Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Narnian Ecclesiology
As I watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I had a thought that had never occurred to me before when reading the story - I wondered if perhaps Lewis was allegorizing his view of the future of the reunited church(es). At the end, we see four thrones: two kings and two queens. They're all equal, but Peter is the oldest and has primacy. Tradition says that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, the first pope. Edmund was a forgiven traitor, so perhaps he represents the American churches. Lucy seems to have a special place in Lewis's heart, and of course the head of the Church of England is the Queen. That leaves Susan. She is less developed and could perhaps represent the Eastern or Southern hemisphere churches (with their array of Orthodox, Anabaptist and charismatic Christians), with which Lewis would've been less familiar.
Now, even if I'm drawing the allegory too tightly, which I'm sure I am, consider the fact that there is unity and multiplicity. Peter has primacy, but he is primus inter pares, first among equals. There is but one Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, and while the pope is rightly honored by all, he is but one of many rulers.
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