The Role of Religion in Myth - Kate Bennett

 As I write my last blog post, I want to reflect on my experience as a non-religious student in this class. I came into this class looking for literary relief - I wanted to engage with something I enjoyed, in ways that I enjoyed. I knew C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, and the thought of reading that as a requirement instead of a textbook was convincing enough for me. Personally, I don’t identify with any kind of religion. I knew I wasn’t the only person in the class that didn’t subscribe to a theist religion, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was way in over my head with the extensive amount of religious knowledge everyone else seemed to come with. Regardless, I have joined interpreting Lewis’ stories through a non-religious lens, and then coming into class and receiving a religious lens as well. It would be foolish of me to ignore the prevalence of religion in these works, considering the plethora of examples that can be noted across Lewis’ portfolio. Many scenes from The Chronicles of Narnia, for example, made reference to biblical principles, such as the Garden of Eden and the Creation Myth. Moreover, in The Space Trilogy, particularly in Perelandra, the Lady is meant to represent a type of Eden for Ransom. Ultimately, I can’t say the religious symbolism in Lewis’ work was always so recognizable, but I enjoyed the challenge that this course pushed me to. I came into this class hoping to expand my horizons, both academically and philosophically, and based on the discussions we have had over this semester, I can undoubtedly say that this was achieved. 


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