Doug Wilson loves Narnia. He's spent a lot of time there: memorizing the landscape, getting to know the inhabitants, retracing the steps of the country's greatest heroes, like Lucy, Edmund, and Puddleglum. This is a book for fellow Narnia-lovers who've been there and can't wait to return, no matter how many times they've made the journey.
One of the reasons Wilson is so enthralled by C. S. Lewis's fantasy land is that there's so much to learn there. These aren't just mild moral lessons—he learned some of the heaviest lessons a Christian can, about authority, confession of sin, nobility, spiritual disciplines, love of story, free grace, and God's love.
Taken from talks Wilson shared with the children in his church, What I Learned in Narnia is compelling reading for all who've ventured into Aslan's country. Children get the insights; adults appreciate them more deeply. Each topic relates to behavior and lifestyle, and is also deeply theological.
Because of this, Wilson's book makes an excellent family devotional. Chapters are long for reading aloud, but you could easily read them in sections. You might consider reading the book yourself, then talking to your kids at night, guiding their thoughts and making them love Lewis' books more by revealing the deeper meanings.
This isn't for strangers to Narnia. You don't have to be a diehard fan, but you need to know the stories well enough to get his many allusions. There aren't synopses of plot or events, and knowledge of those is essential. If you love Jesus and Narnia, however, this is a great way to see where the two intersect.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
here.
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