Unfortunatly, as I mentioned below I am not nearly as fulfilled in the knowledge of Christianity and some. However, the thread below entitled "Jesus" may help you a bit. Jesus in Christianity is very similiar to the prisionor in the cave. Most of Christianity delves into the journey enlightenment by overcoming darkness. This contrast of light and dark or good and evil prevails throughout the bible. Heaven and Hell alone could be sought after to resemble the likes of light=truth and darkness=deception in the Allegory. In Genesis alone this theme is put to work with Adam and Eve and the Serpent. One could say before the creation of the earth and the heavens all was dark. Enlightenment in this case would be the birth of all life. The Serpent's pursuits to deceive Adam and Eve might be said to be a parrellel to the shadowcasters in the cave. Anyone who acts against the good of God might be said to be a shadowcaster. Anyone who embarks on a quest for God or to find God or God's word to likely be compared to the escaped prisionor.
As you have and eight page paper to write I would suggest perhaps not to focus on just one illustration but to use the Allegory as a foundation of displaying many parrellels to the bible and to Christianity. One could even use the born again Christian as an example when constructing the journeys from darkness-deception into the light-truth.
I wish you all the luck. I hope this helps somewhat. I wish I could contribute more. Keep steadfast in your journeys to truth.
-Platonia
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