Ascend - The Great Books Podcast Discover the Hidden Meaning of Narnia's Endless Winter
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick takes a popular article from The Ascent, a top 100 substack in faith and spirituality, and does a deep dive on CS Lewis, Dante, and the problem of evil (theodicy).
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In this fascinating episode Deacon Garlick explores one of C.S. Lewis’s most striking images: the never-ending winter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Why is it “always winter but never Christmas”?
Far more than a chilly backdrop, Lewis uses the endless cold as a powerful allegory for evil itself. Deacon connects Lewis’ imagery to Dante’s frozen pit at the bottom of Hell in the Inferno, revealing how both Christian master-teachers portray evil not as an opposite of the good, but as a cold, lifeless privation—an absence of heat, motion, and life.
You’ll gain fresh insight into:
- Why evil is best understood as a “hole in the ground” or darkness without light
- How the White Witch’s power to turn creatures to stone mirrors the soul-freezing effect of sin
- The beautiful contrast of Aslan’s warm, life-giving breath (echoing John's Pentecost and the forgiveness of sins)
- The deeper Christian truth that goodness and being are convertible—evil pulls us toward unreality and non-existence
Deacon also shares why reading Narnia to children is such a gift: it trains young minds to love allegory, unlocks the four senses of Scripture, and cultivates a richer, more sacramental view of reality.
Warm, thoughtful, and packed with spiritual wisdom, this episode will leave you with renewed appreciation for Lewis, Dante, and the profound way great stories reveal eternal truths.
If you love C.S. Lewis, Dante, or want to understand the nature of evil more deeply, you won’t want to miss this one!
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & What’s New on Ascend
01:34 Welcome to Ascend: The Great Books Podcast
03:45 The Ascent Substack & Sister Publication
06:20 The Hidden Meaning of Narnia’s Endless Winter
08:10 Background Story of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
11:30 Aslan as Christ Allegory & Benefits of Reading Narnia to Children
15:45 The Four Senses of Scripture (Literal, Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical)
20:10 Why Allegory Matters for Scripture and Reality
23:50 What Is Evil? – Introducing the Problem of Evil (Theodicy)
27:40 Evil as Privation of the Good (Augustine & Aquinas)
32:15 Freedom, Free Will, and the Origin of Evil
36:40 C.S. Lewis: Endless Winter as Allegory for Evil
40:20 The White Witch’s Power & Aslan’s Life-Giving Breath
44:10 Dante’s Inferno: The Frozen Pit of Hell
48:30 God as Love That Moves the Sun and Stars
52:00 Key Lessons: Evil, Being, and Goodness
55:20 Recap & Closing Thoughts
57:40 What’s Coming Next on Ascend
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