by Audrey Carroll
This summer, I decided to spend time rereading C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series. It had been a long time since I last read the series, and I must say, I enjoyed them even more than the first time I read Narnia. I had always heard that Lewis was a Universalist–someone who believes that all of mankind will eventually be saved–but I didn’t remember seeing tones of the heresy in Narnia. So this time around, I put my thinking cap on and kept my eyes peeled. However, instead of seeing blatant Universalism, I saw more of Inclusivism: the belief that “asserts that many different sets of beliefs are true [or lead to eternal life].” Both Universalism and Inclusivism are false teachings. (Fair warning just in case you have never actually read Narnia: This post contains pretty significant spoilers.)
The Beginning of the End
The final installment of Narnia—The Last Battle–is about the final battle between the Narnians and their enemies from Calormen. It all begins when an ape convinces his easily-manipulated donkey friend to dress up like the great lion Aslan (the Narnian god who represents Christ). Obviously, this is a really bad idea.
Soon, the ape decides to combine the god of Narnia, Aslan, with the god of Calormen, Tash. He sets up a stable and claims that the new god “Tashlan” is cruel, destructive, and consuming. He gingerly invites horrified Narnians and Calormenes to enter the stable and meet their god. A young Calormene prince, Emeth, bravely enters the stable. He had faithfully served the false god Tash all his life and had always hated Aslan (Lewis 186).
While this great evil is happening, the righteous King Tirian of Narnia lurks in the shadows with some familiar faces: Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and other friends. They plan to overthrow the ape and Calormenes. After a brief but intense battle, the friends of Narnia and King Tirian find themselves through the stable door. However, instead of being consumed by the wrath of “Tashlan,” they had come to Aslan’s Country (heaven).
Two Kinds in Aslan’s Country
As King Tirian and his company enter Aslan’s Country, they are shocked to see Emeth, the Calormene prince. Emeth explains to them what happened as he crossed into the stable. When he entered in, he immediately found himself in warm sunshine and was approached by Aslan. When he saw Aslan for the first time there, Emeth thought to himself, “Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him” (188). But it seems that both faithful followers of Aslan and faithful enemies of Aslan are present in his Country. How can it be?
Emeth’s inward dialogue is an interesting glimpse into the heart of the supposed enemy. Emeth knows that he has always hated Aslan; surely destruction is imminent as the great lion approaches him. However, what Aslan says shocks Emeth:
“Son, thou art welcome… Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. It is false [that Tash and I are one]. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is I who reward… unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.” (188-189)
The claim is that because Emeth was a devoted follower to his god Tash, his loyal service is attributed to Aslan. This view emphasizes the heart above all else. Because Tash is evil and Aslan is good, the good-hearted service of Emeth must have meant that Emeth really desired Aslan, though he did not know it while on earth. There are two major things wrong with this suggestion.
- There is no one who can do good. We see this very clearly in Romans 3:10-11: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks God” (NASB). This means that the heart can never be relied upon for good intentions. The pure hopelessness of this condemnation is overwhelming and clear; we are incapable of pursuing God on our own accord. But there is great hope.
- Jesus is the only way to God. Again, this truth is found very plainly in Scripture. John 14:6 says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (NASB). This does not imply that Christ will accept people at random based on our hearts, as in the case of Aslan willingly accepting the misdirected service of Emeth. Instead, this verse means that in order to meet the Father, you must follow the Son. There is no other way.
Isn’t it close enough that Emeth faithfully served his god? No. Isn’t it close enough that other “sects” of Christianity claim Jesus but just don’t understand Him like we Protestants do? No. Jesus plus yourself is heresy (Mormonism). Jesus plus works is heresy (Catholicism). The list goes on and on. Just because someone claims Jesus does not mean that they know Him. This is why we must be faithful to preach the Gospel, the Truth that is only found on the pages of Scripture: because our “good enough” is never good enough.
Universalism Versue Inclusivism
Many argue that The Last Battle is sufficient evidence that C.S. Lewis was a Universalist. However, another passage in this book contradicts this notion.
Perhaps you remember Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Interestingly, only three of the Pevensie children make it into Aslan’s Country. Susan is excluded because, as she grows up, she “is no longer a friend of Narnia” (154). Susan abandons the notion of Narnia and rationalizes that they were just stories that her and her siblings had fabricated as children. Because of her complete denial, Susan was not allowed into Aslan’s Country. If she had been welcomed in, this would have proven Universalism to be the tune of Lewis’ work.
However, the combination of Susan’s rejection and Emeth’s welcoming point to Inclusivism. Because Emeth did serve a god–just not the right god… oops–he was welcomed in. This suggests that Lewis leaned more towards religion as a means to reaching heaven instead of Christ as the only way to the Father. This idea of rejection/willingness is reinforced in a chapter about the Dwarves. Though they were near Aslan, they decide to serve themselves instead of him or his people (156ff.).
What do we do now?
Honestly, I was completely shocked at how overt the heresy of Inclusivism is in The Last Battle. It has been nearly 10 years since I last read the series. I guess I was clueless to a lot of what was going on between the lines. But now that I see it, how do I go on? Will I ever allow myself to read Narnia again or suggest the books to a friend? I think the answer to both of those questions, for me at least, is yes.
C.S. Lewis is a magical writer beyond his subject matter. And honestly, many of his descriptions of Aslan were helpful and found true to how Christ is described in Scripture. But Narnia is not Scripture. And because Lewis is not claiming equality with Scripture, I’ll enjoy the world of Narnia for many years to come, but I will strive to be more aware of the undertones that are being taught in all literature I read in the future. Have conversations. Compare works to Scripture. Be vigilant.
If you want to read The Last Battle for yourself, click here.
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