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Is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a Christian Movie?

This is kind of a fascinating question to me. Christians have always known that the Chronicles of Narnia are overtly Christian in the best way. They were written by C.S. Lewis, who is as well known for his non-fiction Christian books as he is for the Chronicles of Narnia. But apparently Disney, in a throwback to their recent years under Michael Eisner, is not promoting the Christian realities behind The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Instead, they’re assuming Christians know and trying not to scare of non-Christians (did they miss the gross sales of The Passion of Christ?).

To go off on a quick sidenote: If you are a Christian parent, I highly recommend the novels for children. They do an excellent job of explaining Christian theology in a simple, interesting way for kids.

To summarize the story, four children find a way to the mystical city of Narnia (kind of an alternate universe), where animals talk and magic is common. One of the children, Edmund, represents humanity and betrays his friends as well as Aslan, the Lion-king of Narnia. In the end, Aslan sacrifices his life for Edmond, despite the betrayal. And Aslan, as the Christ-figure, is resurrected. There is also a Satan character, the White Witch, whose powers provide interesting parallels with the powers of the devil. And the human capacity to change their ways is evident as is the power of forgiveness. Overall, the movie could provide a great catalyst for children seeking to understand the nature of Christianity.

Is this a Christian tale? Absolutely. And Disney did hire a director that could pull off the Christian aspects of the film rather well. If it does come across as it should, this is a film we should get out and support – there are six other books in this series (some prequels) that could be made. And it would be another great way to show the potential demand for authentic Christian movies.

God bless,
Jay