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(The Conversation) — As Netflix teases glimpses of Greta Gerwig’s newest project, an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ novel “The Magician’s Nephew,” many Narnia fans are worried. In particular, there’s been online chatter about the new film’s depiction of the great lion Aslan: Will he really look like David Bowie, with the voice of Meryl Streep?

For many readers, Aslan is not just a literary character, nor an ordinary hero: He is a representation of Jesus. Aslan sings the entire world of Narnia into existence and performs Christ-like acts throughout Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia,” which have sold over 120 million copies worldwide since the series’ publication in the 1950s.

As a scholar of medieval history and literature, I’ve taught and written about Lewis and “Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien, who were close friends and colleagues for more than 30 years.…