User:Cononthecob/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I selected this article for a few reasons. Firstly, C.S. Lewis's series of fantasy novels have a wide audience and are not only read, but studied and analyzed every year. Secondly, although Lewis is significantly popular in Christian circles, the extent to which religion and Christian doctrine are presented in the novels as intended by the author varies from person to person. Therefore, a neutral account of Lewis's incorporation of Christian themes into his works is necessary to further understand the author's theology. Finally, the coming of a large budget Netflix series centering on these stories could create more interest for the books themselves. Consequently, a robust understanding of the theology presented in these fantasy novels could serve as a productive component for conversations around these books.

Lead Section
The lead section includes basic information regarding the popularity of The Chronicles of Narnia series as being both a classic of children's literature and C.S. Lewis's best selling works. The lead outlines sections for the article in that it attributes religious influences to a variety of sources which are subsequently unpacked. Overall, the lead section is concise in that it states how well-known the series of children's books is as well as noting the presence of Christian themes and ideas from other religions in the novels.

Content
The first half of the article centers primarily on Christian themes present within the story such as the themes of death and resurrection displayed by the lion Aslan designed to loosely parallel the death and resurrection of Christ. The biblical notion of Christ's incarnation can also be witnessed by the God of Narnia coming into a world of talking animals as a talking animal (Aslan). The second half of the article sheds light on how elements of paganism, mythology and folklore shape the novels. The content of the article is suitable in that it details various instances of religious imagery and theology embedded within the plot and design of Lewis's fantasy world. However, most of the content appears to be dated with many of the reflections on religion in the novels taking place in the early 2000s (the time of the Narnia movie releases).

Tone and Balance
The article includes a section on the reception of the Lewis's novels from both religious and secular audiences. Both viewpoints are equally represented with there being several instances of figures praising the novels as an appropriate portrayal of Christian theology as well as perspectives that highlight the unity of Christian themes with those of animism and traditional folklore. The article does not elevate one perspective against another, but merely presents the variety of takes on these stories.

Sources and References
The article includes a variety of reliable sources ranging from pieces from peer-reviewed journals to magazine articles. As has already been mentioned, a key issue with this articles is a mix of current and dated sources the most recent source being 10 years old with most of the secondary sources being published in the early 2000s. Accessibility is another issue with many of the web sources no longer functioning, though most of the journal articles can still be accessed. In spite of its flaws, the article does make good use of sources written by female authors in order to incorporate feminist, Christian perspectives of Lewis and his works.

Organization and Writing Quality
This article is concise and well written. Lacking any noticeable grammatical errors, the articles contains formal language bolstered by quotations from primary and secondary source material. The article has a simple structure with three distinct sections detailing Christian themes in Lewis's novels, paganism and folklore, and the reception of religious themes in these works.

Images and Media
A major weak point for this article is its lack of any form of images. This is ironic because these works are so rich with imagery of breathtaking natural settings, castles, dragons and much more. Not to mention the shear breadth of Christian artwork and images available could only serve to inform the reader. Images are an essential component of learning and this article would benefit by including imagery.

Talk Page Discussions
The discourse on this article's talk page contains primarily explanations of additional sources added to this page.

Overall Impressions
Overall, the article serves its purpose of exploring religious influences and themes present in The Chronicles of Narnia. The article's strengths lie in its supporting evidence of Christian and pagan/folk themes embedded within the stories as well as pulling insights from both literary scholars and theologians. A key weakness of the article; however, is its lack of any visual material to contribute to the article's overall aesthetic.