“Eschatology and authentic spiritual identity are twin themes in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Guarding one’s spiritual identity and maintaining vigilant reading of contemporary philosophies and movements—the ‘signs of the times’—are one and the same.”
— Dr. Monika Hilder, Professor of English
British writer and theologian C.S. Lewis was not convinced by the humanistic philosophies of his day.
Through his writings, including the Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis hinted that humanity's best future lay beyond the world that humans could create.
Heightened awareness of the meaning of life
In a co-edited volume, The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada, TWU Professor of English Dr. Monika Hilder demonstrates how, in Lewis's mind, the greatest hope was farther ahead.
“Contrary to the sanguine claims of business…that ‘the future is friendly,’ Lewis has assured readers that this cannot be so—not yet," Dr. Hilder writes. "Enslavement of peoples, ecological disaster, and coercive syncretism are the wave of the future.”
Yet Lewis was not being cynical or a pessimist. He was being a faithful Christian, setting his sights on eternity.
Dr. Hilder explains, “Lewis’s eschatological perspective heightened his sense of the meaning of life—in the present and in the eternal, because in his view the veil separating time from eternity is very thin.”
“His intention in the Chronicles of Narnia, as elsewhere, is to ‘weave a spell’ strong enough to awaken us to the reality that we are at every moment making choices that have eternal weight.”
Hope for this world and for the one to come
In Dr. Hilder’s chapter, “Identity Theft: Reading the Signs of the Times in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia,” she shows how Lewis uses his characters to reveal humanity’s eternal, spiritual identity. In doing so, Lewis teaches his audiences to “read the signs of the times with hope—hope for this world and for the one to come.”
Dr. Hilder writes, “Eschatology and authentic spiritual identity are twin themes in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia."
“Guarding one’s spiritual identity and maintaining vigilant reading of contemporary philosophies and movements—the ‘signs of the times’—are one and the same.”
“Authentic spiritual identity can be compromised, even lost, through naturalism, rationalism, and syncretism, and the Christian’s calling is to battle for restoration.”
The battle to restore true spiritual identity
In a similar context to that of many Christian believers today, Lewis lived in a world hostile to faith. He, along with the Christian believers of his day, had to wrestle with philosophies and worldviews that competed with Christianity.
Dr. Hilder wrote of the challenges in Lewis’s era, “Authentic spiritual identity can be compromised, even lost, through naturalism, rationalism, and syncretism, and the Christian’s calling is to battle for restoration.”
As a writer, Lewis chose to use his craft to point humanity to a higher hope.
Dr. Hilder explained, “His intention in the Chronicles of Narnia, as elsewhere, is to ‘weave a spell’ strong enough to awaken us to the reality that we are at every moment making choices that have eternal weight.”
In her article, Dr. Hilder shows how each book of the Chronicles of Narnia wrestles with the issue of identity theft and its recovery. Her chapter is part ofThe Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada, which Dr. Hilder co-edited with fellow Trinity Western professors Dr. Laura Van Dyke and Dr. Sara Pearson. The book is a celebratory collection representing the work of the Inklings Institute of Canada, and features writings from twenty-seven renowned and emerging scholars.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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