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Epistle
Dear fellow pilgrims,
Last week we completed our deeper dive nto Chapter 3 of The Last Battle, “The Ape in Its Glory,” where Shift declares that he is a Man, not an Ape, and began exploring the themes in Chapter 4. Join us tomorrow for class at 7:15 as we do a deeper dive into Chapter 4 and some of the profound lessons it holds for us today. 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 livestreaming the class at the following link:
The class is also available on Apple podcast, Spotify, and the church website within the next few days after the “live” class.
If you are listening to the podcast and enjoying it, please rate it and leave a review–that will help boost it with search engines and make it easier for other folks to find it.
I have pasted in below links from last week’s class and a summary of what we discussed, as well as copies of the handouts. Note that the Westcott House paper is for scuba divers only!
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 29401www.saintphilips.church
Supporting Files
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk
SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK’S TEACHING
Chapter 3: The Ape in Its Glory: Deeper Dive
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
Deeper Dive: 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. Rom. 1:25
Deeper Dive: The Danger of Theological Innovation
C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock, “What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ?”
“On the one side clear, definite moral teaching. On the other, claims which, if not true, are those of a megalomaniac, compared with whom Hitler was the most sane and humble of men. There is no half-way house and there is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked him, “Are you the son of Bramah?” he would have said, “My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.” If you had gone to Socrates and asked, “Are you Zeus?” he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, “Are you Allah?” he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, “Are you Heaven?” I think he would have probably replied, “Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.” The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man. If you think you are a poached egg, when you are looking for a piece of toast to suit you, you may be sane, but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you. We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects—Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.”
Pretend Pluralism
“How does a religion teacher get an invitation to appear, in June, on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report? By writing a book saying that Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and others have preached about the shared, benign beliefs unifying all great religions — and then dismissing that message as garbage.
“Stephen Prothero’s God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—and Why Their Differences Matter argues that the globe’s eight major religions hold different and irreconcilable assumptions. They may all push the Golden Rule, as progressives like to point out, but no religion really considers ethics its sole goal. Doctrine, ritual, and myth are crucial, too, and on these, there is no meeting of the religious minds. For example, Christians who think they’re doing non-Christians a favor by saying they too can be “saved” ignore the fact that Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Confucians either don’t believe in sin or don’t focus on salvation from it. (Hinduism, Daoism, and the African religion Yoruba round out the eight.)
The notion of “pretend pluralism,” as Prothero derides it, may be nobly intentioned, but it is “dangerous, disrespectful, and untrue.” It blinds us to understanding, and therefore solving, Islamic fundamentalist terrorism or Jewish-Arab disputes over Jerusalem or the contest for Kashmir between two nuclear powers with competing religious majorities (Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan), he writes.” Boston University Today April 20, 2010
Syncretism
“Religious syncretism is generally understood to be the process of exchange and interaction that occurs when two or more distinct belief systems are fused to create a new religion. The term may also be used to refer to an established religion that has adopted beliefs from other faiths. All religions can be considered syncretic to an extent, leading some to argue against the use of the term.
“Furthermore, the idea of religious syncretism has in the past been linked with pejorative connotations that have been used politically to illegitimatize, control, and even eradicate certain belief systems. Despite its contested nature, syncretism is nevertheless a useful concept through which to explore the ways in which cultures and religions transform themselves under the pressures of change; and it should be thought of as a dynamic process, rather than as a specific entity or definition.
“Major religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—as well as those that advocate notions of religious “purity” and orthodoxy—have frequently been hostile to idea of syncretism. Other religions such as Buddhism, however, have openly embraced the integration of new practices and beliefs within an existing system.”—Oxford Reference, 2008
Fundamental Differences
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?”
Tirian: “How [could] the terrible god Tash who fed on the blood of his people possibly be the same as the good Lion by whose blood all Narnia was saved?”
versus
The Ape: “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.”
We must know the Scriptural doctrines of the Christian faith to avoid being led into error.
Deeper Dive: 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 LettersBe strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. I Cor. 16:13-14
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. John 15:18-20Erected by her sorrowing brothers
In memory of Martha Clay.
Here lies one who lived for others;
Now she has peace. And so have they.
—“Epitath,” C.S. Lewis
A caution: let us remember that though Jesus says we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, we should be careful not to presume that persecution is because WE are righteous—and we should also be careful that the persecution is not because we are rude or unkind.
BUT
We must also be aware that speaking the Truth can lead to consequences. It is no accident that when Tirian speaks the Truth, the Ape commands the following:
“Take him away. Take him away. Take him where he cannot hear us, nor we hear him. There tie him to a tree.”
These words are a deliberate echo of the accounts of Jesus’s judgment and Crucifixion in the Gospels.
Chapter 4: What Happened that Night
Setting:
—Tirian is tied to a tree some distance away from but distantly in sight of the stable
–Night falls and small Narnian animals tend to Tirian’s needs, giving him wine from a cup
–Tirian cries out to Aslan for aid not for himself but to save Narnia
–Tirian has a vision of another world where he encounters Peter and the other children but is unable to speak
Themes for this week:
The Loneliness and Suffering of the King for Doing the Right Thing
The Love and Loyalty of the Narnian Talking Beasts
The Loneliness and Suffering of the King for Doing the Right Thing
“The King was so dizzy from being knocked down that he hardly knew what was happening until the Calormenes untied his wrists and put his arms straight down by his sides and set him with his back against an ash tree. Then they bound ropes round his ankles and his knees and his waist and his chest and left him there. What worried him worst at the moment — for it is often little things that are hardest to stand — was that his lip was bleeding where they had hit him and he couldn’t wipe the little trickle of blood away although it tickled him. … “I wonder what they’ve done to Jewel,” thought the King. Presently the crowd of Beasts broke up and began going away in different directions. Some passed close to Tirian. They looked at him as if they were both frightened and sorry to see him tied up but none of them spoke. Soon they had all gone and there was silence in the wood. Then hours and hours went past and Tirian became first very thirsty and then very hungry; and as the afternoon dragged on and turned into evening, he became cold too. His back was very sore. The sun went down and it began to be twilight…The stars came out and time went slowly on — imagine how slowly — while the last King of Narnia stood stiff and sore and upright against the tree in his bonds.”
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. I Peter 4:12-13 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. I Peter 3:14-15 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-4The Love and Loyalty of the Narnian Talking Beasts
When it was almost dark Tirian heard a light pitter-patter of feet and saw some small creatures coming towards him. The three on the left were Mice, and there was a Rabbit in the middle: on the right were two Moles. Both of these were carrying little bags on their backs which gave them a curious look in the dark so that at first he wondered what kind of beasts they were. Then, in a moment, they were all standing up on their hind legs, laying their cool paws on his knees and giving his knees snuffly animal kisses. (They could reach his knees because Narnian Talking Beasts of that sort are bigger than the dumb beasts of the same kinds in England.) “Lord King! dear Lord King,” said their shrill voices, “we are so sorry for you. We daren’t untie you because Aslan might be angry with us. But we’ve brought you your supper.”…”Little friends,” said Tirian, “how can I thank you for all this?” “You needn’t, you needn’t,” said the little voices. “What else could we do? We don’t want any other King. We’re your people. If it were only the Ape and the Calormenes who were against you, we would have fought till we were cut into pieces before we’d have let them tie you up. We would, we would indeed. But we can’t go against Aslan.” “Do you think it really is Aslan?” asked the King. “Oh yes, yes,” said the Rabbit. “He came out of the stable last night. We all saw him.”
For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:8 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:2 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. I Peter 1:22 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Prov. 17:17
What is your only comfort in life and death?
That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins
with his precious blood,
and has set me free
from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head;
indeed, all things must work together
for my salvation.
Therefore, by his Holy Spirit
he also assures me
of eternal life
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
—Heidelberg Catechism 1 (1563)
