july 13, 2006
The Narnian:
C. S. Lewis Dominates the CBA
The Passion of the Christ is still making an impact at
CBA more than a year after its’ theatrical release.
Authors Lee Strobel and Gary Poole took home the Jordon
Book of the Year Award for their book, “Experiencing
the Passion of Jesus.” Strobel also won a Gold Medallion
Award for “The Case for a Creator.” Christian
retailers selected the Jordon award winner from among
the Gold Medallion finalists.
With five winners, Zondervan had the most Gold Medallion
awards. Thomas Nelson followed with four and Integrity
Publishers with three awards.
The cultural phenomenon-in-the-making that seems posed
to dethrone “The Passion” is “The Chronicles
of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis. Just about every major
publisher – and many of the minor ones – have
a Narnia-related book on the market or soon-to-be-released.
Some of the items on the menu include:
• “The Golden Rules of Narnia” by NavPress
– With Biblical understanding and practical insight,
C. S. Lewis scholar Robert Velarde helps readers cultivate
virtue in today’s world of moral confusion –
exploring the ethics of Narnia; the biblical connection;
the philosophical and theological implications of Narnia;
C. S. Lewis’s worldview; and the upcoming movie.
• “Cameras in Narnia” by HarperCollins
Publishers – A full-color guidebook by Ian Brodie
showcasing the principal movie set locations around New
Zealand and explaining the process of making the book
into a movie. This book contains valuable background information
on the making of the film, stills from the movie, the
authors own photographs, interviews with cast and crew,
and exclusive anecdotes about the filming of “The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”
• “The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe” by Vicor Books (Cook Communications) –
After decades as a perennial bestselling novel, “The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” has achieved
international blockbuster status with the soon-to-be released
major motion picture by the same name. Author Gene Veith
asks the questions – How did the Witch overpower
Narnia?; Why did the Lion have to die?; Why couldn’t
young Edmund resist temptation?; and what does this all
mean? Veith guides the reader through the strange and
enchanting world of Narnia – a world that may be
more like our own than we ever imagined.
• “Into the Wardrobe” by Jossey-Bass
– Author David C. Downing helps us understand how
the “Chronicles” reflect not only Lewis’s
towering intellect, but also his strong faith and his
sensitive heart. This book reveals the surprising depth
of this richly entertaining fantasy series by offering
an insightful and detailed look at the stories, with special
attention to the author’s life experiences, psychology,
theology, love of medievalism, literary craft, and the
books that most shaped his views.
Other Narnia-related books include:
• “The Narnian: The Life and Imagination
of C. S. Lewis” by Alan Jacobs – Harper San
Fransisco Publishers;
• “A Family Guide to The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe” by Christin Ditchfield –
Crossway Publishers;
• “Narnia for Dummies” by Richard Wagner
– Jossey-Bass Publishers;
• “A Family Guide to Narnia” by Christin
Ditchfield – Crossway Publishers;
• “Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis” by George
Sayer – Crossway Publishers;
• “Beyond Shadowlands” by George Sayer
– Crossway Publishers;
• “Pocket Companion to Narnia: A Guide to
the Magical World of C. S. Lewis” by Paul F. Ford
– HarperCollins Publishers;
• “The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia” by
George Sayer – Crossway Publishers.
Watch for the CD of original music from the movie from
Disney Records. And the film itself is set to be released
in the U.S. in time for the Christmas season, December
9, 2005.
Tomorrow: More from the floor…
More from Craig
von Buseck on CBN.com
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