C.S. Lewis set Prince Caspian 1,300 years after the golden age of Narnia — long enough that Aslan has become a legend, the talking trees have gone silent, and the people who rule the land insist none of it was ever real. So, what do you do when the God you used to see has gone quiet, and the culture around you has decided He was never there?

In part four of our series through the Chronicles of Narnia, we dig into the most generous portrait of an honest skeptic Lewis ever wrote (Trumpkin), whether there’s room for doubt inside the church, why Lewis thought certainty could be its own kind of unbelief, and the famous scene where Lucy is told she should have followed what she saw—even when no one else could see it. Let’s get to it.

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The Horse and His Boy is the Narnia book most people skip—and the one with one of the most difficult question at its center: if God is behind every event of your life, including the painful ones, is that the most comforting idea imaginable or the most unsettling? This week we sit inside Aslan’s “I was the lion” speech and ask what it would mean if it were true.

We also dig into the difference between God’s sovereignty and his providence, where C.S. Lewis actually landed on free will and divine control, why providence is something you can usually only recognize looking backward, and why, in the end, we both walk away from this strange, intimate little book feeling more comforted than unsettled.

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There's a moment in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where one of the kids learns that Aslan is a lion, gets nervous and asks if he's safe. And the answer, as Lewis writes it, is of course he isn't safe, but he's good.

Most Christians can quote that line. It's one of the most famous lines in the entire series. We put it on coffee mugs, we hang it on our walls. But here's the question Lewis was actually asking—why does the Jesus most people know look so tame, so manageable, so agreeable? The Jesus we find most often in the American church is safe. He's predictable. He votes a certain way, he blesses certain things and disapproves of others. He shows up where he's invited and doesn't surprise anyone.

That's what we're diving into today on The Christian Skeptic in part two of our series through The Chronicles of Narnia. Let's get to it.

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:49) Was Lewis arguing for a specific atonement theory?

(04:53) The four atonement theories

(11:35) Would this convince anyone who didn't already believe?

(14:33) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe recap

(20:38) Lucy and faith as perception

(29:04) The deep magic and Edmund as the human representative

(33:02) The Stone Table and the law

(34:48) Has the church tamed Jesus?

(37:11) What does a "not-safe" Jesus look like?

Links 

C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis 

The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia 

J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien 

Mere Christianity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity 

Steve Brown: https://www.keylife.org 

Three Free Sins: https://www.keylife.org/articles/three-free-sins 

The Snow Queen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen

Hans Christian Anderson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen 

Connect with Adam

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark

Connect with Aaron

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown 

Subscribe and stay in touch

Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic 

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

C.S. Lewis was nine years old when his mother died of cancer. He prayed for her healing. She died anyway. Lewis became an atheist for most of his adult life — and then, decades later, wrote The Magician's Nephew, a children's book about a boy in his exact situation.

This week, we kick off a seven-part deep dive into The Chronicles of Narnia, starting with the most autobiographical book in the series. We explore whether Lewis was retelling Genesis, why evil already exists in this world before humans even get there, what the "deplorable word" and Hiroshima might have in common, and whether Uncle Andrew is a fair portrait of the skeptical scientist or just a caricature.

Along the way: Aslan singing creation into being, Digory's reverse of the Fall, the cabby who becomes a king, and the scene at the heart of the book — where Aslan weeps over a dying mother.

In this episode:

00:00  Intro

01:03  Why a Narnia series

06:30  Past the "religious dragons"

08:10  Publication order vs. chronological

10:35  Lewis wrote himself into the story

11:26  Is this a retelling of Genesis?

13:47  Why evil predates humans in Narnia

20:09  Uncle Andrew and the skeptical scientist

23:10  Aslan weeps with Digory

27:01  Threads of redemption: the cabby, the apple, the lampstand

29:55  A wild lion, not a tame one

31:35  The reverse fall

Links 

C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis 

The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia 

The Pilgrim's Progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Progress 

John Bunyan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan 

Charles Spurgeon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon 

J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien 

Out of the Silent Planet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Silent_Planet 

Perelandra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perelandra 

That Hideous Strength: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Hideous_Strength 

Mere Christianity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity 

The Screwtape Letters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters 

Doug Wilson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilson_(theologian) 

Connect with Adam

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark

Connect with Aaron

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown 

Subscribe and stay in touch

Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic 

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

Where did Christmas really come from—and should Christians celebrate it? This week, we explore the historical roots of Christmas, common objections about pagan origins and commercialization, and the role of Santa, imagination, and gift-giving. Along the way, we argue that the church’s call isn’t to retreat from culture but to redeem it. Ultimately, Christmas matters because the incarnation matters: God took on flesh, entered our darkness, and brought hope at just the right time. When understood rightly, even the most familiar Christmas traditions can point us back to Jesus. 

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Why Christians question Christmas

(02:45) Pagan origins, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia

(06:10) Did Christians borrow Christmas?

(09:15) The church’s call: withdraw from culture or redeem it?

(15:30) Puritans vs. separatists: two ways of engaging the world

(17:55) Lights, gifts, and redeeming Christmas traditions

(19:45) Is Santa real? Imagination, myth, and meaning

(23:10) Why stories teach truth better than arguments

(25:10) Gift-giving, generosity, and reflecting God’s heart

(28:45) Why the incarnation actually matters

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we respond to a viral clip claiming most Christians don’t really believe what they preach. We unpack the difference between hypocrisy and inconsistency, talk about weak versus fake faith, explore what a transformed life actually looks like, and wrestle with the place of evangelism in our lives. 

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:29) “I don’t think people are actually religious”

(03:58) Hypocrisy vs. inconsistency

(07:56) Weak faith or fake faith?

(12:33) The problem with cultural Christianity

(18:01) What a transformed life actually looks like

(23:00) Internal change vs. external rule-keeping

(28:48) What place should evangelism have in our lives?

(32:50) How real conversations open real doors

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we take on the question, “Can a Christian abuse grace?” and explore why that question often reveals more about our own hearts than other people’s behavior. We dig into Christian liberty, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Romans 7, and why those who truly grasp God’s love are actually the least likely to cheapen it. We look at how self-righteousness distorts our view of grace, and why the only real way to “abuse” grace is to misunderstand it or reject it altogether. 

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(01:06) – Can a Christian actually abuse grace?

(02:22) – Thinner, flatter versions of grace

(03:27) – When concern for holiness becomes self-righteousness

(04:36) – The hidden ways we all “abuse” grace

(06:00) – The tension of Christian liberty

(07:49) – Older brothers and younger brothers

(09:37) – Comparing sins to avoid our own

(11:36) – The heaviness of watching everyone else

(13:10) – Fear-based faith vs freedom-based faith

(15:16) – Why we keep looking for “the line”

(17:45) – What preaching real grace actually produces

(19:38) – When your heart won’t cooperate

(22:01) – The surprising comfort of conviction

(25:05) – The only real way to abuse grace

(27:39) – When grace sounds too reckless

(29:52) – The prodigal, the Pharisee, and the Father

(34:10) – So what do we do with all this?

Key Ideas

Grace isn’t something you “abuse” as much as something you misunderstand. Most concerns about “abusing grace” come from viewing the Christian life as rule-keeping rather than relationship. A deeper grasp of God’s love—not fear—actually leads to transformation.

Self-examination comes before evaluating anyone else’s behavior. Jesus calls us to address the beam in our own eye first. Before questioning someone else’s actions, check your own posture, motives, and the subtle ways self-righteousness creeps in.

Jesus intentionally left a broadness to the Christian life. Scripture leaves intentional room for believers to live differently within the boundaries of orthodoxy. Differences in conscience, lifestyle, or struggle don’t necessarily signal spiritual compromise.

True grace produces desire—not license—to honor God. When you genuinely understand God’s unconditional love, it awakens a desire to honor Him—not a desire to run wild. Grace transforms from the inside out in a way that moral pressure never can.

The only real “abuse of grace” is rejecting it altogether. Willful rebellion—the prodigal running from home—reflects rejection of God’s love, not overuse of it. But even then, the Father’s response in Jesus’ parable shows that love, not fear, is what draws us home.

Links 

Brennan Manning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_Manning 

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund: https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133 

A Scandalous Freedom by Steve Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Freedom-Radical-Nature-Gospel/dp/1582293929 

Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton: https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Amazing-Back-into-Grace/dp/0801014212 

The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther: https://www.amazon.com/Bondage-Will-Martin-Luther/dp/0801048931 

Connect with Adam

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark

Connect with Aaron

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown 

Subscribe and stay in touch

This week, we’re sharing a live Q&A where we talk Christian nationalism, predestination, identity in Christ, and what it means to trust grace without abusing it. We explore how God forms us, how to walk with those who feel spiritually numb, and why the church remains central to following Jesus.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:00) - What’s the problem with “Christian nationalism”?

(06:54) - Is it wrong for Christians to stay out of politics?

(08:50) - What does predestination mean for me—and my family?

(17:08) - Are we passive in our relationship with God?

(22:12) - Can grace be abused—and what would that look like?

(24:09) - If we fall short of biblical commands, do we lose our inheritance?

(26:07) - Does grace extend to all—including the marginalized and LGBTQ?

(27:37) - How do you help someone who’s become callous to sin?

(30:38) - How can we make the church central to our lives?

(34:03) - Why is Ephesians so relevant to today’s church?

(35:04) - Does the Spirit shape our character—and our behavior?

(36:06) - How does the church keep building on Christ’s foundation today?

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we respond to a clip from Soul Boom with Rhett McLaughlin and Rainn Wilson. We unpack the allure of a “just-the-teachings” Jesus, why it falls apart under scrutiny, and why you can’t separate the words of Jesus from the person of Jesus. We explore the intellectual and theological inconsistency of cherry-picking Jesus’ words while ignoring the radical, exclusive claims he made about himself. 

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:13) – Rhett & Rainn’s take on Jesus

(03:38) – The appeal of a softer faith

(05:13) – Can you follow Jesus without belief?

(07:33) – What Jesus actually said

(10:13) – Liar, lunatic, or Lord?

(12:23) – When smart people say absurd things

(14:13) – Does it matter if Jesus was real?

(16:58) – Belief vs. bias

(18:38) – The red-letter remix

(21:13) – No resurrection, no Christianity

(23:43) – Just a teacher?

(26:03) – The prophecies they can’t explain away

(27:43) – The new crutch: soft Jesus

(29:13) – Why it matters what Jesus said about himself

(31:13) – The question everyone must answer

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we discuss a recent clip from John Piper, and explore the role of emotion in the Christian life. Is constant emotional intensity the measure of genuine belief? What about the seasons of doubt or dryness many believers experience? We also discuss confessional Christianity, the limits of emotionalism, and the freedom that comes not from emotion, but from the unchanging truth of the gospel.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:52) - John Piper on AI and worship

(04:47) - When you don’t “feel” like a Christian

(06:17) - The hidden pressure of emotional Christianity

(10:44) - The danger of undefined emotional expectations

(13:10) - Manufactured vs. suppressed emotions in faith

(19:08) - Adopted, secure, and kept forever

(21:23) - Grace awakens feeling, not the other way around

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.