I've been looking for this quote for some time. I knew that Lewis said something like this, but haven't read the book. I nabbed it from another guy's blog (check out the link).
"Now as myth transcends thought, Incarnation transcends myth. The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to be myth comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens–at a particular date, in a particular place, followed by definable historical consequences. We pass from a Balder or an Osiris, dying nobody knows when or where, to a historical Person crucified (it is all in order) under Pontius Pilate. By becoming fact it does not cease to be myth: that is the miracle."
~C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock, “Myth Became Fact” (1944)
I have to try to keep myself from reading what many Christians write about Harry Potter. I have never seen justification for condemning the books from anybody who has actually read them. Why? Because it would be even more ludicrous, illogical and/0r dishonest than the current ignorant condemnations.
I am also shocked and appalled to hear of people like Chuck Colson or James Dobson, who KNOW what kind of influence they have over so many people, would continue to berate these stories. Dobson and Colson have made comments that truly seem to indicate that they've never read the books either. If they have, I don't know whether to be more disturbed poor thinking of these "intellectual" leaders, or the thought that they maintain this position in order to maintain the devotion of their "congregations".
Oh man. This gets me so fired up I can't stop.
3 comments:
C.S. Lewis actually got this idea from J.R.R. Tolkien. In the book, "Tolkien's Impact in Literature and Life," Patrick Curles writes, "Tolkien saw myth as the exact opposite. His great friend C. S. Lewis once objected to Tolkien that, “...myths are lies, though lies breathed through silver.” “No,” said Tolkien, “they are not.”
There are truths, Tolkien said, that are beyond us, transcendent truths, about beauty, truth, honor, etc. There are truths that man knows exist, but they cannot be seen - they are immaterial, but no less real, to us. It is only through the language of myth that we can speak of these truths. We have come from God, Tolkien said, and only through myth, through story telling, can we aspire to the life we were made for with God. To write and/or read myth, Tolkien believed, was to meditate on the most important truths of life."
--Jeffy Milly
i didn't used to get fired up about HP....till I read them and realized just how dumb everyone really is...ugh.
just started reading hp - hear it's good :)
someday i'll post one of the new songs on my blog, right now we've just got a rough draft and i'm not letting those go far (can't wait to work out the kinks - i'm hoping rustin can help)
doing music again is soooo fun - i hear your still leading worship, what about writing and recording? we still have one of your cd's.
good luck with teaching AND a one year old. whew, there's a lot to catch up on.
tell holly hi!
c--
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