Narnia, Old St. George, and CCU

Today's Cincinnati Enquirer (motto: Our fact-checking is less thorough than our National namesake's!) covers the Christian marketing of the soon-to-be-released Disney adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. We note with pleasure and pride the following excerpt:

The story of "Narnia" likewise has little in common with the blood-soaked "Passion," said Paul Friskney, an English professor at Cincinnati Christian University, and author of the newly published "Sharing the Narnia Experience: A Family Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (Standard Publishing, $7.99).

The "Passion," said Friskney, "was intended to be directly doctrinal and had a very strong preaching message. I believe this (story) is much more engaging. ... It's not so in-your-face."

Friskney said the series' charms derive from Lewis' rare imagination. "He created a complete world, then thought, if there were such a world, and God were going to redeem that world, what would He do? There are unique things about the way the redemption happens that have no parallels in the Bible," he said. "Its themes are about issues, not events."

As noted previously, Paul is the friend, colleague and former roommate of SWNID. We congratulate him for articulating so clearly Lewis's vision of Narnia, and we congratulate reporter Margaret McGurk for having the common sense to give Paul the ... ahem ... lion's share of interview space in the story.

Meanwhile, the Enquirer (motto: Eliminating local columnists and running more generic syndicated material is our road to increased circulation!) also reports that Clifton's venerable Old St. George's church building has been sold by the group that purchased it from the Cincinnati Roman Catholic Archdiocese to the redevelopment corporation that is doing all the cool construction along Calhoun and McMillan.

The historic "church" is thus "saved," at least for awhile, from the demolition that would make way for another attractive Walgreen's Drug-and-Big-Mouth-Billy-Bass Store. But its recent life as a funky community arts center and even funkier living space for young urban bohemians of various Christian and quasi-Christian commitments* appears to be in question.

What ties all this together?

First, SWNID opines that no matter how faithful and successful the Disney LWW proves to be, it cannot surpass the two-actor stage production of the story presented now and again by Cincinnati's leading Christian theater troupe, Friends of the Groom, most recently at Old St. George, where it was enjoyed by all members of the family SWNID.

Second, the Enquirer quotes CCU alum Tasha Golden, who with husband Justin constitutes the band Ellery, and who with husband Justin constitutes a delightful couple whom SWNID is honored to have taught in college, on the possible demise of OSG as a venue for concerts like the one that Ellery will present next Tuesday:

Maybe this show offers a warm way for people to say goodbye to the building and the live music it has hosted over the years.

So in sum, there are good times for Narnia, better-than-they-could-be-but-maybe-not-as-good-as-they-have-been times for a historic building in Cincinnati, and very good times to be noticed by the press if you're connected to CCU.

____________
*A SWNID friend who lived for awhile in an apartment at Old St. George remarked that he heard more vulgar and profane language there than at any other site of his acquaintance.