that were printed before I was aware of them and would love to put them onto a knidle or such thing.. but am putting off buying one until I find out more about them and just what they will and will not do. I would also like to put the Bible onto one,, would be handy at church for looking up texts quickly I would think... ? Francie | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1317 Registered: 7-2007 |
Skeeter, I would suggest the first movie: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." That one is pretty clearly an allegory about Christianity. The second doesn't seem to have hardly anything about Christianity. The third book seemed kind of weird to me, but there were a few lessons in it about living a Christian life. | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 848 Registered: 12-2007 |
on you tube I found only one audio book by CS lewis.. it is a 19 parter "The magicians nephew" since that is the only one I found I have downloaded it to my ipod and will hear that one first. | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 739 Registered: 10-2006 |
Actually, that's a good thing Francie! Magician's Nephew comes before Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Hope you enjoy it! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11474 Registered: 12-2003 |
Francie, Richard is projecting that we will be able to make Proclamation readable by an electronic "reader". It's not yet ready to happen yet, but it's on his radar screen. Colleen |
