The Lion's World A Journey into the Heart of Narnia

by Williams, Rowan

• ISBN13: 9780199975730
• ISBN10: 0199975736
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780199323678
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-03-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Archbishop Rowan Williams offers fascinating insight into the most famous works of one of the most influential Christian authors of all time: C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Williams reflects on each classic story, illuminating such themes as a concern to do justice to the difference of God, the disturbing and exhilarating otherness of what is encountered in the life of faith, a relentless insistence on self-questioning in order to discover which truths we fear and to prevent self-serving falsehood, and a passion to communicate the excess of joy that is promised by the truth of God in Christ. Lewis's greatest achievement, Williams argues, is to enable readers to encounter the Christian story as if for the first time, and he finds in Lewis's imaginative renewal of one of the world's most familiar stories a source of joy for jaded believers and contented unbelievers alike. Yet Williams also engages readily with the controversial aspects of Lewis's work, considering the charges of sexism, violence, and racial stereotyping that have been leveled against Lewis by contemporary critics such as Philip Pullman. This lucid, learned, humane, and beautifully written book opens a new window onto Lewis's beloved stories, revealing the moral wisdom and passionate faith beneath their perennial appeal.

Author Biography

Rowan Williams is Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. A poet and theologian, he is the former Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England.