C.S. Lewis

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Kevin12 said:
My admiration for much of Lewis work and thought (not all of it though) is actually one of the reasons I have such a tremendous issue with (many) traditionalists. Because to them, no matter how good or Christian a person Lewis might have been, no matter how many hearts his books might have brought back to Christianity, he was a Protestant, so to them he’s definitely in hell.
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Catholics don’t know who is in hell nor do we wish anyone to go there.
 
Picky_Picky said:
Well, I think the usual view is that CSL lost his faith fairly early and his relationship with JRRT is what drew him back, No doubt that is too simplistic, as one-liners usually are.

Of course I am astonished to hear that GKC is not altogether averse to CSL. 🙂

What a very fine thread this is! How splendid to hear people talking about literature they enjoy. Hope I don’t spoil it but … as a child I read the Narnia books and the Screwtapes. Narnia I rather disliked: too preachy. Screwtape I very much enjoyed: the tone of voice is just perfect.
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Quiddity is, as we know, usually complex.

As to the reading, mileages will vary. I don’t rejoice over TILL WE HAVE FACES.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
On a different note did anyone type into Google CS Lewis JRR Tolkien friendship and see something come up about atheism? I don’t understand how religious differences are evidence of atheism I didn’t read the site and I’m not going to but that just seems really weird. I think you have to reach a little bit for that one.
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If that is the site that came up for me, there’s nothing offensive in it. It’s a very brief, canned description of some points on which Lewis and Tolkien differed. It has some slightly incorrect words, and makes an assertion I don’t recall reading, but it’s not a disaster. Nor does that article mention atheism.

You might try Colin Duriez’ TOLKIEN AND LEWIS: THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP.
 
Kevin12 said:
My admiration for much of Lewis work and thought (not all of it though) is actually one of the reasons I have such a tremendous issue with (many) traditionalists. Because to them, no matter how good or Christian a person Lewis might have been, no matter how many hearts his books might have brought back to Christianity, he was a Protestant, so to them he’s definitely in hell.
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I find it discouraging as well. There’s some kind of a clannish mentality that some people get about religion where they think everything is black and white. You either belong to my clan and are good or are evil and go to hell. It’s sad and destructive.

The ironic thing is that Lewis probably brought a ton of people to Catholicism and brought existing Catholics deeper into their own faith. His writings aren’t specifically Protestant, and in some cases (The Great Divorce is one) expose aspects of human nature that resonate with everyone, religious or not.
 
Bill_Martin said:
I find it discouraging as well. There’s some kind of a clannish mentality that some people get about religion where they think everything is black and white. You either belong to my clan and are good or are evil and go to hell. It’s sad and destructive.

The ironic thing is that Lewis probably brought a ton of people to Catholicism and brought existing Catholics deeper into their own faith. His writings aren’t specifically Protestant, and in some cases (The Great Divorce is one) expose aspects of human nature that resonate with everyone, religious or not.
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I don’t think Lewis is in hell. I have no way of knowing one way or the other of course, but he brought many people to Christ, so I am skeptical he went to hell.
 
During the middle of my college education, I started to struggle arduously with my faith intellectually, as many do, but it was mainly the writings of Lewis’ that kept me from abandoning my faith. I have to say The Problem of Pain, Mere Christianity, and The Weight of Glory were the works that made an indelible mark upon me. My admiration for Lewis is also what initiated my curiosity into Anglicanism, as well.

A Grief Observed did not teach me anything new about grieving itself, but put the process into words better than I have read to date. With just a quick observation, it is easy to tell that I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, despite others not being particularly fond of them. The dialog between Shasta and Aslan when they meet in The Horse and His Boy, no doubt changed my life and still moves me today. It has been too long since I read Lewis, perhaps this thread will motivate me to reread his writings again.

Click the link if you wish to read the dialog.

gavinortlund.com/2008/06/05/favorite-narnia-moments-2-shasta-meets-aslan/
 
I think no one has influenced my literary taste, my love for theological.non fiction or my personal faith as much as Lewis. My best friend and I often refer to quotes or Narnian situations with the preface “It’s like Jack says…” If I make it to heaven, after falling on my face in awe and worship of the Trinity for a good long while, I shall join an orderly queue to thank CS Lewis for his words. And I suspect he will say ‘thank you’ and direct me back to Jesus.
 
Aslan10 said:
During the middle of my college education, I started to struggle arduously with my faith intellectually, as many do, but it was mainly the writings of Lewis’ that kept me from abandoning my faith. I have to say The Problem of Pain, Mere Christianity, and The Weight of Glory were the works that made an indelible mark upon me. My admiration for Lewis is also what initiated my curiosity into Anglicanism, as well.

A Grief Observed did not teach me anything new about grieving itself, but put the process into words better than I have read to date. With just a quick observation, it is easy to tell that I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, despite others not being particularly fond of them. The dialog between Shasta and Aslan when they meet in The Horse and His Boy, no doubt changed my life and still moves me today. It has been too long since I read Lewis, perhaps this thread will motivate me to reread his writings again.

Click the link if you wish to read the dialog.

gavinortlund.com/2008/06/05/favorite-narnia-moments-2-shasta-meets-aslan/
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I am happy to promote literacy
 
Kevin12 said:
My admiration for much of Lewis work and thought (not all of it though) is actually one of the reasons I have such a tremendous issue with (many) traditionalists. Because to them, no matter how good or Christian a person Lewis might have been, no matter how many hearts his books might have brought back to Christianity, he was a Protestant, so to them he’s definitely in hell.
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I’m not one of them, but I think that is a bit unfair to traditionalists. I don’t think they would say that Lewis is in hell (well, except maybe the really hard-core traditionalists); they would just have a very negative view of him.
 
Aslan10 said:
During the middle of my college education, I started to struggle arduously with my faith intellectually, as many do, but it was mainly the writings of Lewis that kept me from abandoning my faith. I have to say The Problem of Pain, Mere Christianity, and The Weight of Glory were the works that made an indelible mark upon me. My admiration for Lewis is also what initiated my curiosity into Anglicanism, as well.

A Grief Observed did not teach me anything new about grieving itself, but put the process into words better than I have read to date. With just a quick observation, it is easy to tell that I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, despite others not being particularly fond of them. The dialog between Shasta and Aslan when they meet in The Horse and His Boy, no doubt changed my life and still moves me today. It has been too long since I read Lewis, perhaps this thread will motivate me to reread his writings again.

Click the link if you wish to read the dialog.

gavinortlund.com/2008/06/05/favorite-narnia-moments-2-shasta-meets-aslan/
Click to expand...
 
The Last Battle, Perelandra, Till We Have Faces, and The Great Divorce are my favorites. Try as I might, I couldn’t get into Mere Christianity, even though that seems to be what he’s known for non-fiction wise.

I discovered Lewis before Chesterton. First time I read Chesterton, I thought, “Hey! He’s stolen stuff from Lewis!” 😃
 
GKC said:
Quiddity is, as we know, usually complex.

As to the reading, mileages will vary. I don’t rejoice over TILL WE HAVE FACES.
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Lewis said he intensely disliked the experience of writing SCREWTAPE LETTERS, clearly one of his most important, to readers. I suspect he much more enjoyed the writing of TILL WE HAVE FACES. I think it is his effort at writing a mythic story, if that is the right term. I almost had the sense in reading it, that it was something he wanted to get done, before his time was up, regardless of how many copies it sold. If he had written it earlier, before he had a bankable name as author, he might have found it hard to find a publisher.
 
Just curious and this does relate to the topic is there anyone that writes today that could be called a modern Lewis or Chesterton?
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Just curious and this does relate to the topic is there anyone that writes today that could be called a modern Lewis or Chesterton?
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There’s a name or two I’m tempted to put, just to see if other posters realize I’m saying them sarcastically.
 
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