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I Hate Allegories
- Thread starter Dr. Bob
- Start date
Gold Dragon
Well-Known Member
I enjoy both historical writings/narration as well as more figurative writings/narration. Both have their pros and cons. Both convey truth in different ways. Both are used by God in scripture.
I tend to love allegory and other literary genre. Symbolism and allegory are not the same.
I generally tend to dislike historical fiction, but love reading history.
I am a sc-fi, fantasy buff - both reading and on film. Even though I love sci-fi and fantasy, I feel we tend to read too much into them at times. Enjoy the story and try not to see a threat or deeper meaning in everything.
I especially love and have always loved time travel stories. Dr Who was indeed a fascinating and fun tongue in cheek series.
BTW, Narnia is on the list for this week. Glad to hear it is loyal to the book. LOTR was a little iffy at times, although I still loved the films.
I generally tend to dislike historical fiction, but love reading history.
I am a sc-fi, fantasy buff - both reading and on film. Even though I love sci-fi and fantasy, I feel we tend to read too much into them at times. Enjoy the story and try not to see a threat or deeper meaning in everything.
I especially love and have always loved time travel stories. Dr Who was indeed a fascinating and fun tongue in cheek series.
BTW, Narnia is on the list for this week. Glad to hear it is loyal to the book. LOTR was a little iffy at times, although I still loved the films.
I watched a little of the recent Star War videos and the Towers in LOTR. Not impressed.
But talking beavers you say? Now THAT is kewl. Assume one is the allegory for John the Baptist, damming up the river to immerse believers in lion.
And all I know is CS Lewis' 1959 testimony about what a farce it would be to allow movies to be made of something that was designed to paint visual images in the immagination.
I can relate. I have an image in my imagination of what some BB posters look like . . .
But talking beavers you say? Now THAT is kewl. Assume one is the allegory for John the Baptist, damming up the river to immerse believers in lion.
And all I know is CS Lewis' 1959 testimony about what a farce it would be to allow movies to be made of something that was designed to paint visual images in the immagination.
I can relate. I have an image in my imagination of what some BB posters look like . . .
"And all I know is CS Lewis' 1959 testimony about what a farce it would be to allow movies to be made of something that was designed to paint visual images in the imagination."-------------------------------------------------------
That is what I suspected Dr. Bob. I agree, until the last 5 or 10 years it would have been technologically impossible to do Narnia justice. But that has changed. Those beavers look like real beaver- but with facial expressions.
That is what I suspected Dr. Bob. I agree, until the last 5 or 10 years it would have been technologically impossible to do Narnia justice. But that has changed. Those beavers look like real beaver- but with facial expressions.
Just thinking about this post this morning. I think I agree somewhat. Though I really enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia, I think they're useless as outreach tools. We've had a whole nation immersed in Tolkien's world nearly three years, and has it yielded any spiritual fruit?
Of course not. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And in the church, I'd rather speak five straightforward words than 10,000 shrouded in allegory.
But, allegory does have its place.
Where, other than the brief section in Galatians 4.24ff where it's labeled as allegory or "figurative"? </font>[/QUOTE]I only need one example, and you supplied it. But as rsr aptly demonstrated, the Scriptures are rife with allegory.
Jesus saying he is the good shepherd (or the vine) is not allegory; it's a figure of speech called metaphor.
Allegory and metaphor are one and the same. An allegory is simply an extended metaphor.
And there are a couple allegories in the Bible. And a fable (when the trees met together to vote for a king; really great story).
But does not mean that these are the methods of presenting the Gospel. May ILLUSTRATE the Gospel if clear enough, but someone would have to know the real Gospel quite thoroughly (like we do on the BB) to see the Gospel through the clouds of allegory like Tolkein or Lewis
But does not mean that these are the methods of presenting the Gospel. May ILLUSTRATE the Gospel if clear enough, but someone would have to know the real Gospel quite thoroughly (like we do on the BB) to see the Gospel through the clouds of allegory like Tolkein or Lewis
"But does not mean that these are the methods of presenting the Gospel. May ILLUSTRATE the Gospel if clear enough, but someone would have to know the real Gospel quite thoroughly (like we do on the BB) to see the Gospel through the clouds of allegory like Tolkein or Lewis"-----------------------------------------------------------------
Well Dr. Bob, I hope no one is looking at LOTR or TCON as a presentation of scripture. That would be rather silly. I think there value lies elsewhere. But here are folks who have "heard it all" who might just feel moved by Aslan's sacrifice and maybe would consider Jesus again. Mostly, I have found value in the stories as a way to highlight what I have taught them from the Bible. Putting the sacrifice of Jesus in another format simply for the purposes of stoking imagination and wonder.
It's like saying, "hey, you think Aslan's sacrifice is moving, let me tell you about the real thing".
Well Dr. Bob, I hope no one is looking at LOTR or TCON as a presentation of scripture. That would be rather silly. I think there value lies elsewhere. But here are folks who have "heard it all" who might just feel moved by Aslan's sacrifice and maybe would consider Jesus again. Mostly, I have found value in the stories as a way to highlight what I have taught them from the Bible. Putting the sacrifice of Jesus in another format simply for the purposes of stoking imagination and wonder.
It's like saying, "hey, you think Aslan's sacrifice is moving, let me tell you about the real thing".
Charles Meadows
New Member
I hate fiction (except Star Wars).
I'd much rather read a good calculus book than a novel any day!
I'd much rather read a good calculus book than a novel any day!
Which is precisely why I WILL NOT see a movie AFTER I have read the book. No problem with the obverse though.
Also why, IMO, the TV series of "Dennis The Menace", and "Dagwood" never made a hit.