'Further up and further in': Biblical themes and imagery in C.S. Lewis' The chronicles of Narnia

Abstract

Clive Staples Lewis is one of the most popular and renowned authors and lay theologians of the twentieth century. Lewis is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia series, which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. As a committed Anglican who was well versed in the Bible, Lewis wrote extensively on the subject of Christianity. Lewis’ thoughts on the subject were not confined to just his academic writings; his fictional work which also includes The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy has biblical allusions permeating the narratives. This dissertation comprehensively explores biblical themes in The Chronicles of Narnia. I have identified the allusions throughout the Narnian heptalogy and have catalogued and analyzed them within the overarching themes of Christology, Creationism, the Trinity and Eschatology. This literary study has been enhanced by researching authorial intention in that I have also corroborated Lewis’ theological stance as expressed within his academic writings. In light of the patterns discerned in Lewis’ use of the Bible, I conclude that Lewis uses a Christocentric reading of both Old and New Testaments and that he follows a Christian reading of the canonical biblical metanarrative. Although biblical allusion is pervasive, the primary reason for it is to fill out the figure of Aslan and establish him as the Christ figure in Narnia.