Jamin Bradley

As a huge Narnia fan, I can’t wait to see The Magician’s Nephew in theaters!

I’ve seen a lot of posts going around lately where people are enraged that Aslan is played by Meryl Streep, but I’m not overly bothered by it. We’ve had over a year to consider Greta Gerwig’s artistic decision on this front. If you’re just hearing the news for the first time, here are some theological, allegorical, and artistic thoughts to consider:

1. God is not a man or a woman. He is God. Remember that both women and men image God, and therefore both genders show us what God is like.

2. There are a few passages in Scripture where God is likened to a mother. There are several allusions in Scripture to Jesus being the famous “Woman Wisdom” of Proverbs 8. The Holy Spirit is grammatically feminine in the Old Testament and gender neutral in the New Testament.

3. Considering God in a motherly light can be healing for people with various hurts, especially for those with trauma around men, or loss around women.

4. Lewis said that Aslan was known by different names in different worlds. In his lore, Jesus shows up to deal with these worlds, as each must be addressed. His other fictional works imagined how God might interact with other worlds, like Mars and Venus.

5. Some are offended that Jesus would be represented by a female voice, but not by the fact that he’d be represented by a lion. I understand the literary change can feel jarring, but it may be worth doing some soul-searching on that.

6. Lewis said that “Good allegory exists not to hide, but to reveal.” In that light, Gerwig is practicing the same art that Lewis set out to do. Her decision may not be faithful to Lewis, but it is faithful to the literary genre of Narnia.

7. We haven’t seen the movie yet. Remember when the church canceled Rob Bell over a book they never read? Let’s not do the same here. Gerwig has done a good job at getting us to think about gender issues in her past works. Let’s see what she has to teach us here.

8. Aslan is ruined by a misunderstanding of his character, not his gender. Liam Neeson’s depiction brings me to tears. Focus on the Family’s depiction made me scared of God. Though they said many of the same words, Neeson’s voice wanted to protect me, and Focus on the Family’s voice wanted to maul me.

9. “Meryl Streep can do anything.”

The Magician’s Nephew is a wonderful origin story for Narnia. I’ve hoped for years that it would one day become a movie, and now that time is drawing near. Lewis was a professional at using story to bring spirituality to life in a vibrant way, and Gerwig is a sharp director who actually has something to say in her movies. Let’s be glad this book ended up in the hands of someone who wants to help us think, and not just someone who wanted to create entertainment.