C.S. Lewis

  • Thread starter Thread starter adamhovey1988
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

adamhovey1988

Guest
Hello, I have been reading “Mere Christianity” lately, and am thoroughly enjoying it. Obviously, with me being Catholic and C.S. Lewis having been Anglican, I do have some disagreements, though I appreciate his efforts to be ecumenical. I have the “Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics”, and I really enjoy Lewis’s style. I just wanted to ask whom else here has read his works, what are your favourites, and what do you enjoy or dislike about him? I feel like he is someone that is equally influential to both Catholics and Protestants (I even know an Orthodox priest that is influenced by his writings). I have heard rumours that his relationship with Tolkien soured after he had become Anglican instead of Catholic, what is the truth of that? I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this, if not please move it, but I would really think to know what people think about him, his life, his work, and his acquaintance with Tolkien. Thank you.
 
I first read Mere Christianity as an avowed secularist and was not particularly impressed by it. I thought The Great Divorce was more interesting, but I didn’t fall for Lewis until the time I read The Screwtape Letters. Since then it’s been a deeper and growing affection between me and the dear Oxford don. I’ve read his fiction – Narnia and one of the Space Trilogy books – and a few miscellaneous works. One favorite to quote from is The Weight of Glory. I tend to identify with Lewis because we were both prodigals who returned, not through brilliant research or debate, but through the persistence tug of God.
 
CS Lewis was a lifelong Anglican, baptised Church of Ireland and recommitted in his 30s
 
Potter said:
I first read Mere Christianity as an avowed secularist and was not particularly impressed by it. I thought The Great Divorce was more interesting, but I didn’t fall for Lewis until the time I read The Screwtape Letters. Since then it’s been a deeper and growing affection between me and the dear Oxford don. I’ve read his fiction – Narnia and one of the Space Trilogy books – and a few miscellaneous works. One favorite to quote from is The Weight of Glory. I tend to identify with Lewis because we were both prodigals who returned, not through brilliant research or debate, but through the persistence tug of God.
Click to expand...
That is actually wonderfully beautiful I had heard a lot about CS Lewis from Catholic apologist and noticed that Protestants seem to like him to. I have read a little bit of his biography and the first time I started reading Mere Christianity was actually at a local bookstore and I knew that I loved the guy immediately. And I have heard a lot of good things about the Screwtape Letters, and I’m reading these in order that they are put in the collection and that is what is next in the book.
 
SyroMalankara said:
CS Lewis was a lifelong Anglican, baptised Church of Ireland and recommitted in his 30s
Click to expand...
Actually for some time he identified as an atheist I did read a little bit of his biography. I never said he wasn’t baptized Anglican. It would be false for me to claim that he was a practicing Anglican at at least sone time though because he identified as atheist
 
I started reading and collecting Lewis ( and number of similar folk) a little more than 50 years ago, as I occasionally repeat myself by saying. Own roughly everything he wrote, published in book form and a short ton of bios and studies.

I like it all. For favorites, THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH, in fiction, ABOLITION OF MAN, in nonfiction. But it’s all good.

Yes, there was a cooling between Lewis and Tolkien, toward the end of his life, and it was from Tolkien’s side. A number of reasons have been suggested for this, including Lewis’ failure to become RC, his marriage to Joy Davidman, and some less likely ideas.
 
GKC said:
I started reading and collecting Lewis ( and number of similar folk) a little more than 50 years ago, as I occasionally repeat myself by saying. Own roughly everything he wrote, published in book form and a short ton of bios and studies.

I like it all. For favorites, THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH, in fiction, ABOLITION OF MAN, in nonfiction. But it’s all good.

Yes, there was a cooling between Lewis and Tolkien, toward the end of his life, and it was from Tolkien’s side. A number of reasons have been suggested for this, including Lewis’ failure to become RC, his marriage to Joy Davidman, and some less likely ideas.
Click to expand...
I’ll be honest with you I’m more curious about the less likely ideas
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Hello, I have been reading “Mere Christianity” lately, and am thoroughly enjoying it. Obviously, with me being Catholic and C.S. Lewis having been Anglican, I do have some disagreements, though I appreciate his efforts to be ecumenical. I have the “Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics”, and I really enjoy Lewis’s style. I just wanted to ask whom else here has read his works, what are your favourites, and what do you enjoy or dislike about him? I feel like he is someone that is equally influential to both Catholics and Protestants (I even know an Orthodox priest that is influenced by his writings). I have heard rumours that his relationship with Tolkien soured after he had become Anglican instead of Catholic, what is the truth of that? I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this, if not please move it, but I would really think to know what people think about him, his life, his work, and his acquaintance with Tolkien. Thank you.
Click to expand...
His relationship with Tolkien, and the cooling of it, was apparently more complicated than just the denominational differences from what I have read, though others like GKC will likely clarify things.
I love Lewis’ writings! I found so many insights I don’t know where to start. The “Chronicles of Narnia” helped baptize my imagination. I think I had relied heavily on (good) argument and logic, all of which he reinforced, but the Chronicles (denounced by Rowling by the way of Harry Potter fame) opened my eyes and heart in a new direction.

His analysis of “Chronological Snobbery” which he touches on in essays is also crucial. He not only restored my confidence in old books, but on the long historical view. We study the old books and old arguments not because old guys were brighter than us, but they thought different from us, and from each other.

His Space Trilogy clarified for me a great deal of how language interacts with thought, and confusion of language (rampant in the era of social media) contributes to the muddle of thought. “That Hideous Strength”, and “The Abolition of Man” explain what happened in higher education during his time, only few noticed it yet. That is the world I found in 2 graduate programs. For me, Lewis is the second most important writer, after G K Chesterton.
 
commenter said:
His relationship with Tolkien, and the cooling of it, was apparently more complicated than just the denominational differences from what I have read, though others like GKC will likely clarify things.
I love Lewis’ writings! I found so many insights I don’t know where to start. The “Chronicles of Narnia” helped baptize my imagination. I think I had relied heavily on (good) argument and logic, all of which he reinforced, but the Chronicles (denounced by Rowling by the way of Harry Potter fame) opened my eyes and heart in a new direction.

His analysis of “Chronological Snobbery” which he touches on in essays is also crucial. He not only restored my confidence in old books, but on the long historical view. We study the old books and old arguments not because old guys were brighter than us, but they thought different from us, and from each other.

His Space Trilogy clarified for me a great deal of how language interacts with thought, and confusion of language (rampant in the era of social media) contributes to the muddle of thought. “That Hideous Strength”, and “The Abolition of Man” explain what happened in higher education during his time, only few noticed it yet. That is the world I found in 2 graduate programs. For me, Lewis is the second most important writer, after G K Chesterton.
Click to expand...
The only GK Chesterton I have read is orthodoxy but I will tell you it is a brilliant book and I would like to read the everlasting man
 
GKC said:
The only one I’ll mention is the possibility that Lewis’ friendship with Charles Williams started an opening rift.
Click to expand...
I am not particularly too familiar with Charles Williams
 
adamhovey1988 said:
The only GK Chesterton I have read is orthodoxy but I will tell you it is a brilliant book and I would like to read the everlasting man
Click to expand...
I encourage you. It made a mark on Lewis.

You may guess the origin of my board name. I’ve collected Chesterton slightly longer than I have Lewis.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I’ll be honest with you I’m more curious about the less likely ideas
Click to expand...
I will caution you about some recent biographies and articles that try to show CSL with feet of clay, written by people who never met them, or anyone who knew them well. Some make claims of a sexual nature, or inappropriate personal behavior, apparently based on 4th hand information several decades after the fact, when most witnesses were dead; claims that can’t be proved or disproved now. This is the kind of thing writers are doing on many Christians who lived several decades ago. (They are already doing it on Mother Teresa). The Retroactive Muckrakers have an agenda, so don’t go there.

I don’t think this is the reason Tolkien and he cooled, but I point out certain current writing as a trap for the reader now. The best answer is we don’t really know. The 2 men had different family backgrounds, class differences, war, economic pressures, academic politics, etc, and also remember they were not the only 2 Inklings. They were affected by things happening to the others. The amazing thing is not that the friendship cooled, but that a personal and professionally rewarding relationship lasted as long as it did.

I’m sure Tolkien and Lewis both would, if they could speak now, tell us to minimize the lesser details, and focus on the vision they both shared - and Who they were looking at.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I am not particularly too familiar with Charles Williams
Click to expand...
I read 3 of his books. 2 were somewhat difficult for me. This is partly because he writes from a supernaturalist perspective that has been almost ground out of most of us today. This is not to discourage you. It may reflect my own limitation - this was 35 years ago, when I had limitations.
 
commenter said:
I read 3 of his books. 2 were somewhat difficult for me. This is partly because he writes from a supernaturalist perspective that has been almost ground out of most of us today. This is not to discourage you.
Click to expand...
I have to learn more about him first. Thank you for bringing the name of though that makes me interested
 
commenter said:
I will caution you about some recent biographies and articles that try to show CSL with feet of clay, written by people who never met them, or anyone who knew them well. Some make claims of a sexual nature, or inappropriate personal behavior, apparently based on 4th hand information several decades after the fact, when most witnesses were dead; claims that can’t be proved or disproved now. This is the kind of thing writers are doing on many Christians who lived several decades ago. (They are already doing it on Mother Teresa). The Retroactive Muckrakers have an agenda, so don’t go there.

I don’t think this is the reason Tolkien and he cooled, but I point out certain current writing as a trap for the reader now. The best answer is we don’t really know. The 2 men had different family backgrounds, class differences, war, economic pressures, academic politics, etc, and also remember they were not the only 2 Inklings. They were affected by things happening to the others. The amazing thing is not that the friendship cooled, but that a personal and professionally rewarding relationship lasted as long as it did.

I’m sure Tolkien and Lewis both would, if they could speak now, tell us to minimize the lesser details, and focus on the vision they both shared - and Who they were looking at.
Click to expand...
As to your 1st para, there are certainly some things, say in Wilson’s bio, that are less than worthy of consideration. But depending on what you are thinking of, there are points in his life that might startle folk. Mrs. Moore, for example (if that is the sort of thing you mean. Or the passages that were extirpated from his letters to Aurthur Greeves, that Hooper kindly revealed in THEY STAND TOGETHER).

No, it’s not something I argue, but, given the readings I’ve done, it’s something that I have assimilated.

As to para 2, the rift pained both men, be the cause what it may have been.

As to para 3 - Yes, indeed.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Hello, I have been reading “Mere Christianity” lately, and am thoroughly enjoying it. Obviously, with me being Catholic and C.S. Lewis having been Anglican, I do have some disagreements, though I appreciate his efforts to be ecumenical. I have the “Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics”, and I really enjoy Lewis’s style. I just wanted to ask whom else here has read his works, what are your favourites, and what do you enjoy or dislike about him? I feel like he is someone that is equally influential to both Catholics and Protestants (I even know an Orthodox priest that is influenced by his writings). I have heard rumours that his relationship with Tolkien soured after he had become Anglican instead of Catholic, what is the truth of that? I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this, if not please move it, but I would really think to know what people think about him, his life, his work, and his acquaintance with Tolkien. Thank you.
Click to expand...
I am crazy about the works left to us by Lewis. The have deeply informed my life. I too love his crossover appeal to many Christians. I read The Screwtape Letters once a year and delve into Mere Christianity often.
 
commenter said:
I read 3 of his books. 2 were somewhat difficult for me. This is partly because he writes from a supernaturalist perspective that has been almost ground out of most of us today. This is not to discourage you. It may reflect my own limitation - this was 35 years ago, when I had limitations.
Click to expand...
It took me three times through his poetry (TALIESIN THROUGH LOGRES and THE REGION OF THE SUMMER STARS were all I tried), to reach the point that I thought I understood what he was saying. Maybe.

But his “supernatural thrillers” are a great favorite, and he was an interesting nonfiction writer, too.
 
I’m a huge fan of Lewis, although I’ve still got a whole lot of his books still to read. I started reading him about a year and a half ago, and I’ve been in love with his writings ever since.

The Space Trilogy, as has already been recommended, is excellent, although the writing style is perhaps not to everyone’s taste (have a look for example at the Amazon preview, although it does get easier to read once you get into the story).

I would also highly recommend Lewis’s final novel, and one of his lesser-known works which is called “Till We Have Faces”. It is a really beautiful book, with a lovely (much easier to read) style to it, and is based on the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche.

Others I’ve enjoyed have been The Screwtape Letters and of course Mere Christianity.

I’d also recommend this fun YouTube channel where they have illustrated some of Lewis’s articles and chapters from his books. They’re very fun to watch, and the illustrations are excellent. It’s called CSLewisDoodle

youtube.com/user/CSLewisDoodle

I hope this helps you!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top