Behind-the-Scenes: Writing about C.S. Lewis and the Bible

By Karlissa J

While I was writing To Narnia and Beyond, I ‘tried out’ a variety of content and information that ultimately didn’t make it into the book. At one point, I had a chapter comparing how the four authors – MacDonald, Tolkien, Lewis, and L’Engle – each interacted with the Bible in their storytelling. Here is part of the section that I wrote for C.S. Lewis.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first of the Narnia books written by C.S. Lewis, and it has been highly regarded for how it poignantly mirrors the death and resurrection story of Jesus.

Though there are other events going on in the tale, at the core of the story is the lion Aslan allowing himself to be bound to the stone table in place of the traitor Edmund, where Aslan dies and then, gloriously, is raised back to life. The story’s connections to the Gospels have been obvious to many (though not all) readers.

However, most of Lewis’ fantasy books aren’t based around Bible stories. In fact, many of Lewis’ works barely seem to mention scripture.

In his books of theology and apologetics, Lewis emphasized the importance of using both our logical capacities and our imaginative capacities to explore our faith. He defended traditional Christian beliefs against those who considered them outdated. And he meditated on the nature of God.

C.S. Lewis was a part of the Anglican church, which is a liturgical-style church where there is regular reading of the scriptures and quotes from the Bible within the service. In the Anglican church I attend, every Sunday there is a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm is recited as a congregation, there’s a reading from the Epistles or Revelation, and there’s a reading from the Gospels (in addition to sometimes reciting parts of Isaiah or other Bible passages). Though his services may have looked slightly different, Lewis would have been very accustomed to hearing multiple portions of scripture in church.

But despite all of this, Lewis rarely mentioned the Bible in any of his writings. He wrote over twenty books, many of them nonfiction works aimed at Christian instruction, yet his only Bible study book was A Reflection on the Psalms.

In the C.S. Lewis Podcast, Lewis biographer Alister McGrath contemplates this.

“Lewis actually doesn’t look at the Bible all that much,” he notes. Instead, “he more looks along it, or he looks at people who have looked along it, and asks, what is this telling me about myself, the way the world is? Lewis I think is using the Bible, but not perhaps in the way you might expect.” (Note 1.)

Sometimes fantasy authors choose to retell Bible stories. Sometimes they choose to quote passages of scripture. And sometimes, the Bible’s influence on their writings is more subtle, existing as the behind-the-scenes source that helped the author pinpoint who God is and how He interacts with His world.

Since coming up with this now-discarded content, I’ve learned that C.S. Lewis might have had a more complex relationship with the Bible than I ever knew. That is one interesting aspect of research: discovering the depth and nuance in life, and how much you didn’t know! But for now, I’m busy reading xenofiction novels - so I may have to revisit Lewis’ understanding of the Bible some other time…

Note 1: The C.S. Lewis Podcast, “#52 Reflections on the Psalms” (posted May 2, 2022).

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Lessons from Star Wars: Picking Your Fantasy Battles Wisely

By Jason Koop

(You can listen to the podcast version of this post: Episode 56)

Those who have been following this blog for awhile may remember that my favourite Star Wars stories have come from the TV shows.  Specifically the animated ones that Dave Filoni has worked on.  They include The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch and the recently released Maul: Shadow Lord.

One recurring theme from these shows is: do the ends justify the means?

Yoda references this in an episode (which I will talk about later in this post) where he says: “How Jedi choose to win, the question is.”  And from that reflection I have learned lessons that I, hopefully, will apply to our podcast and blog.  I’m going to go over three different Star Wars animated episodes, how they ask this question, and the lessons I have learned from them.

Political episode, with nary a lightsaber in sight.  The Republic is firmly mired in a seemingly never-ending war with the Separatists, and the cost of the war is becoming more and more of a sticking point.  In fact, the Republic is already being pushed to the brink of economic ruin with how much of its resources it is pouring into the war effort.

And yet, many in the Galactic Senate are willing to pass a bill that will in essence throw exorbitant amounts of money at the problem and create more clone troopers.  While some, like Senators Padme Amidala and Bail Organa, are opposed to this approach, their protests are largely falling on deaf ears, as most in the Senate are focused simply on defeating the Separatists.

Discouraged, and wondering if fighting this bill is worth the struggle, Padme is encouraged and convicted by one or her aides, who reminds her that listening to her people and caring for them is why she was put into power.  And so, she sits down, takes a moment and truly talks with her aide, asking her how her family is doing.  How the war is affecting them.  And in that conversation, the truth comes out.

While the Senate debates and votes on how much it can justify spending in an attempt to defeat the Separatist army, it is the lower, middle and working class that is paying the cost of the war.  Power outages, lack of running water, schools being shut down, food becoming a scarcer commodity.  Padme convinces the Senate that if they continue to recklessly pursue greater military force at the expense of their people and their living conditions, they will lose the war, and the Separatists won’t need to fire a single blaster.

When we started Book-Bat, it was born from countless conversations that Karlissa and I had had about fantasy stories: their importance, what lessons we have learned from them, and how they have shaped us.  Looking back at a lot of our earlier episodes on the podcast, I noticed that I was – and still can be – very cynical and disparaging to a lot of fantasy and fantasy writers.  I remember particularly singling out Wayne Thomas Batson and Bryan Davis and various books of theirs.

I do believe that it is important to be able to look at things critically; to admit that books I previously enjoyed either aren’t as good as I had once thought or are no longer my cup of tea.  That being said, I got so caught up in the short-comings and failings of particularly “Christian” fantasy, that I allowed that to paint my view of fantasy as a whole.  I forgot fantasy’s virtues, the lessons it has taught me, and just its general capacity for goodness.

While I may still get critical of some fantasy stories – especially those claiming to be espousing Christian morals – I think it is of greater importance to not mindlessly lash out.  I need to remember why we started this podcast and for whom.  If I want others to find the richness that I believe can be found in fantasy, I cannot just present them with everything that is wrong with it.  And I need to be humble enough to admit when something doesn’t match my personal tastes.  A story can be good and not to my personal liking simultaneously.

Jedi Kanan Jaarus is growing increasingly apprehensive of his decision to train promising street thief Ezra Bridger.  Especially since Ezra recently used the dark side of the Force when he lashed out in anger at an Imperial attack.  And so, he takes Ezra to a hidden Jedi Temple on Lothal.

Ezra is tested by visions, which reveal his innermost fears.  Then he is contacted through the Force by Master Yoda.  And, in true Yoda fashion, he gets Ezra to decide why he wants to become a Jedi.  Is it for the power?  So he can have revenge on the Empire?

Ezra says he wants to become a Jedi so he can help others, rather than continue in his old life of looking out for only himself.  And he wants this because, when he sees Kanan and the rest of the crew of the Ghost helping others, it makes them feel truly alive.  And it is that feeling of being truly alive, having a noble, selfless purpose, that Ezra truly wants.

Yoda’s last line is one that still sticks with me:  “A Jedi, you might yet be.”

Why fantasy?  In part because I believe that fantasy gets a bad rep from a lot of people.  Particularly the conservative, Western-Evangelical culture I grew up with.  I grew up being taught that as I got older and became a man, I had to leave fantasy behind, because it had no place in “real life”.  To be mature is to give up all fantasy.

But is being a contrarian really a good reason to start discussions about fantasy?

There are other reasons, but if I had to try to pin down the real reason, it would be something like this:  Fantasy gives us a window to explore things in their truest form.

Real life has a way of mixing and muddying things to the point that it can be hard to distinguish what all is in the soup.  In fantasy we can explore things like love, sacrifice, self-worth, anger, shame, beauty, and heroism much deeper and with greater clarity.  Themes can be built up in intentional complexity or boiled down to their simplest essence.  And the lessons we learn through story and character have a way of sticking to our beings much longer than a long-winded theological discussion.

Kanan and Ezra are being hunted relentlessly by the Inquisitors, while being under the looming threat of Darth Vader.  Together with Ahsoka, they travel to the hidden Jedi temple on Lothal, seeking advice from Yoda.  While they are there, in true Jedi fashion, the temple itself tests them by confronting both Kanan and Ahsoka with their worst fears.

Meanwhile Ezra talks with Yoda once again.  He asks Yoda to tell him how to defeat Vader and his Inquisitors.  Yoda becomes somber and recounts to Ezra that the Jedi joined the Clone Wars in swiftness, so self-assured were they that this was the right decision.  And so, they were unaware as fear, anger and hate consumed them.  Ezra asks if it was wrong for the Jedi to fight, or for him to want to protect his friends?  Yoda admits that at least part of the reason why he fought for as long as he did, was because he was consumed by fear.

As a final question, Ezra asks Yoda how they are supposed to win if they don’t fight back.  “Win?” Yoda asks with some wry amusement, before he repeats the word much more somberly.  “How Jedi choose to win, the question is.”

Sometimes we can be so concerned with “being right” that we completely ignore how we go about it.  I know I am guilty of that, probably more than a few times on this podcast, even.

Karlissa has been endeavoring to introduce me to some new fantasy.  Suffice it to say that her success rate hasn’t been optimal.  And I have been guilty of being honest with my takes but not taking care with how I am honest.  This is where I am trying to grow.

Karlissa has theorized that I am very particular as to what I like and want in a good fantasy story, much like J.R.R. Tolkien, in fact.  However, while it is completely fair to say that the fantasy stories that Karlissa has been introducing me to are not my cup of tea, I need to learn how to say it best.

So there you have it, three lessons I have learned in a galaxy far far away.  And hopefully I will begin to apply them in a podcast a bit closer to you.  Thanks for reading, and may the fourth be with you, at least for today.

P.S.: Do you enjoy when we talk about things in pop culture, like Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Spy x Family? Let us know in the comments – we really do appreciate your feedback.

Book Review: The Wonders of Creation

By Karlissa J.

One underappreciated reality about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien is how much they loved nature.

That seems to be a common trait amongst Christian authors of classic fantasy. As I researched four authors for To Narnia and Beyond – Lewis, Tolkien, L’Engle, and George MacDonald – it occurred to me that a book could be written about their relationships with nature. And it seems I am not the only one who has contemplated such a book.

Kristen Page is a biologist who has traveled widely and loves the novels of Lewis and Tolkien. The Wonders of Creation: Learning Stewardship from Narnia and Middle-Earth combines her interest in nature, her ecological concerns, and her passion for reading into a reflection on how Lewis and Tolkien wrote about the natural world, and how their novels could be used to spark further discussions on – and activism for – creation care.

I was surprised and pleased to find that Page draws not only from Narnia and Middle-Earth but also from other works of C.S. Lewis (the Cosmic Trilogy) and J.R.R. Tolkien ("Leaf by Niggle"). I was also pleased to find a quote each from George MacDonald, Madeleine L'Engle, and G.K. Chesterton!

The Wonders of Creation is geared towards an audience who is already interested in creation care and already has some familiarity with various ecological concerns. Page gives quite a bit of time to facts and data about various problems, bringing in varied topics from plant blindness to climate change to light pollution.

I enjoyed her reflections on a scene from Perelandra that has stuck with me: a scene about the absence of greed on Perelandra that certainly has ecological aspects woven into it.

If you are interested in the topics of creation care and fantasy literature, this book could be a worthwhile read.

Sonic the Hedgehog: New Characters from the Comics

By Jason Koop

In 2018, Sonic the Hedgehog, an icon in the video game industry since 1991, made a significant change.  His long-running comic book changed publishers, from Archie Comics to IDW Publishing.  While long-time writers and artists like Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Tracy Yardley and Adam Bryce Thomas stayed on as contributors, the comic book started a new continuity with the new publisher.  One that was more in line with the video games, and with parent company SEGA taking a more active, supervising role than they had with the Archie Comics series.

One thing long-running, serialized comic series do to freshen things up is introduce new characters.  They can offer a fresh perspective, new conflicts, and change the dynamic of the series.  Just using the video games, Sonic already had a large extended cast, so a comic that focuses not just on the titular character but spreads it out might not feel the “need” to freshen things up with new characters. 

Thankfully, the creative team has brought in new characters that – for the most part – have brought something new and distinct to the series; to help make it a worthwhile read in of itself, separate from the video games.  Some of these new characters have had starring roles for stretches, others have thus far been relegated to strictly secondary/background.

In this blog, I would like to bring into focus – albeit briefly – seven characters that have been introduced to us via the IDW comics.  Some of these have been introduced or referenced in other mediums – video games, podcast dramas, etc. – but all of these characters got their start in the IDW comics.

A deeply personal favourite, in more than one way.  In addition to the fact my love for wolves is only rivaled by wolverines, Whisper brings something truly unique to the series.  Not only is she as quiet and reserved like her name would suggest – a bit of a rarity in a series where it can feel like most characters are extroverts – but she also has her own personal history fighting Eggman, separate from Sonic.  She is deeply wounded, and watching her heal – with more than a few starts and stops – is refreshing.  Also, she has a variable Wispon and dresses in more tactical gear, which gives her a unique appearance.

Boisterous, energetic, a tail that can stretch to absurd lengths, and with optimism to spare, Tangle immediately felt right when she was introduced.  Her inexperience and naivete make her both an ideal person to get through Whisper’s walls, as well as being taken advantage of by Rouge.  Her hero-worshipping of all things Sonic make her both a fan-girl and a reminder of the simpler “good guys good and will always win” mentality that can be lost by the more experienced crowd.

If Tangle is something of a fan-girl for Sonic, Dr. Starline is a full-on fanatic of Dr. Eggman.  When Starline is on the scene, you can rest assured that more there will be at least a few references to either past Eggman tech or schemes.  But Starline is no lackey.  He is determined to be Eggman’s equal, and this is reflected in both how he dresses and his obsessions.

Surge is the product of Dr. Starline’s obsession.  Essentially created by Starline in a lab, she has been cybernetically enhanced and psychologically groomed to both hate Sonic and then replace him.  While her backstory – who she was before Starline – is still a mystery, it’s her current trajectory that is most interesting.  She has rough edges that would make even Shadow wince, and yet she finds herself looking down the road of being a hero of sorts.  As she continues to sort through what it means to live without any real past to fall back on, she also tends to push Sonic and friends to the extreme of what it means to live out what they say they stand for.

While Lanolin might seem to have come out of nowhere, if one were to look more closely, they would see that her first appearance dates back to the second issue.  Starting out as a background character, she is seen getting more and more involved in the Restoration, until she pushes herself into a critical role.  A hard worker who is determined to make the world a better place, Lanolin gives the audience an idea of what it might look like if one of us average joes were in a world of hedgehogs that run at Mach speeds, chameleons that can turn invisible, and lemurs with tails that can stretch to insane lengths.

One thing that was an early hook for the comics was that Dr. Eggman lost his memory and had re-invented himself as Mr. Tinkerer.  A friendly handyman for a remote mountain village, until kidnapped by Dr. Starline and forcefully having his memories returned, this new persona for the doctor does leave its mark on the audience.  But of course, Eggman is returned to the status quo, but “Mr. Tinkerer” has left behind a legacy.  A marionette-like robot named Belle.  Kind-hearted, helpful, and not at all useful in a fight, Belle deals with feelings of abandonment and wondering what her purpose is.

Karlissa’s favourite new addition.  Two big reasons why:  One, she is a beetle, and Karlissa loves bugs.  Two, Karlissa loves Jewel’s design (which is fair, considering that she is introduced in a comic).  But what makes her standout to me is that, like Lanolin, she exists outside of the adventures of Sonic.  She starts out as a curator of a mineral and gem museum, but then comes into a leadership role at the Restoration.  She is timid, but likes to challenge herself.  Frankly she is the kind of pencil pusher that isn’t likely to place herself in the middle of one of Sonic’s adventures, yet what she does is given value and dignity.  She has to be reminded – sometimes forcefully – not  to get lost in her work and forget whom and for what she is doing this work.

Want more Sonic the Hedgehog discussions? Check out Jason’s ranking of Sonic shows, listen to our first podcast episode on Sonic, or listen to Jason’s experiment with charting Sonic characters according to the Enneagram!

Behind-the-Scenes: Why I Included L'Engle in To Narnia and Beyond

By Karlissa J

At one point in my writing of To Narnia and Beyond, I was planning not to include Madeleine L’Engle.

I was still in the process of narrowing down which authors to focus on in my exploration of classic Christian fantasy. I’d decided that only deceased authors would count, as I wanted there to have been enough time to see how their legacy endured beyond them. Three authors were very obviously getting in: everyone knows of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as pillars of fantasy; and George MacDonald had such a strong impact on Lewis (and on me) that there was no denying his inclusion as well.

But what about Madeleine L’Engle?

She is more recent than the other three: Lewis was the youngest of those men, and she was born on his 20th birthday. Her death occurred in 2007, not quite two decades ago. Her Time Quartet novels are odd, falling somewhere between fantasy and sci-fi. And I found that many readers I spoke to had never heard of her.

So why did I end up featuring her in my book To Narnia and Beyond?

For one, she didn’t stop coming up. It was important to me that each of the authors I included inspired Christians beyond their own generation. What I discovered in L’Engle was that she did just that. One of the people she inspired was painter Makoto Fujimura, whose books on faith and art I have greatly enjoyed. I realised that, even if fewer people have heard of her than Lewis or Tolkien, she has left a creative legacy that continues to inspire.

Second, I couldn’t deny anymore the way her writings had changed me.

Initially, I thought her books were strange. But I found myself contemplating life and my thoughts came to a story she’d told. What does it mean to love your enemy? What does it look like for each creature to submit to being what God called them to be? My children have asked me about baby unicorns, and I’m sure they come from eggs, because L’Engle’s A Swiftly Tilting Planet told me so.

Since I’ve written about her in my book, I have encountered more readers who know of Madeleine L’Engle and have enjoyed her writing. I expect that as I continue to talk to people about classic fantasy novels, I’ll continue to meet those who have been inspired by her.

Book Review: The Mythmakers

In the latter stages of my research for To Narnia and Beyond, I encountered frequent praise for The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Created by illustrator and writer John Hendrix, and released in 2024, the book meshes elements of graphic novel with illustrations-alongside-prose.

Eventually, I was convinced to buy the book and stepped into Hendrix’s immersive biography of Lewis and Tolkien. Following their lives from birth to death, The Mythmakers gives special attention to their friendship and years shared together. Imaginative narration from a lion and a wizard guides the reader in a fun and informative manner, giving playful context to bunny trails – “Portals” as the book calls them – about the nature of myth and the fantasy genre.

Beautiful, well-researched and poignant, the visuals of The Mythmakers give greater weight and context to the experiences of Lewis and Tolkien. I find it particularly useful for thinking about their time in World War I, where pictures can convey a heaviness that words struggle to speak of.

Whether you are researching Lewis and Tolkien or simply passionate about fantasy and history, I highly recommend this lovingly crafted book. The price tag is a little higher, as it comes in hardcover and full-colour: there is no paperback or black-ink-only edition to provide a cheaper entry point. However, the cost isn’t unreasonable, and I found it well worth the price.

If you’re interested in learning more about the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, you may enjoy my upcoming book, To Narnia and Beyond: Four Christians Who Used Fantasy to Teach Spiritual Truths. Click on the image below to learn more!

Holiday Recommendations

Written by Jason

Hey everyone!  It’s that time of year again!  Of getting together with friends and family, reflecting on the year that has past and looking ahead to the next one, and… way too much going on!  Okay, maybe that last one is just me, but for myself, I know that Christmastime is a time when I quite often get “peopled out” and want to advance in a direction away from what feels to me like complete chaos.

One goal Karlissa and I have discussed is keeping better track of what books (and even TV shows and movies) we watch in a given year.  And if there’s one thing that I have learned, it’s that in today’s world of media oversaturation, word of mouth is the best way to market the stories you have interacted with. 

So with that in mind, here’s some recommendations for different books, TV Shows, or even movies that you might want to consider in some of your quieter moments this holiday season, or even moving into the new year.  Some might be new, others new to me, and of course, all are fantasy (or fantasy-adjacent)!

Books…

This manga is fun and has surprisingly deep themes about family life, responsibilities and bonds.  Add on fantastic action of different types – espionage and outlandish assassinations – as well as fantastic characters and great humor.  I can’t help but wonder that I get more out of this series as a husband and dad than the teen crowd it is aimed at.

Karlissa here! This year I discovered this beautifully illustrated book about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – I recommend checking it out!

TV Shows…

Okay, maybe this one is a bit of a cop-out.  But having only discovered the manga and the TV series, I can honestly say that, in my mind they are both well worth your time.  The TV show largely stays true to the manga, but Karlissa prefers the TV Show’s flow.

A fan-made, animated, original Legend of Zelda story.  The fact that the characters speak via text boxes (like the video games) does not detract.  The story is gripping, the soundtrack spectacular, and I for one cannot wait for the next episode (the 6th episode was released in the spring of 2025).  Check out these videos on YouTube, this is not your average fan-fiction.

Movies…

While I’m sure many of you have come into contact with this movie in one form or another, please allow Karlissa a moment to sing its praises: “Fun, unique, and crazy, with great animation and engaging characters!”

Not a new movie by any stretch, but one that keeps with the holiday theme.  Make no mistake, this is not a Christian movie by any stretch, but with charming animation, brilliant character growth and a great sense of humor, it’s a favourite in my house.

A new release for this year, and while the novelty of the first is gone, I would argue that it’s the more subtle character growth and struggles that give it plenty of merit all its own.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to our podcast, read our blog, bought a book, or attended a book signing this year!  Thanks for being a part of the journey with us, and please stay tuned for updates on Karlissa’s new book To Narnia and Beyond, as well as any other projects that we will put out.  Also, for more recommendations, follow Karlissa and I on Goodreads (click here for Karlissa and here for me) and see what we have been reading and our thoughts on them.  Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!