The Lion the Witch and the Bible: Good and Evil in the Classic Tales of C.S. Lewis

Robert Velarde's book The Lion, The Witch, and the Bible, is subtitled "Good and Evil in the Classic Tales of C. S. Lewis," and that's exactly what he explores in a book designed to guide discussions of The Chronicles of Narnia and consider what we can learn from Lewis. Velarde even includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Velarde explores Lewis's ethics, which he presents by examining virtues and vices exemplified in the characters of The Chronicles. These include good and evil, courage and cowardice, fairness and unfairness, honesty and dishonesty, mercy and cruelty, peace and war, as well as repentance and unrepentance. In The Lion, The Witch, and the Bible, Velarde displays a solid understanding of Christian beliefs and provides a fair treatment of Lewis's ideology. He has researched Lewis's life and work, as well as the commentary of reputable Lewis scholars. He provides appropriate Scripture to underscore his own commentary on Christian values in The Chronicles, and urges the reader to apply the principles illustrated. He further provides examples of how to live the Christian life based on his discussion of characters and their actions. Essentially, Velarde's book is a look at The Chronicles of Narnia from a Christian perspective, with an encouragement to make moral reflections using the series as tools. Velarde provides fine commentary, and his book can be useful to those who want to delve further into the story. Just don't lose sight of appreciating The Chronicles of Narnia as simply enjoyable stories, which is what Lewis intended. -- Dr. Pamela L. Jordan, Christian Book Previews.com

Why does the author give his book 4 stars instead of 5? Because I think 5 star ratings should be reserved for truly classic literature such as the Chronicles of Narnia. My book is about good and evil, right and wrong, and vice and virtue as expressed in all seven of the Narnia books. The book is very much character driven, meaning that chapters on specific issues, such as humility and pride, focus on specific characters in the books and how these traits play out in Narnia. Some of the characters discussed in the book include Aslan, the White Witch, Tumnus, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, Puddleglum, Reepicheep, and many more. Chapters cover topics including courage and cowardice, fairness and unfairness, honesty and dishonesty, mercy and cruelty, peace and war, and other issues. C.S. Lewis believed that every ethical choice we make, however small or great, contributes to the overall shaping of our moral character. My book emphasizes this important point. In addition to weaving in many references to Narnia, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Bible" is unique when compared to many other books about Narnia in that I reference more than 30 other books by Lewis and a number of his letters and essays. In other words, I take the time to look at what Lewis wrote on these topics in his writings beyond Narnia. One reason the Chronicles of Narnia are classic books is because they grapple with timeless moral issues. My book helps readers understand these concepts better in light of Narnia, as well as the Bible. By the way, if you have not read all the Narnia books, my book includes plot summaries of all seven Narnia books.