10/25/2025 .

Introduction: A Safe and Comfortable Christ

In C.S. Lewis’s beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan the Lion stands as the unmistakable Christ figure: noble, majestic, mysterious, and good. Lewis’s portrayal has inspired generations of Christians who see in Aslan a gentle echo of the Savior: a king who sacrifices Himself for others and leads His followers to victory over evil.

Yet for all its literary brilliance, Narnia’s version of Christ is also telling, not for what it says about Jesus, but for what it leaves out. Aslan is powerful, yes, but he is curiously tame. He inspires wonder, but rarely fear. He speaks in riddles and proverbs, but seldom in commandments. He never issues laws, never thunders in judgment, and rarely demands repentance. In many ways, Aslan embodies the modern church’s version of Jesus: safe, sentimental, and inoffensive. He is the kind of God who fits comfortably into our cultural ideals.

But the Jesus of scripture is anything but tame. He is merciful, yes, but also just. He is loving and compassionate, but also confrontational. He saves, but He also condemns. He comforts the penitent, yet He scourges the proud. The Lion of Judah is not a housecat.

The Modern Aslan: A Reflection of Our Theology

In Prince Caspian, when Aslan returns to Narnia, his followers are a motley crowd of wild, unruly, and riotous creatures. They feast, dance, and drink in celebration. There is no rebuke, no call to repentance, no moral reckoning, only indulgent acceptance.

This scene mirrors the spirit of modern Christianity: a “come-as-you-are” gospel that preaches acceptance without repentance, love without holiness, and grace without transformation. The new Aslan and the new Jesus are benevolent archetypes for the God that Christians want, not the divine Redeemer who calls mankind to rise above their fallen, carnal condition into a state of holiness and righteousness.

The Book of Mormon describes this counterfeit religion with stunning precision:

“There shall be many who shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us… nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin.” [1]

This is the Aslan theology: a God who blesses without correction, who smiles at sin so long as we feel sincere. It is the gospel of the modern age, a feel-good faith for a self-centered world.

The Real Jesus: A Consuming Fire

The Jesus of scripture does not resemble Aslan’s mild benevolence. He is not merely the Lamb; He is also the Lion.

“Our God is a consuming fire.” [2] “His eyes were as a flame of fire… and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.” [3]

This is not the language of a storybook lion who offers moral comfort. It is the description of the cosmic Judge who demands repentance, obedience, and reverence.

When Christ walked the earth, He was not adored for being “nice.” He was hated for being truthful. He exposed hypocrisy, shattered religious complacency, and preached total surrender to the will of God.

To the Pharisees, He declared: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”  [4]

To the rich young ruler: “Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor… and come, follow me.” [5]

To the adulterous woman: “Go, and sin no more.” [6]

To all mankind: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily.” [7]

This is the voice of the untamed Lion, not the gentle Aslan who merely hugs the sinner, but the Christ who transforms him.

The Declawing of the Gospel

Modern Christianity has systematically declawed its Lion. Sermons are soft, worship is theatrical, and discipleship is a smorgasbord of pick-and-choose options. The cross has become a pagan talisman—a decoration. Repentance is viewed as an inconvenience at best, or an impossible demand at worst. The church, once the moral conscience of Western civilization, now fears offending anyone.

Isaiah foresaw this age when people would say to their prophet-leaders: “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” [8]

And Paul warned: “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” [9]

These are the worshippers of the tame lion: believers who want a Jesus who soothes but never corrects, who redeems without requiring righteousness.

Even C.S. Lewis’s famous line, “He is not a tame lion,” rings hollow in context. Although Lewis intended Aslan to be wild and mysterious, he still remains safe for almost everyone most of the time. He rarely terrifies, rarely condemns, and rarely confronts those who need it most. He is the perfect Christ for the modern reader: poetic, noble, affirming, cuddly, fun, and entirely harmless.

The Biblical Lion: King, Judge, and Warrior

The true Christ is not safe. He is the roaring Lion of Judah, the Lord of Hosts, and the Righteous Judge. His coming will not be to hug the nations but to rule them with a rod of iron.[10] Indeed, we read that “the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of his Spirit.” [11]

The prophets of old knew who and what God is.

Isaiah saw Him as the One who “treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” [12]

Malachi warned, “Who may abide the day of his coming? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.” [13]

Nephi declared that the wicked will “shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment.” [14]

This is not the Aslan who blesses all, but the Christ who judges all. His mercy is infinite, but only for those who repent. His forgiveness is sure, but only for those who forsake sin.

The Aslan Effect: A Theology of Sentiment

The danger of the Aslan archetype is subtle but deadly: it replaces repentance with sentiment. It turns faith into a feeling of wishful thinking. The Jesus of modern religion is a cosmic therapist, not a Savior-King. He offers reassurance, not redemption. He preaches acceptance, not holiness.

This distortion makes people feel good about being unchanged. It fills churches with worshippers who mistake emotion for the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. They believe tears are the result of conversion, and warmth is the evidence of sanctification. But the application of true grace is not sentimental or merely emotional; it is transformative.

The Apostle Paul spoke of “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” [15]

The power of godliness is the power to improve and to sanctify, to crucify the old carnal man and become a new creature in Christ.[16]

A Christianity that leaves its followers as they are is not Christianity. It is flattery with a cross on top.

The Call to Fear the Lord

The scriptures repeatedly command mankind to fear God. Not a paralyzing terror, but a reverent awe that springs from respecting and understanding His ways and His holiness.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” [17]

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” [18]

“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” [19]

The modern Aslan-Christ evokes no such fear. He is too polite, too human, too soft. He smiles at sin and shrugs at rebellion. At the most, he might growl a little. But the true Christ evokes trembling, repentance, and reverence. [20] When John the Revelator saw Him, he “fell at his feet as dead.” [21] For mortals, experiencing even a portion of God’s glory will likely, at the least, cause you to lose consciousness. I have experienced this several times.

The Return of the Untamed Christ

When Christ returns, He will not come as the docile Aslan of our imaginations, but as the conqueror described in Revelation: “Behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war… and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword.” [22]

He will come to separate sheep from goats, wheat from tares, truth from deception. Every false image of Him will be shattered, every tame gospel silenced. The Lion of Judah will roar, and all the earth will know that He is God.

Conclusion: The Real Lion Still Roars

The Aslan of Narnia may stir the imagination and come across as quite relatable and likable, but the Christ of the Old and New Testaments is much different. He is merciful, but He is also mighty; He forgives, but He also rebukes and commands. The true Jesus does not merely comfort sinners; He confronts sinners and converts them.

A tame lion is not fierce in declaring the truth. And a tepid Jesus is no Savior or Redeemer.

The Lion of Judah is not safe, but He is good. He is not soft, but He is merciful. He is not tame, but He is true. And when He comes again, His roar will not be the sound of acceptance, but of justice.

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” [23]

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[1] 2 Nephi 28:7–8

[2] Hebrews 12:29

[3] Revelation 1:14–16

[4] Matthew 23:13

[5] Mark 10:21

[6] John 8:11

[7] Luke 9:23

[8] Isaiah 30:10

[9] 2 Timothy 4:3

[10] Revelation 19:15

[11] Doctrine and Covenants 133:59

[12] Isaiah 63:3

[13] Malachi 3:2

[14] 2 Nephi 9:46

[15] 2 Timothy 3:5

[16] Romans 6:6

[17] Proverbs 9:10

[18] Philippians 2:12

[19] Revelation 14:7

[20] 1 Nephi 16:27

[21] Revelation 1:17

[22] Revelation 19:11, 15

[23] Revelation 6:17

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