Paul,
Thank you for that review. I was equally disheartened that they completely took out "The Emperor Over the Sea" from Narnia. By doing this, they turned Narnia into Star Wars -- the "deep magic" being "The Force," a belief that Lewis was adamantly opposed to. What I think is even more silly is that they include such mythical creatures as fauns, dryads, Father Christmas, the book on Tumnus' shelf "Life and Letters of Silaneus," and many other myths, but they leave out The Myth of the Emperor over the Sea. This is completely preposterous, even from an artistic standpoint. It's like taking "The Architect" out of the Matrix. Pointless and idiotic -- unless you are trying to make Narnia something it was not created to be (i.e., "Star Wars").
I also agree that it would have been better with the "resurrection romp" left in. However -- and I could certainly be mistaken -- I do not think that we can read (even in the book) Aslan's death and resurrection as an exact representation of what Christ did for us. As I have pointed out before (indeed, Lewis even mentions it on the passages you cite in your well-done article) Christ died to restore fellowship between God and Man. This is Christianity (Lewis seems to say this in that quotation, but then he leaves it out of his summation of Christianity in the following paragraph...odd). I think that Stanley Grenz (a soul that will be sorely missed) majestically explained how everything God has done, and every aspect of theology ultimately points to the restoration of perfect community (see Theology for the Community of God). Restoration of perfect community was the goal, the destination of Christ's death; the resurrection and the life we in turn receive is the vehicle that brings us to that destination. Christ did not die simply that we might live, but that we might live through Him in fellowship with God (i.e., the Trinity).
Again, I could be missing something, but it appears that the purpose, the "destination," of Aslan's death and resurrection and the purpose of Christ's resurrection are not exactly the same. Indeed, Aslan died so that Edmund might live in community with Narnia (and Aslan), but there is nothing mentioned about any kind of fellowship or community between the Emperor (i.e. "God") and Edmund. If we say "Aslan is God; Fellowship with Aslan is fellowship with God," we commit the heresy of Sabellianism (i.e., "Christ is God the Father"). It seems, rather that Aslan is more of a "Type" of Christ just as "Melchizidek" was a type of Christ, or Christ is a "type" of Adam (i.e., "the Second Adam") -- not exactly the same, but very similar, and we can learn about Christ by studying these types.
I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks so much for sharing your excellent article.
