For over half a century, scholars have laboured to show that C. S. Lewis's famed but apparently disorganised Chronicles of Narnia have an underlying symbolic coherence, pointing to such possible unifying themes as the seven sacraments, the seven deadly sins, and the seven books of Spenser's Faerie Queene. None of these explanations has won general acceptance and the structure of Narnia's symbolism has remained a mystery. Michael Ward has finally solved the enigma. In Planet Narnia he demonstrates that medieval cosmology, a subject which fascinated Lewis throughout his life, provides the imaginative key to the seven novels. Drawing on the whole range of Lewis's writings (including previously unpublished drafts of the Chronicles), Ward reveals how the Narnia stories were designed to express the characteristics of the seven medieval planets - - Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - - planets which Lewis described as "spiritual symbols of permanent value" and "especially worthwhile in our own generation". Using these seven symbols, Lewis secretly constructed the Chronicles so that in each book the plot-line, the ornamental details, and, most important, the portrayal of the Christ-figure of Aslan, all serve to communicate the governing planetary personality. The cosmological theme of each Chronicle is what Lewis called 'the kappa element in romance', the atmospheric essence of a story, everywhere present but nowhere explicit. The reader inhabits this atmosphere and thus imaginatively gains connaître knowledge of the spiritual character which the tale was created to embody. Planet Narnia is a ground-breaking study that will provoke a major revaluation not only of the Chronicles, but of Lewis's whole literary and theological outlook. Ward uncovers a much subtler writer and thinker than has previously been recognized, whose central interests were hiddenness, immanence, and knowledge by acquaintance.

When Michael Ward's Planet Narnia emerged a decade ago, myriad things were pulled into its orbit: The immense gravitational force altered the field of C.S. Lewis studies, to be sure, but the discovery's scope stretched far into the worlds of literary criticism, Christian apologetics, and the arts. Only now, after ten years under its influence, have we begun to consider the magnitude of Planet Narnia's effects, and perhaps it is best to begin such an index by cultivating a jovial atmosphere of appreciation. Thus we curated this issue to celebrate both Dr. Ward and his stellar work. Photography: Lancia E. Smith Illustrations: Virginia de la Lastra Artwork: Ryan Grube. Contributors: Adam L. Brackin: "Quarantine," a short story. Annie Crawford: "The Cure Has Begun." Brenton Dickieson: "(Re)Considering the Planet Narnia Thesis," a challenging essay to the thesis. Ryan Grube: "For Your Contemplation" Malcolm Guite: "Planet Narnia as Creative Inspiration," an essay; "The Daily Planet," a poem; "The Circle Dance", a poem. Marshall Liszt: "Gravitational Pull," a reflection. Louis Markos: "Why We Love to Visit Narnia." Jason Monroe: "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Rehabilitation of Practical Reason." Holly Ordway: "A Seven-Day's Journey through the Heavens," a poem Jahdiel Perez: "Where Paradoxes Play," Michael Ward on Christian Orthodoxy. Josiah Peterson: "A Defense of Planet Narnia." John Mark Reynolds: "An Unexpected Journey: Imaginative Apologetics and the Ward Moment," A personal reflection from Dr. John Mark Reynolds on the origins of the apologetics program at Houston Baptist University. Michael Ward: "Seven Questions," an interview with Dr. Michael Ward and An Unexpected Journal, and "Return to Planet Narnia" with additional support for the planetary thesis. Donald T. Williams: "C.S. Lewis, A Life," a poem. Kyoko Yuasa: "Table Narnia: Fugue to Evangelical Adventure," an essay on the symbolism of the table throughout the Chronicles.

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal, established by the Arizona C. S. Lewis Society in 2007, is the only peer-reviewed journal devoted to the study of C. S. Lewis and his writings published anywhere in the world. It exists to promote literary, theological, historical, biographical, philosophical, bibliographical and cultural interest (broadly defined) in Lewis and his writings. The journal includes articles, review essays, book reviews, film reviews and play reviews, bibliographical material, poetry, interviews, editorials, and announcements of Lewis-related conferences, events and publications. Its readership is aimed at academic scholars from a wide variety of disciplines, as well as learned non-scholars and Lewis enthusiasts. At this time, Sehnsucht is published once a year.

As bearers of the divine image, all of us are storytellers and artists. However, few people today believe in truth that is not empirically knowable or verifiable, the sort of truth often trafficked through direct forms of communication. Drawing on the works of Soren Kierkegaard, Benson P. Fraser challenges this penchant for direct forms of knowledge by introducing the indirect approach, which he argues conveys more than mere knowledge, but the capability to live out what one takes to be true. Dr. Fraser suggests that stories aimed at the heart are powerful instruments for personal and social change because they are not focused directly on the individual listener; rather, they give the individual room or distance to reconsider old meanings or ways of understanding. Indirect communication fosters human transformation by awaking an individual to attend to images or words that carry deep symbolic force and that modify or replace one's present ways of knowing, and ultimately make one capable of embodying what he or she believes. Through an examination of the indirect approach in Kierkegaard, Jesus, C. S. Lewis, and Flannery O'Connor, Fraser makes a strong case for the recovery of indirect strategies for communicating truth in our time.

This book allows us to accompany C. S. Lewis on his intellectual and spiritual journey from atheism to pantheism and eventually to Christianity. It analyzes key elements of Lewis’s Christian worldview and identifies challenges leveled against it from alternative worldviews. It examines Lewis’s apologetic methodology, highlighting how it was shaped by his worldview, and provides an analysis of Lewis’s specific responses to a number of objections. The project also serves as a comparative analysis of worldviews, particularly as they relate to truth claims of the Christian faith. The notion of worldview is critical to the formulation of views. One’s worldview determines how reality is perceived. It’s characterized as a set of glasses through which we view our surroundings and interpret experiences. It accounts for the perspective we bring to every event in life and helps explain why different people “see” things differently when looking at the same data. The same evidence may lead one person to reject a particular conclusion, while moving another to embrace what the other rejected. Lewis’s major works are explored at length in this book. Although much has been written about Lewis, Hofer’s examination of the influence of worldview on his work is unique.

Millions of readers have been captivated by C. S. Lewis’s famed Chronicles of Narnia, but why? What is it about these seven books that makes them so appealing? For more than half a century, scholars have attempted to find the organizing key—the “secret code”—to the beloved series, but it has remained a mystery. Until now. In The Narnia Code, Michael Ward takes the reader through each of the seven Narnia books and reveals how each story embodies and expresses the characteristics of one of the seven planets of medieval cosmology—Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus and Saturn—planets which Lewis described as “spiritual symbols of permanent value.” How does medieval cosmology relate to the Christian underpinnings of the series? How did it impact Lewis’s depiction of Aslan, the Christlike character at the heart of the books? And why did Lewis keep this planetary inspiration a secret? Originally a ground-breaking scholarly work called Planet Narnia, this more accessible adaptation will answer all the questions.

Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God tells the story of fantasy literature within the context of its complex relationship with the Christian tradition. In this book, Worthing looks at early influences on the genre, including European fairy tales and folklore, Northern and classical mythology, and Christian allegory. He also explores the contours of a variety of fantasy worlds from MacDonald's Faerie, Lewis' Narnia and Tolkien's Middle-Earth, to LeGuin's Earthsea, Pratchett's Discworld and Rowling's world of Hogwarts. In these worlds, and many more, we discover themes such as the battle between good and evil, the question of the existence of God, and the problem of suffering. Fantasy fans of all religious persuasions will find in this book a delightful and informative exploration of the rich history and profound themes of the fantasy genre.

Lewis was an amazing author who has impacted the faith of millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, most people never read anything by C.S. Lewis other than The Chronicles of Narnia. This is good as far as it goes, but what a shame if that's all one ever reads of this genius. Although some may go on to read Mere Christianity or even The Screwtape Letters, Miracles or The Problem of Pain, very few have ever mined the riches that are to be found in Lewis's collected essays or had their longing for the numinous stirred by hauntingly brilliant Dymer and The Pilgrim's Regress. It is my desire in this book to show that Lewis is more than just Narnia. Beyond Narnia: The Theology of C.S. Lewis is an in-depth analysis of the most important themes in the work of C.S. Lewis, including the sensation of joy or longing as signposts to God, his view of the Bible as both myth and the Word of God, his defense of miracles against Hume's famous critique, his insightful observations on the problem of pain and his often misunderstood but groundbreaking thoughts on hell. This book provides an accessible and thorough introduction to C.S. Lewis for undergraduate students and Lewis fans who want to go deeper in their understanding.

From myth to Musk, astrology to astronomy, Dr Stuark Clark selects the very best writing about the Red Planet. From its very first sighting, Mars has been a source of fascination for humanity. Named for the Roman god of war, this red planet has been explored more than any other beyond Earth and continues to occupy a distinctive place in our imagination. It's an environment that may even foster life. In The Book of Mars, Dr Stuart Clark selects one hundred pieces of writing about the planet. It is a collection that brings together fact and fiction, dreams and fears, centuries of observation and more recent feats of interstellar exploration. From classic writers of science fiction – Stanley G. Weinbaum, Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, Pamela Sargent, Roger Zelazny – to distinguished experts in astronomy, astrobiology and aerospace engineering; from Hugo and Nebula Award-winning authors – Kim Stanley Robinson, Mary Robinette Kowal – to trail-blazing journalists and science communicators; from Andy Weir's The Martian to Elon Musk's SpaceX programme, The Book of Mars is an extraordinary overview both of the Red Planet and of the way scientific investigation diffuses into culture.

This book introduces Jonahre-a Biblically-based, Prophetic Imagination cinematic genre. Jonahre can be implemented by following a three phase, interdisciplinary process that allows production teams to submit their content, intent, style and format to reflect a Biblical pattern of storytelling and establish an alternative consciousness with the audience. When implemented, this process creates a powerful tool for transforming culture by combining communication theory and theology into a mold for communicating Spirit-filled messages via moving-image media. The first in a trilogy of Jonahre films will be released November 2009.