The inquiry of this essay is to examine the expression of evil in fantasy literature with a special focus on J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but also C.S. Lewis’ Narnia the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Narnia the Last Battle. The purpose is to illuminate different depictions of evil in the books and reflect what these depictions can tell us about evil in our contemporary context. With this essay I want to show how world views are present in fantasy literature with a special focus on the portrayal of evil and its significance for the understanding of the narrative. I mean that the understanding and depiction of evil is a universal problem and an existential issue of relevance to world views.

This inquiry examines the lived experience of a believing Christian seeking authentic space on a secular academic course. It has come about as a result of an experience of both angst and transformation leading to the focus of this inquiry which is looking to answer the question of: 'How does a committed Christian with a belief in foundational truth, authentically relate and integrate their faith and new found knowledge in counselling practice and research on a secular training course'? Research literature acknowledges a growing interest and demand for further debate and research in the domain of integration of faith and psychotherapy and practice, where evidence points to there being a gap in training. Integration is acknowledged as problematic but specific challenges are noted as not being so well researched. The study is written in the form of a paradigmatic case study where the researcher is also the researched. It embraces a pluralistic methodology incorporating aspects of personal narrative, interpretive phenomenological analysis and tacit understanding as advocated by Polanyi. This inquiry explores both the problem encountered and the solution found. The problem was epistemological, that of a personal belief in foundational truth, the central tenet of the Christian faith and the challenge of co-habiting a secular relativist space. The purpose and goal of this inquiry is to both show and tell the process of integration, which allowed authentic space to emerge both personally and theoretically. An exploration of a personal epiphany of 'heart and mind' integration is pivotal in this inquiry. The key finding which made integration possible was the discovery of and engagement with both Michael Polanyi and C.S. Lewis and their progressive theories of knowledge: theories which embrace both fundamental Christian belief and the fundamental values and theories taught in the dialogue of both person-centred and psychodynamic approaches. This study and reflexive analysis has created the basis of a body of work, which can be used as a means of support for Christian trainees who encounter similar challenges in academic spaces and in practice in this postmodern age. It can also be of benefit to trainers and course designers and counselling practitioners as they engage and dialogue with this re emerging phenomena. Finally this inquiry can be the catalyst for further research and development in order to begin to bridge the epistemological gap encountered in training.

ABSTRACT Imaginative storytelling offered as an invitation to learning dovetails with the notion of Romance in cyclical, organic learning. It is upon the theme of rhythmic storytelling and its relationship to Alfred North Whitehead’s cycle of Romance/Freedom of “The Wood between the Worlds” that I concentrate in this thesis. The thesis proceeds in four chapters to facilitate such understanding. Chapter One reawakens the childlike wonder of the stories my father related to me when I was young; my personal academic trajectory traces out the Whiteheadian pattern of the overlapping tri-cycle of Romance/Freedom, Precision/Self-Discipline, and Generalization/Freedom. Chapter Two introduces the enchanted Narnian “Wood between the Worlds” envisioned by Clive Staples Lewis with reference to the literary and sensory forests I have known. Chapter Three presents the Voices of the Children from my Grade Two class over a period of one year, based upon my memories and personal anecdotal notes of their stories as well as their creative use of storytelling. I also explore Antonio Machón’s consideration of children’s drawings as storytelling. In conclusion, Chapter Four describes my journeys with First Nations pilot programs Math Warriors (Saskatoon Catholic School Board) and Indigenous Knowledge in Science (Saskatoon Public School Board), leading me to better appreciate Indigenous educational philosophy. In the process I consider insights shared by Verna Kirkness (Cree), Jo-ann Archibald (Stó:lö and Coast Salish), and others. Finally, I interpret “The Wood between the Worlds” from a Whiteheadian perspective, reflecting upon contrasts and commonalities Whitehead may share with Aboriginal thought.

This thesis investigates the function of representations of the Orient in fantasy literature for children with a focus on The Chronicles of Narnia as exemplifying its most problematic manifestation. According to Edward Said (2003:1-2), the Orient is one of Europe’s ‘deepest and most recurring images of the Other… [which]…has helped to define Europe (or the West) as its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience.’ However, values are grouped around otherness in fantasy literature as in no other genre, facilitating what J.R.R. Tolkien (2001:58) identifies as Recovery, the ‘regaining of a clear view… [in order that] the things seen clearly may be freed from the drab blur of triteness or familiarity.’ In Chapter One, it is argued that this gives the way the genre deals with spaces and identities characterized as Oriental, which in Western stories are themselves vested with qualities of strangeness, a peculiar significance. Specifically, new ways of perceiving the function of representations of the Other are explored in the genre of fantasy. Edward Said’s concept of imaginative geographies is then introduced and the significance of this concept in light of the fictional spaces of fantasy is explored. Next, fantasy’s links to representations of the Orient in Romance literature are explained, and the way in which these representations are determined by the heritage of Orientalist discourse is examined. Finally, the issue of children’s literature as colonial space and the implications of this in a fantasy framework are discussed. Chapter Two begins by introducing C.S. Lewis and explaining the ideology at work in The Chronicles of Narnia. The order in which The Chronicles should be approached is then established, and the construction of identity in the first three of The Chronicles is examined. Chapter Three focuses on The Horse and His Boy, the book in which the pseudo-Oriental space of Calormen most prominently figures. Chapter Four is devoted to the last two books of The Chronicles with emphasis on the role played by the Other in the destruction of Narnia in The Last Battle. In Chapter Five, I sum up the essential problems of representing the Orient as illustrated by my study of The Chronicles of Narnia. Representations of the Orient in The Chronicles are compared with pseudo-Oriental constructions in Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynne Jones, Emperor Mage and The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce and both Voices and The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula K. Le Guin. The similarities and differences evident in the representations of the Orient in all these works are traced and the implications of them are explored. Le Guin in particular is noted as an author who demonstrates some ways to break free of Orientalist paradigms of identity. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / English / Unrestricted

The author of this study explored the works of C.S. Lewis as well as memoirs and scholarship concerning his work to illustrate his transformational leadership. Works reviewed included Lewis's fiction, such as his science fiction trilogy and his children's series, The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as his works of nonfiction, such as essays that addressed social issues. The secondary aim for the author of this study was to determine whether the transformational qualities Lewis exhibited also existed in his characters. Transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework for the descriptive explanatory qualitative design. Essentially the study analyzed the primary works of Lewis and subsequent scholarship through the lens of transformational leadership. Data collected included document review, interviews with Lewis scholars, and observations. Synthesis of the data revealed that Lewis possessed the 4 qualities of transformational leadership established by Bass (1985). Derived from a blended evaluation of scholarship, observational data, and interview responses, findings indicated that Lewis exhibited the 4 qualities of transformational leadership: Idealized influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individual Consideration. In addition, Lewis created a transformational leader in Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia and depicted pseudotransformational leadership in both his science fiction trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia. The author of this study explored a contextual and historical view of Lewis as a veteran of World War I and a voice of hope during World War II. During the period pseudotransformational leadership existed in the reality of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime and echoed in the literature of Lewis in the N.I.C.E. organization from the science fiction trilogy and Shift from The Chronicles of Narnia. Recommendations for further study encourage future scholars to expand the roster of transformational leaders to include artists and thinkers and to examine various aspects of Lewis yet needing research.

My primary aim for this study is to illuminate the Ransom trilogy's inherent psychological and spiritual themes, as well as demonstrate how these themes clarify Lewis's philosophical and political goals for the text. Specifically, by investigating Lewis's mythic imagery and suffering motifs in light of psychoanalytic and theological literary criticisms, I elucidate the reasoning behind Lewis's unique—and at times, horrific—portrayal of fear, violence, and death. I also investigate how Lewis integrates his theology with the horrors of personal and intrapersonal suffering, as well as how he utilizes imagination and myth to explicate the practical (or political) implications of his theodicy. As a whole, I present a systematic study of the relationship between the Great War, myth, and the three Ransom novels, one which reveals how Lewis manipulates his personal traumatic experiences to fashion a romantic Christian understanding of evil and violence in the modern world

The purpose of this study is to introduce the three posthumous narrative poems of C. S. Lewis. Chapter One is an introduction to Lewis's life and scholarship. The second chapter is concerned with "Launcelot," in which the central theme of the story explores the effect of the Quest for the Holy Grail on King Arthur's kingdom. Chapter Three studies "The Nameless Isle," in which Celtic and Greek mythic elements strongly influence both characterization and plot. The fourth chapter is an analysis of The Queen of Drum and its triangular plot structure in which the motivating impetus of the characters is the result of dreams. Chapter Five recapitulates Lewis's perspectives of life and reviews the impact of his Christianity on the poems. The study also shows how each poem illustrates a separate aspect of the cosmic quest.

Det övergripande syftet i denna uppsats är att undersöka vad som tyder på att C.S. Lewis har influerats av den bibliska Djävulen i hans skildrande av två ondskefulla gestalter i Narnia. Dessa två karaktärer är den vita häxan och den vita häxan. I studien har jag valt att göra en komparativ undersökning av vilka kopplingar och likheter som finns mellan den bibliska djävulen och Lewis framställningar av den gröna respektive den vita häxan. Jämförandet bygger på en intertextuell, religiös grund med en hermeneutisk utgångspunkt där Bibeln och Holms djävulssymboler har fungerat som jämförelseunderlag. Fokus i denna granskning har legat på vilka samband skildringarna av Djävulen och häxorna förmedlar i form av symboler, handlingar och händelser. Sammanfattningsvis går att säga att parallellerna och likheterna är många och konkreta men att dessa influenser tar sig uttryck på olika sätt hos den gröna häxan respektive den vita häxan. Det framgår att den gröna häxan har fler kopplingar till djävulen genom symboler medan den vita häxan skildras mer sparsamt med symboliska uttryck. Den vita häxan tilldelas dock fler paralleller och samband med djävulen i form av handlingar och händelser. Samtidigt blir det tydligt att Lewis förmedlar kristna strukturer till kommande generationer genom sina karaktärer och berättelser om landet Narnia. Det bibliska jämförandet visar i detta fall på hur människor i en social konstruktion även införlivar nya medlemmar i kulturella inlärningssystem genom litteratur.

Jag söker det vackra i det som gör så jävla ont. tvetydigt vackert Jag kallar det för en sorgens separatism. Att bli utestängd från alla andra på grund av sin sorg, för att sedan börja stänga in alla de som av sorgen inte stängts ut. Zarah var en av många som grät en tår och den föll genom staden bort till mitt öga. De som gråter över sorgen, sorgen som är. De gråter i mina ögon. Men när jag väl kommer gråtandes, kommer du då tillåta mig att gråta i ditt? Min konst kanske kan få vara mellanrummet mellan våra tårar, som de kvävda andetagen mitt där i. Det är en sorgens separatisms och jag är osäker på om varken vi sorgsna eller vi sorgliga förstår mer om vad det innebär än om hur det faktiskt känns.

This thesis offers an important reconsideration of the place of the Second World War within larger narratives of religious change in the twentieth century. While many scholars have subsumed these crucial war years within accounts of inter-war change, or dismissed them as a period of mellow or austere religion, the Second World War provides a significant opportunity for an analysis of religious change that relies on a confluence of vectors. International geopolitics, political consensus, myths of national cohesion, physical constraints, technological developments and currents in ecclesiastical thought each played a role in shaping the religious culture of wartime, one that the author describes as a “spiritual consensus” that prized unity and commonality over difference. This thesis also opens up an important new front for the history of modern Christianity in Britain. The relationship between mass media, religion and national culture has been under-examined by scholars, as has the particular ways that media shapes mental environments. The relationship between the Churches and the Ministry of Information seems to have sat in a penumbra between disciplines, leaving the rich trove of documents at the National Archives about the activities of the Religions Division of the MOI relatively unexamined. This thesis discusses in detail the global and domestic role afforded to an ecumenical Christianity in MOI propaganda. It also adds to existing scholarship that has emphasised the significant place afforded to Christianity in identity construction during the war, and its importance in the articulation of the narratives through which the urgency and necessity of the conflict was understood. / This is a study of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s religious broadcasting practices during the Second World War and its aftermath. Using documentary sources from the BBC Written Archives Centre and the National Archives, this thesis argues that the wartime context allowed the articulation and development of a particular kind of “BBC Religion,” one that celebrated commonality over difference, emphasized the importance of accessibility, and focused on individual rather than communal worship. BBC Religion was an important site of national propaganda and national identity construction, and was central to the celebration of key civil religious festivals, including the National Days of Prayer. BBC Religion provided listeners with daily prayers, devotionals, talks and entertainments to offer psychological and spiritual support during a time of crisis. Religion can be an effective tool of persuasion, particularly when propaganda builds on pre-­existing beliefs and loyalties. The Ministry of Information and BBC used a generic, practical Christianity as an “ecumenical weapon” to foster unity in Britain and between Allies. This thesis argues that the medium of radio and the technological and physical constraints of war shaped the particular articulation of BBC Religion. While the BBC helped foster a “spiritual consensus” during the war, this consensus quickly degraded in the in the aftermath of the conflict. Instead, the BBC articulated principles of tolerance and liberty in a more straightforward way, celebrating the return of regional and religious diversity in radio programming. In 1948, the BBC broke with its former “ban on controversy” to allow Bertrand Russell to openly question the existence of God on the air for the first time. This study offers a revision to “caesura” and “gradual-­declinist” narratives of religious change by suggesting that religious change in the mid-­twentieth century may be more episodic in nature, and that current historiography would benefit from an approach that considers the formation, development and adaptation of multiple discursive Christianities. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This is a study of the place of religion in British public life during the Second World War. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was tasked with creating popular, upbeat entertainment that could boost the morale of the nation while reminding listeners of the reasons to stay committed to the fight. They created a “BBC Religion” during the war, one that emphasised unity by stressing commonalities between all kinds of Christians, and offered psychological and spiritual comfort to listeners in a time of crisis. The Religious Broadcasting Department created engaging content that prized accessibility and simplicity above all, commissioning beloved programmes, including C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, Dorothy L. Sayers’ The Man Born to be King, and Lift Up Your Hearts, a precursor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. When the urgency of the conflict passed and victory became assured, this BBC Religion ceased to serve a propagandistic function. Instead, the post-­war BBC celebrated diversity and respected differences in religious belief and interpretation instead of forcing conformity.