JourneyOnline
Hidden Spring
RRP: $24.95
The Narnia books provide spiritual lessons simple enough for a child to understand yet engaging enough for adults living a life through Christ in a fallen world.
A former atheist-turned-Christian, Lewis imbued his tales with biblical allusions that only the most hardened sceptic would miss.
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book in the series, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie go through a magical wardrobe and discover a kingdom ruled by the evil White Witch. Along with Aslan the lion (a Christ figure), they defeat the witch and become kings and queens of Narnia.
Prince Caspian, the second book in the series, also features a classic battle of good and evil. King Miraz usurped Caspian’s throne, and the young prince calls on Narnia’s former kings and queens to help him recover it. Along the way, characters learn to find hope in the face of doubt.
Burkart divided the book into three sections ("Finding Faith”, "Holding on to Hope" and "Learning to Love"), discusses major scenes and ideas, and breaks down the lessons under five subsections: "Reflections on Lewis with Caspian", "Personal Ponderings", "Finding Purpose", "Finding Scripture" and "Suggested Scripture Reading and Reflections."
Although Finding purpose in Narnia is written in simple language I found it difficult to read for I struggled to engage with the text. The title is misleading for the book in many ways deals with several books of C.S. Lewis instead of Prince Caspian as the title suggests.
The book is a useful aid when leading a study group on the work of C S Lewis and understanding why he included certain characters into is stories.
Finding Purpose in Narnia: A Journey with Prince Caspian will help parents, church leaders, and educators understand why C. S. Lewis’s books are edifying to Christians of any age.
Reviewed by Bruce Bartleet
