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Epistle
Dear fellow pilgrims,
Last week embarked on our journey into Chapter 3 of The Last Battle, “The Ape in Its Glory,” where Shift declares that he is a Man, not an Ape, and all manner of bad things ensue. Lewis introduces a number of very important themes in this chapter, themes which he explores in more depth in some of his other works, notably Mere Christianity, The Abolition of Man, and That Hideous Strength. Join us tomorrow for class at 7:15 as we do a deeper dive into some of this material as we look at the foundation Lewis is building for what will take place in the rest of this story. Please come early if you like and join us for our informal Eucharist at 5:30 in the church and a delicious dinner in the Parish Hall starting around 6:30 p.m.
If you cannot join us in person, we will be live-streaming the class at this link.
The class is also available on Apple podcast, Spotify, and the church website within the next few days after the “live” class.
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I have pasted in below links from last week’s class and a summary of what we discussed.
I am so looking forward to continuing this journey with you–please come and bring a friend, or if you are in another city or country, gather some friends and share the class or podcast and discuss. Hope to see you soon!
Further up and further in,
Brian+
The Rev’d Brian K. McGreevy, J.D.
Assistant to the RectorSt. Philip’s Church142 Church StreetCharleston, SC 29401
www.saintphilips.church
Supporting Files
Notes – Chapter 3: The Ape in Its Glory
Setting:
–a clearing on a hill with a stable/thatched hut in the center
–the Ape holding court and surrounded by both Narnians and Calormenes
–the Ape declaring he is the intermediary for all communication with Aslan
What is Calormen?
Calormen is a large country separated from Narnia by the country of Archenland and a vast desert. Its inhabitants are called Calormenes, and the border of the Calormene Empire extends from the Western Mountains to the Great Eastern Ocean. The Calormene capital is Tashbaan, a large walled city located on an island hill at the mouth of a river near the desert. We first meet the inhabitants of Calormen, in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Lewis describes them as having …”dark faces and long beards. They wear flowing robes and orange-coloured turbans, and they are a wise, wealthy, courteous, cruel and ancient people”. Slavery and slave trading are central in the economy of Calormen. Lewis paints the culture of Calormen as being Middle Eastern, a mixture of ancient Persian, Moorish, Indian, and Ottoman Turkish customs. Flowing robes, turbans, and pointed wooden shoes are common items of clothing, and the preferred weapon is the scimitar. Lavish palaces are present in the Calormene capital Tashbaan, which is ornate to the point of ostentation.
The people of Calormen are concerned with maintaining honour and precedent, often speaking in maxims and quoting their ancient poets. Veneration of elders and absolute deference to power are marks of Calormene society. Power and wealth determine class and social standing, and slavery is commonplace. Narnians hold Calormenes in disdain for their treatment of animals and slaves. Conversely, Calormenes refer to the human inhabitants of Narnia as “barbarians”. The ruler of Calormen is called the Tisroc and is believed by the Calormene people to have descended in a direct line from the god Tash, a vulture-headed creature with multiple arms who must be appeased. Calormenes always follow a mention of the Tisroc with the phrase “may he live forever”. Ranking below the Tisroc are his sons (princes), a Grand Vizier, and the noble classes, who are addressed as Tarkaan (male) and Tarkheena (female).
Sin, Remorse, and Repentance
Calormenes (mixed with a few Talking Beasts) were beginning to run towards them from every direction. The two dead men had died without a cry and so it had taken a moment before the rest of the crowd knew what had happened. But now they did. Most of them had naked scimitars in their hands. “Quick. On my back,” said Jewel. The King flung himself astride of his old friend who turned and galloped away. He changed direction twice or thrice as soon as they were out of sight of their enemies, crossed a stream, and shouted without slackening his pace, “Whither away, Sire? To Cair Paravel?” “Hold hard, friend,” said Tirian. “Let me off.” He slid off the Unicorn’s back and faced him. “Jewel,” said the King. “We have done a dreadful deed.” “We were sorely provoked,” said Jewel. “But to leap on them unawares — without defying them — while they were unarmed — faugh! We are two murderers, Jewel. I am dishonoured forever.” Jewel drooped his head. He too was ashamed.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Psalm 73:21-22 See, O Lord, for I am in distress; My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is overturned within me, for I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword slays; n the house it is like death. Lamentations 1:20 I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Cor. 7:9-10 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12
Faith That Is in Vain
“And then,” said the King, “the Horse said it was by Aslan’s orders. The Rat said the same. They all say Aslan is here. But if it were true?” “But, Sire, how could Aslan be commanding such dreadful things?” “He is not a tame Lion,” said Tirian. “How should we know what he would do? We, who are murderers. Jewel, I will go back. I will give up my sword and put myself in the hands of these Calormenes and ask that they bring me before Aslan. Let him do justice to me.” “You will go to your death, then,” said Jewel. “Do you think I care if Aslan dooms me to death?” said the King. “That would be nothing, nothing at all. Would it not be better to be dead than to have this horrible fear that Aslan has come and is not like the Aslan we have believed in and longed for? It is as if the sun rose one day and were a black sun.” “I know,” said Jewel. “Or as if you drank water and it were dry water. You are in the right, Sire. This is the end of all things. Let us go and give ourselves up.”
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. I Cor. 15:13-19
True Friendship and Loyalty
“There is no need for both of us to go.” “If ever we loved one another, let me go with you now,” said the Unicorn. “If you are dead and if Aslan is not Aslan, what life is left for me?” They turned and walked back together, shedding bitter tears.
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 O my dear brother Jonathan, I am crushed by your death. Your friendship was a miracle wonder, love far exceeding anything I’ve known or ever hope to know. 2 Samuel 17:26
Lies, Selfishness, Greed, and Oppression
As soon as they came to the place where the work was going on the Calormenes raised a cry and came towards them with their weapons in hand. But the King held out his sword with the hilt towards them and said: “I who was King of Narnia and am now a dishonoured knight give myself up to the justice of Aslan. Bring me before him.”… “O Lord Shift, mouthpiece of Aslan,” said the chief Calormene. “We bring you prisoners. By our skill and courage and by the permission of the great god Tash we have taken alive these two desperate murderers.” “Give me that man’s sword,” said the Ape. So they took the King’s sword and handed it, with the sword-belt and all, to the monkey. And he hung it round his own neck: and it made him look sillier than ever. “We’ll see about those two later,” said the Ape, spitting out a shell in the direction of the two prisoners. “I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me, everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where’s that Head Squirrel got to?” “Here, Sir,” said a red squirrel, coming forward and making a nervous little bow. “Oh you are, are you?” said the Ape with a nasty look. “Now attend to me. I want — I mean, Aslan wants — some more nuts. These you’ve brought aren’t anything near enough. You must bring some more, do you hear? Twice as many. And they got to be here by sunset tomorrow, and there mustn’t be any bad ones or any small ones among them.”
An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. Proverbs 14:5 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. Proverbs 21:6
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. Proverbs 22:22-23 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:5
Deceit and Discernment
“The Head Squirrel plucked up courage to say: “Please, would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him — ” “Well you won’t,” said the Ape. “He may be very kind (though it’s a lot more than most of you deserve) and come out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at him. But he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anything you want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it’s worth bothering him about. In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make sure they are here by tomorrow evening or you’ll catch it.” The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order was terrible news for them. The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly all been eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far more than they could spare. Then a deep voice — it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar — spoke from another part of the crowd. “But why can’t we see Aslan properly and talk to him?” it said. “When He used to appear in Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face.” “Don’t you believe it,” said the Ape. “And even if it was true, times have changed. Aslan says he’s been far too soft with you before, do you see? Well, he isn’t going to be soft any more. He’s going to lick you into shape this time. He’ll teach you to think he’s a tame lion!” A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and, after that, a dead silence which was more miserable still.
Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips. Romans 3:13 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for
darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and
shrewd in their own sight! Is. 5:20-21 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. I John 4:1 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings Heb. 13:8-9
Pride and the Uniqueness of Man Made in God’s Image
“And now there’s another thing you got to learn,” said the Ape. “I hear some of you are saying I’m an Ape. Well, I’m not. I’m a Man. If I look like an Ape, that’s because I’m so very old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it’s because I’m so old that I’m so wise. And it’s because I’m so wise that I’m the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to. He can’t be bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals. He’ll tell me what you’ve got to do, and I’ll tell the rest of you. And take my advice, and see you do it in double quick time, for He doesn’t mean to stand any nonsense.” There was dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and its mother trying to make it keep quiet.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov. 16:18 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Prov. 16:5 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Rom. 12:3 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves Matt. 7:15 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Ps. 8:5-8 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Gen. 1:26-27
Slavery, Stealing, and Tyranny
“And now here’s another thing,” the Ape went on, fitting a fresh nut into its cheek, “I hear some of the horses are saying, Let’s hurry up and get this job of carting timber over as quickly as we can, and then we’ll be free again. Well, you can get that idea out of your heads at once. And not only the Horses either. Everybody who can work is going to be made to work in the future. Aslan has it all settled with the King of Calormen — The Tisroc, as our dark-faced friends, the Calormenes, call him. All you horses and bulls and donkeys are to be sent down into Calormen to work for your living — pulling and carrying the way horses and such do in other countries. And all you digging animals like moles and rabbits and Dwarfs are going down to work in the Tisroc’s mines. And — ” “No, no, no,” howled the Beasts. “It can’t be true. Aslan would never sell us into slavery to the King of Calormen.” “None of that! Hold your noise!” said the Ape with a snarl. “Who said anything about slavery? You won’t be slaves. You’ll be paid — very good wages too. That is to say, your pay will be paid into Aslan’s treasury and he will use it all for everybody’s good.” Then he glanced, and almost winked, at the chief Calormene. The Calormene bowed and replied, in the pompous Calormene way: “Most sapient Mouthpiece of Aslan, the Tisroc (may he live forever) is wholly of one mind with your lordship in this judicious plan.”
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. Jas 5:4 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Lk. 4:18-19
Freedom, Insults, and Tyranny
“There! You see!” said the Ape. “It’s all arranged. And all for your own good. We’ll be able, with the money you earn, to make Narnia a country worth living in. There’ll be oranges and bananas pouring in — and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons — Oh, everything.” “But we don’t want all those things,” said an old Bear. “We want to be free. And we want to hear Aslan speak himself.” “Now don’t you start arguing,” said the Ape, “for it’s a thing I won’t stand. I’m a Man: you’re only a fat, stupid old Bear. What do you know about freedom? You think freedom means doing what you like. Well, you’re wrong. That isn’t true freedom. True freedom means doing what I tell you.” “H-n-n-h,” grunted the Bear and scratched its head; it found this sort of thing hard to understand.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God Romans 8:20-21 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:22
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.—C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock
The Danger of Theological Innovation
“Please, please,” said the high voice of a woolly lamb, who was so young that everyone was surprised he dared to speak at all. “What is it now?” said the Ape. “Be quick.” “Please,” said the Lamb, “I can’t understand. What have we to do with the Calormenes? We belong to Aslan. They belong to Tash. They have a god called Tash. They say he has four arms and the head of a vulture. They kill Men on his altar. I don’t believe there’s any such person as Tash. But if there was, how could Aslan be friends with him?” All the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their bright eyes flashed towards the Ape. They knew it was the best question anyone had asked yet. The Ape jumped up and spat at the Lamb. “Baby!” he hissed. “Silly little bleater! Go home to your mother and drink milk. What do you understand of such things? But you others, listen. Tash is only another name for Aslan. All that old idea of us being right and the Calormenes wrong is silly. We know better now. The Calormenes use different words but we all mean the same thing. Tash and Aslan are only two different names for you know Who. That’s why there can never be any quarrel between them. Get that into your heads, you stupid brutes. Tash is Aslan: Aslan is Tash.”
Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Deut. 12:30-21 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. Deut. 13:1-4 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:25
Courage and Standing Up for Truth
Up till now the King and Jewel had said nothing: they were waiting until the Ape should bid them speak, for they thought it was no use interrupting. But now, as Tirian looked round on the miserable faces of the Narnians, and saw how they would all believe that Aslan and Tash were one and the same, he could bear it no longer. “Ape,” he cried with a great voice, “you lie. You lie damnably. You lie like a Calormene. You lie like an Ape.” He meant to go on and ask how the terrible god Tash who fed on the blood of his people could possibly be the same as the good Lion by whose blood all Narnia was saved. If he had been allowed to speak, the rule of the Ape might have ended that day; the Beasts might have seen the truth and thrown the Ape down. But before he could say another word two Calormenes struck him in the mouth with all their force, and a third, from behind, kicked his feet from under him. And as he fell, the Ape squealed in rage and terror: “Take him away. Take him away. Take him where he cannot hear us, nor we hear him. There tie him to a tree. I will — I mean, Aslan will — do justice to him later.”
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. I Cor. 16:13 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. Ps. 1:1 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. I Peter 5:8-9
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”
—C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!—Psalm 8
