C. S. Lewis scholar brings new theory to Hillsdale
John Krudy
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News
Michael Ward, author of the new book "Planet Narnia," explained his theory that the seven Narnia books model ancient conceptions of the planets in his speech in Phillips Auditorium Jan. 18. Ward, an Anglican priest and C.S. Lewis expert from Cambridge, England, is touring the United States to promote his work. He spoke with The Collegian about faith, fable and his study of another Cambridge scholar.
Collegian: What first led you to study the Chronicles of Narnia?
Dr. Ward: The fact that my parents read to me. We would cram into my parents' bed, five or six of us, on Saturday or Sunday. They would read a chapter. Later, I read for myself […] I did an English degree at Oxford and did a thesis on Lewis' depictions of evil. After that thesis, I was asked to do a little teaching […] Eventually, I studied for a theology degree to become a priest. When I started work on my Ph.D, then, Lewis seemed a sensible choice.
C: You spoke yesterday about the importance of fable and imagination, especially for children. If children lack such encounters with imaginative stories, will they necessarily grow up as cold and cynical as Eustace from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"?
W: (quoting) "He read all the wrong books. He read all the wrong stories." A child may not be necessarily as cynical as Eustace, but he would certainly be impoverished. My childhood was packed with story, stories that fed, fired, stretched and challenged the mind. I can't imagine growing up without it. It would be horrible. As the body requires food, so does the mind.
C: While developing your theory, did you encounter any roadblocks or snags?
W: No roadblocks, but some snags, which really just made me think harder. It's a question of seeing inside Lewis' mind - his habits of thinking, of speaking. The whole theory rests on the assumption that he hasn't told us something. His friend George Sayer said Lewis never ceased to be secretive. In his autobiography, "Surprised by Joy," he omits some very central things. In fact, a friend recommended it be re-titled "Suppressed by Jack."
Collegian: What first led you to study the Chronicles of Narnia?
Dr. Ward: The fact that my parents read to me. We would cram into my parents' bed, five or six of us, on Saturday or Sunday. They would read a chapter. Later, I read for myself […] I did an English degree at Oxford and did a thesis on Lewis' depictions of evil. After that thesis, I was asked to do a little teaching […] Eventually, I studied for a theology degree to become a priest. When I started work on my Ph.D, then, Lewis seemed a sensible choice.
C: You spoke yesterday about the importance of fable and imagination, especially for children. If children lack such encounters with imaginative stories, will they necessarily grow up as cold and cynical as Eustace from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"?
W: (quoting) "He read all the wrong books. He read all the wrong stories." A child may not be necessarily as cynical as Eustace, but he would certainly be impoverished. My childhood was packed with story, stories that fed, fired, stretched and challenged the mind. I can't imagine growing up without it. It would be horrible. As the body requires food, so does the mind.
C: While developing your theory, did you encounter any roadblocks or snags?
W: No roadblocks, but some snags, which really just made me think harder. It's a question of seeing inside Lewis' mind - his habits of thinking, of speaking. The whole theory rests on the assumption that he hasn't told us something. His friend George Sayer said Lewis never ceased to be secretive. In his autobiography, "Surprised by Joy," he omits some very central things. In fact, a friend recommended it be re-titled "Suppressed by Jack."
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