Comments on: On God and Prince Caspian

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:01:37 +0000

Thanks John

Hey, the next time I am out your way, you will have to buy me a ‘room temperature’ English beer.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: John Thomas

John Thomas — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:50 +0000

Bill – English beer is “room temperature” – kinds of beer/lager are only refrigerated to disguise the fact that they have no flavour; real/good beer has no need of this. Oh well, I admit that it’s really a lot to do with climate. If I lived somewhere hot, Australia, parts of the US, etc., I’d want it chilled (Britain is cold enough without your beer setting your teeth on edge). And think of the subtle flavours I’d be missing … I bet C S Lewis would agree with me – there was a man who knew his pint.
John Thomas, UK

By: sean

sean — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:12:35 +0000

I just would like to say, the film is wonderfull and whatever your beliefs,the message of Jesus is something we must all reach out for in our lives. I live in the UK and things are not good at the moment but the message of Christ has totally changed my life.
Sean Ackland, UK

By: Glenda Morgan

Glenda Morgan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:21:16 +0000

I attended Prince Caspian, and enjoyed the movie as an entertainment experience. On the other side of the coin, being a avid CS Lewis fan, I was dismayed at the liberties taken with the story. No longer was it a story about children restoring Narnia. It was transformed into a movie for an adult audience. Somehow the childhood innocence and of the main characters had been lost. One thing that redeemed the movie for me was that the realization that failing to follow Aslan’s guidance from the start had created untold problems and grief later on for the children and the citizens of Narnia. Only when Aslan appeared did things start to go the way they should. A timely reminder to all of us to seek God’s guidance first and avoid the consequences of a bad decision later on.
Glenda Morgan

By: david skinner

david skinner — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:11:17 +0000

I am afraid that I have neither read or seen Prince Caspian – not yet – but would wish to reiterate Bill’s commentary.
It seems to take a lifetime to understand that in the same way that salvation was none of our doing neither is sanctification. Any maturity, growth, enlightenment, reformation of character are not of us: we remain sinners saved by God’s Grace. We will always be thus, until the day we die. It is only the Holy Spirit who can show us the depth of our depravity, of which we are only a billionth aware at the time of our conversion and only the Holy Spirit who can sustain, guide and enable us to joyfully obey God’s commands. Without the Holy Spirit, we can do none other than follow Frank Sinatra’s maxim: I did it my way.

Human growing up differs from our growth in Christ. Humanly I have learnt to become independent, to stand on my own feet, to become autonomous, my own lord. I want total freedom to go anywhere, whenever, and do whatever without reference to anyone. Our whole education system is geared towards this autonomy, this independence of spirit. We then wonder why our sons and daughters are so arrogant and self- centred. The paradox of maturing as a Christian is that the opposite happens; I have to learn to surrender more and more until there is nothing left of my own will but only that of the Father. I have to learn to submit willingly as Christ himself did. He learnt to empty himself, becoming nothing.

Philippians 2:5 says that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!”

David Skinner, UK

By: Stephen Frost

Stephen Frost — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:08:54 +0000

I went and saw it with my daughter (11). After the movie we sat in a cafe and talked about the Christian themes in the movie and she was able to name quite a few. She is now avidly reading the other Narnia books and enjoying them immensely.

What I like about them is that at one level (the simplest) they are just a good yarn. When you dig a little deeper you notice that they are teaching you moral truths such as the importance of honesty, self-sacrifice, courage and so on. Further digging reveals deeper truths consistent with Christian theology, such as the Fall, redemption (the dying God), the power in the Blood of Christ, that we live in “shadowlands” and reality that we don’t currently see is far more vivid and exciting than the shadows.

Having said all that, what I like the most is that the stories/movies appeal to the imagination of children and in doing so offer hope that there is a better world just around the corner, just waiting to be discovered.

Steve Frost
Melbourne

By: Ian Brearley

Ian Brearley — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:35:13 +0000

I went to see it and I loved it. I really got the message “go tell my disciples AND PETER” from the Prince Caspian character. I heartily recommend it.
Ian Brearley

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:18:14 +0000

Thanks Michael

But the strange thing is, those not familiar with Lewis or the book may not have even noticed any religious themes in the film, just a good fantasy adventure. Presumably this reviewer is aware of Lewis, and hates his Christian beliefs.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Michael Watts

Michael Watts — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:13:17 +0000

A Tasmanian newspaper review bagged the film for “trying to ram religion down young people’s throats” (or similar) while claiming it was too violent for children anyway.

Huh?

Michael Watts