How to interpret C.S. Lewis's use of magic by good moral agents in the Chronicles of Narnia to be acceptable to earth Christians?

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Anyone who believes that C.S. Lewis was anything other than one of the most sincere and completely devoted Christians of the 20th century must have no idea about his reputation as a Christian apologist. To be clear, the Chronicles were intended for CHILDREN and were written to appeal to the sensibilities and intellectual development of CHILDREN. While I think CSL wrote the Chronicles for anyone under the age of about 16, some of us who read these books over and over tend to put too much thought into what he was trying to convey with his symbolism and imagery. Sometimes, he was just trying to get kids to think about their place as people in a world created by God.

By using references to magic, talking animals, knights, and dragons, Lewis was merely trying to appeal to the sense of fantasy that most young kids have naturally. He never suggested or implied that magic was an alternative to being a good, moral person; or that one should seek wealth and success over their relationships with others. In fact, in almost every example I can think of, those characters who rely upon magic to obtain their desires always end up losing them. Only those characters who are willing to sacrifice their own safety, comfort, and reputations can eventually see Aslan. And those who cannot see Aslan cannot enjoy the blessings of his presence.

I think CSL was trying to get across that Jesus expects us to come to Him as children; that is, without any preconceived notions about what is possible. To be a Christian, it is necessary to first accept that the supernatural has dominion over the natural world. If we are willing to believe in magic, then we should be more than willing to believe in God. CSL once wrote that those who practice Paganism are much closer to Christians than Atheists or Agnostics.

So while his images might seem pagan, his intent was to inspire children to seek the supernatural; and consider that without the supernatural, there can be no nature. This was a self-evident proposition for him, but he explained it very well in numerous essays and in his most famous work on the subject. I think Narnia is just an extension of this idea that a belief in God begins with a belief in something other than a corporeal existence. He used magic to cultivate this belief and to inspire curiosity among children about what their true roles on Earth might be.

It was also just a set of really neat books for kids to read that disguised Christian ethics as fairy tales. Thank God for C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia.

As for the comment about CSL's and JRR Tolkien's works being somehow un-Christian, clearly the commenter has not read either author very much. If you do just a little research you will find that JRRT was another Christian who tried to do the same thing for adults (among his many other intentions) with the Lord of the Rings. Although Narnia was not as linguistically rich or as complete of a work as the Rings, both authors should be read by Christians because they convey mind-opening truths about strength of character and powers greater than self-interest that can't be absorbed through a sermon or even a philosophy class.