CS Lewis

[Joe_Brown]

I want to read the book mere Christianity, but I havent for a while because CS Lewis is an Anglican. Do you guys find it hard to read his books since he is not Catholic or does he find a medium?

Thanks God Bless!

 

[Hildita]

Despite being Anglican CS Lewis is a brilliant writer and he has been my favorite since I was a child. Personally, I think he has contributed good Christian literature that all faiths can appreciate. I don’t see anything wrong with his writings. To me he was a man that bore his cross to the end and many of his writings reflect that.

 

[aicirt]

I enjoy C.S. Lewis. He was an atheist and converted because of the writings of two Catholics…G.K. Chersterton and J.R.R.Toliken. Toliken was a close friend and a member of the Inklings. Toliken wanted him to become a Catholic but Lewis, a member of the Church of Ireland as a child, stayed Anglican.

Having read some of his works, I would have assumed Lewis was Catholic. It would matters little to me because his writings are brilliant. And in Catholic school, we were required to read books by many non Catholics including Shakespeare. So, enjoy!

I just finished Jack’s Life by his stepson, Douglas Gresham. The bio was written because Gresham was dissatified with the work of other authors re. Lewis.

Read The Great Divorce (loved it what an imagination!), finishing Out of the Silent Planet, and have on order The Screwtape Letters.

Plan on giving The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for Christmas presents.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

C.S. Lewis is definitely a “safe” author. There is nothing in Mere Christianity which opposes Catholic teaching (and I found it to be a profitable book as well.)

aicirt:

And in Catholic school, we were required to read books by many non Catholics including Shakespeare.

Did you see the series on EWTN which builds a very good case that Shakespeare was a Catholic?

 

[VociMike]

CS Lewis was a very “Catholic” Anglican. I consider his spiritual autobiograpy, “Surprised by Joy,” a must read for any Christian, Catholic or not.

 

[ncgolf]

I want to read the book mere Christianity, but I havent for a while because CS Lewis is an Anglican. Do you guys find it hard to read his books since he is not Catholic or does he find a medium?

Thanks God Bless!

I think once you start with Lewis … like potato chips … you won’t stop at just one. Another good one is The Problem of Pain … like others have described he is the most Catholic non-Catholic writer you will see.

It’s too bad God made only one CS Lewis.

 

[aicirt]

C.S. Lewis is definitely a “safe” author. There is nothing in Mere Christianity which opposes Catholic teaching (and I found it to be a profitable book as well.)

Did you see the series on EWTN which builds a very good case that Shakespeare was a Catholic?

Yes, I did. Very interesting. But his works were already considered great before we suspected he might be Catholic.:clapping: Now we’ll study him from a different perspective.

 

[Joe_Brown]

Does he ever talk about the Eucharist from his point?

 

[aicirt]

Does he ever talk about the Eucharist from his point?

No. Not that I know of. Why?

 

[m134e5]

I want to read the book mere Christianity, but I havent for a while because CS Lewis is an Anglican. Do you guys find it hard to read his books since he is not Catholic or does he find a medium?

Thanks God Bless!

I wouldn’t put his writings on the same level as the writings of the saints or popes, but from what I have read, his sense of morality, his understanding of temptation, and many other principles he talks about are solid.

 

[Axion]

Lewis’s Great Divorce is a great parable of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

And the Screwtape letters are excellent.

lewis is definitely not an evangelical anti-Catholic.

 

[Joe_Brown]

ok good

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

I want to read the book mere Christianity, but I havent for a while because CS Lewis is an Anglican. Do you guys find it hard to read his books since he is not Catholic

No, no, and no I probably owe more to his books than to those of any author I can think of. If any RC writer is remotely comparable to C.S. Lewis, I can only wonder who that writer may be. What always impresses me about C.S. Lewis is just how well-rounded he is, spiritually, theologically, doctrinally, morally.​

In some ways he was wiser than some Popes - as when he says that we must not imagine that because we are human, we are holy. This is much better than talk of the sanctity of life: sanctity is a wrong basis for what is meant; in addition it elides the distinction between grace and nature. Life may be inviolable - but to speak of its sanctity without making the proper distinctions is most dangerous. Human life in the womb is not holy - but may well be inviolable. If it is holy before baptism, why bother with baptism ?

He does not deal with bio-ethics - for two reasons, I think: there was no need (many of the issues so prominent now were at most clouds no bigger than a man’s hand even as later as 1963 when he died; and Mere Christianity is 20 years older than that); & he made no claim to be a professional theologian or systematician - his works are occasional pieces, not treatises.

Some of his arguments need to be brought up to date - such as his trilemma about Christ. What limits it is that he was writing when the trilemma in the form he puts it would probably have been convincing than it now is. He could as self-evident then what might not be granted as self-evident now. But that is not a weakness in his thinking - it’s result of his working in an intellectual setting that is now almost gone.

It would be absurd to treat him as infallible or final - nor would such daftness do him any honour. That does not for one moment take from his achievement. ISTM there is more Christian wisdom in him than in most theologians. The C of E is absolutely right to give him a place in its Calendar

IMO, the Narnia books are the richest in theological wisdom; each time I read them, I find things in them I’d not noticed.

or does he find a medium?

…puzzled…​

Thanks God Bless!

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Lewis’s Great Divorce is a great parable of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

And the Screwtape letters are excellent.

lewis is definitely not an evangelical anti-Catholic.

Have you read **Screwtape Proposes a Toast **? It’s short enough to be published with other essays, unlike The Screwtape Letters - and it is equally good.​

 

[paul_c]

I have read several of CS Lewis’s books:: the Great Divorce, the Scretape Letters, Mere Christianity. the Narnia trilogy.

I found nothing in them that a Catholic would object to. In fact, that in itself is a great lesson.

 

[Bluegoat]

As a rule, “classical” Anglicanism is very close to Catholisism. And Lewis specifically stayed away from areas of denominational argument, especially in Mere Christianity.

 

[ishii]

In the introduction to Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis mentions that he submitted his book to a number of Christian theologians from a number of backgrounds and traditions (including a Catholic theologian) to get their feedback. In fact, the Catholic theologian responded but I don’t recall his response as being critical of his book. It, along with The Screwtape Letters is one of my favorite books.

Question: what kind of books can get a “nihil obstat”? Only those written by Catholic authors? Only theology books?

Ishii

 

[StillWondering]

No, no, and no I probably owe more to his books than to those of any author I can think of. If any RC writer is remotely comparable to C.S. Lewis, I can only wonder who that writer may be. What always impresses me about C.S. Lewis is just how well-rounded he is, spiritually, theologically, doctrinally, morally.​

I would suggest you check out GK Chesterton as a Catholic of great literary skill. His works span across all the foundational fields of thought. Many of his books he wrote before he become a Catholic, yet his views in some areas were already quite Catholic then.

 

[Joe_Brown]

Thanks for the answers!

God Bless