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Forget Oz; go straight to Narnia, says Salon.com
Salon.com books editor Laura Miller notes that while L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz celebrated its 100th anniversary this fall, C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobecelebrated its 50th. But compare the two, she says, and it's no contest: "The literary gulf between The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is partly a matter of sheer talent; Baum never wrote a deft sentence, while Lewis excelled at them." But Miller also prefers Lewis because his book is dark, and he treats kids as "moral beings." Still, she's put off by the books' religious following: "The Christian elements in Lewis' work repel interesting critics and scholars—some of whom are still embarrassed about how much they liked his books as kids. (Lewis scholarship exists, but it's a hagiographic wasteland roamed by worshipful, third-rate Christian academics who see his work as something close to divine revelation.) Former fans often (mistakenly) dismiss his children's books as simple religious allegories, and the well-earned reputation that Christians have for smug proselytizing has tarnished much of Lewis' writing by association. It's a shame because The Chronicles of Narnia is a fascinating attempt to compress an almost druidic reverence for wild nature, Arthurian romance, Germanic folklore, the courtly poetry of Renaissance England and the fantastic beasts of Greek and Norse mythology into an entirely reimagined version of what's tritely called 'the greatest story ever told.' Even if you don't agree that it's the greatest story, it's still one of the great ones, and Lewis … not only set himself a mighty task but pulled it off."

Episcopal and Lutheran churches join together as full communion goes into effect
Some Lutheran and Episcopal churches wasted no time in implementing the "Called to Common Mission" agreement that allows full communion between the churches—they held joint New Year's Eve services as the agreement went into effect. "I think we made history!" said J. Jon Bruno, bishop coadjutor of the Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese. Next week, the presiding bishops of the two denominations will hold ceremonies together at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. (See also the Los Angeles Times's preview coverage.)

India's Christian leaders meet with Prime Minister
"The Christians are safe," Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told six bishops and others concerned about rising attacks on Christians throughout the country. The attacks, Vajpayee assured them, are ""isolated incidents." That doesn't seem to be what the Christians are saying.

More articles of interest:

• Marvin Olasky says he doesn't want White House position (UPI)
• Conservatives Derailed Montana Gov. Marc Racicot for Attorney General (Washington Post)
• Two Die in St. Lucia Sword and Fire Church Attack (Reuters)
• Two arrested over brutal church attack (BBC)
• Church attackers say God led them (Associated Press/Boston Globe)
• Man Attacks Archbishop at St. Patrick's (The New York Times)
• Egan Unhurt in Attack at St. Pat's (New York Post)
• Dad Tells of 'Poor Soul Who Needs Some Help' (New York Post)
• Man tries to 'arrest' Archbishop Egan during service (Newsday)
• Bomb Blasts in 2 Tajikistan Churches (Associated Press/The Guardian)
• Nigeria seeks to block flogging for girl who had premarital sex (Associated Press/The Sun)
• Blast Targets Church in Yemen (Associated Press)
• Millennium renews concerns about 'Concerned Christians' cult (Denver Post)

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January (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45