C.S. Lewis at the BBC – Review
I have read many books about C.S. Lewis. They are all interesting because Lewis was such an interesting person. But most of them end up just telling the same story. C.S. Lewis at the BBC is able to break that pattern.
As you may know, Mere Christianity was based on a series of talks that Lewis gave on the BBC during the Second World War. That is common knowledge, but how did that come about and why would they invite him to do such a thing?
Justin Phillips, who was a longtime employee of the BBC takes us through the story from the perspective of the BBC. He discusses what the BBC was trying to do in general during the war and the role of religious broadcasting.
He also reveals how the connection with Lewis came about and the ongoing negotiations to get Lewis on the air. One of the interesting things was that the BBC wanted to do more with C.S. Lewis but he set firm boundaries.
I really enjoyed this book. For one, it gives readers a glimpse of what it was like in Britain during the war. But it also shows how Lewis fit into that and how his message have hope to a people in need.
I think readers of C.S. Lewis at the BBC will get a fresh understanding of the origins of Mere Christianity that will change how they read it forever.
