Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
One of my favourite Christian thinkers is C.S. Lewis. And I am not alone. Many evangelical Christians absolutely love Lewis. It is interesting to note that I never heard of C.S. Lewis growing up as an Anglican, despite Lewis being a dedicate Anglican. It is among evangelicals that Lewis finds a home. But why? In … Read More “How Evangelical Was C.S. Lewis?” »
When people think of the fiction of C.S. Lewis, they generally think of the Chronicles of Narnia. They are great stories but I also highly recommend the Ransom trilogy, also known as the Space trilogy. These are Amazon affiliate links. These books are much less well known, but in my opinion are more interesting stories. … Read More “Revisiting the Ransom Trilogy” »
Easter is the most important time of the year for Christians. Part of that is the recognition of Jesus’ death on a cross, something that is to be reflected on all year round. But how does Jesus’ death benefit us? Some Christians not only hold to a very specific theory, they believe that others must … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Theories of Atonement” »
C.S. Lewis continues to inspire readers and scholars across the globe. Here are some notable blog posts and reflections written about Lewis in the last month: 1. Neil Gaiman’s Reflections on Lewis, Tolkien, and Chesterton In a revisit to an older speech, Neil Gaiman discusses the profound influence C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton had on his … Read More “C.S. Lewis Blog Highlights from the Last 30 Days” »
What Lewis tries to accomplish in his popular apologetics is to let the readers taste the symbolic universe of Christianity from the inside. He invites them to immerse into the grand story and to soak in the atmosphere of the Gospel. He avoids watering it down with abstractions and moralistic platitudes. The modern reader is … Read More “C.S. Lewis and the Language of Apologetics” »
I have always been interested in mythology and have read widely, especially Greek myths, as well as some Egyptian. But I have always had a soft spot for the Norse myths. Reading the Norse myths brings us to a whole other world. I recently read the Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings … Read More “Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings” »
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. – C.S. Lewis Lewis never said that, as the internet was a long way off when he died. But there are plenty of C.S. Lewis quotes that are less obviously not accurate. William O’Flaherty shares some great insight into this in this video. And if you enjoy … Read More “The Misquotable C.S. Lewis” »
While I love C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, I must confess that I actually enjoy his Space Trilogy even more. I have always been a science fiction fan and I find the way he weaves in theology to this series to be very intriguing. I recently had an article on the final part of the … Read More “C.S. Lewis, Merlin, and Messy Apologetics” »
I remember when I read C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters for the first time. I thought it was both wildly entertaining and deeply profound in its insights into human nature. It was a one of a kind piece of literature. Or was it? Joshua Karras has taken on the challenge to write The Incendus Letters, a … Read More “The Incendus Letters – Review” »
What type of Christian is apologetics for? Is it for just conservative evangelicals or is it something that all Christians can benefit from? It is interesting that I ask this question because I asked something similar about disability theology. In this post, I recognized that liberal churches are more active in disability theology/ministry, but that … Read More “Is Christian Apologetics Only For Conservative Evangelicals?” »
I often get asked about book recommendations. One of the challenges is that I read in such a wide area that it can be difficult for me to offer suggestions. Having said that, there are some books that stood out for me this year. I will note that I reread a number of C.S. Lewis’s … Read More “Top Five Books I Read in 2021” »
One of my favourite books by C.S. Lewis is The Great Divorce. On the face of it, it is a very bizarre book. It starts off in hell, which is portrayed as a dull, grey city, where people hate each other so much that they keep moving further from each other. Some then take a … Read More “The Great Divorce” »
One of the greatest influences on C.S. Lewis was George MacDonald. In fact the spirit of George MacDonald appears in Lewis’s The Great Divorce. Unfortunately, many Christians today are not very familiar with MacDonald. I have read some MacDonald but only his fiction, specifically The Princess and the Goblin. I definitely saw the influence of … Read More “George MacDonald by C.S. Lewis” »
C.S. Lewis is my favourite author when it comes to books on faith. I find his perspective resonates with my own convictions. Strangely, I had never read his book, The Four Loves, although I had listened to the audiobook. Love is essential to Christianity, with 1 John even saying that “God is love.” However, we … Read More “The Four Loves” »
There are two types of meals that I enjoy. There is one that is focused on a single dish, such as a steak or tacos or pizza. Then there is the buffet, where you put a little of everything on your plate. Both have their place. When it comes to C.S. Lewis, a good way … Read More “The Joyful Christian – 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 … Read More “C.S. Lewis at the BBC – Review” »
C.S. Lewis continues to be one of the significant Christian influences on my life. So I was pretty excited to find out there was a new C.S. Lewis podcast being produced. It includes Alister McGrath, author of one of my favourite biographies of Lewis. McGrath and Lewis have a number of things in common and … Read More “The C.S. Lewis Podcast” »
What do we think of when we think of C.S. Lewis? An author, an apologist, a scholar. We may even think of him as a husband and a widower. But do we think of Lewis as a stepfather? Lewis was a stepfather of not just one but two young men. We often don’t hear about … Read More “C.S. Lewis as a Stepfather” »
Michael Coren has written a piece on C.S. Lewis for UnHerd. “Rather like Tolkien, a friend and another Easter warrior, he was always far more appreciated by his readers than by his peers. If he hadn’t become a Christian and hadn’t written children’s stories he would have been far more respected within the academy, especially … Read More “The Enduring Love For C.S. Lewis” »
Matt Smethurst has recently written a piece applying C.S. Lewis’s thoughts on the atomic bomb to the current panic abouy COVID-19. It’s now clear that COVID-19 is a deadly serious global pandemic, and all necessary precautions should be taken. Still, C. S. Lewis’s words—written 72 years ago—ring with some relevance for us. Just replace “atomic bomb” with … Read More “What Would C.S. Lewis Say About COVID-19?” »
The great tragedy of CS Lewis’s life was the loss of his wife, Joy Davidman, to cancer in 1960. Her death tested the faith of the Chronicles of Narnia author, who was also a prominent Christian thinker. Now a cache of previously unpublished letters from Lewis, written in the months before his own death, reveal the extent to which his … Read More “The Lost Letters of C.S. Lewis” »
I’m embarrassed to say that after being a C.S. Lewis fan for all of my Christian life, I just read The Weight of Glory for the first time. Better late than never. One thing to be aware of is that the title of the book comes from the first chapter, which is a sermon that … Read More “The Weight of Glory” »
I recently went through our church library and got rid of most of the books. The reason was that the vast majority were terribly outdated. And yet I kept all of the C.S, Lewis books, even though they were older than many of the other books that I considered out of date. Why? I see … Read More “Why is C.S. Lewis Still Popular Today?” »
One of the podcasts I listen to regularly is 5 Minutes in Church History. It is a nice quick introduction to different topics related to Christian history. A recent episode looked at C.S. Lewis, more specifically an important influence on Lewis. This episode gives some interesting background to George MacDonald. I think fans of Lewis … Read More “The Influence Behind C.S. Lewis” »
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has been an international phenomenon. Harry Potter is arguably for this generation what Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia were for their generations. But can we say that J.K. Rowling is then new J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis? I really do enjoy the Harry Potter books, especially the … Read More “Is J.K. Rowling the New J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis?” »
As I continue to celebrate my 50th birthday with top five lists, I turn my attention to C.S. Lewis. Lewis is easily one of my favourite authors and Christian thinkers. But what is it that I like so much about C.S. Lewis? I like that C.S. Lewis focuses on mere Christianity. Even though Lewis was … Read More “Top Five Things I Like About C.S. Lewis” »
C.S. Lewis is by far one of my favourite authors and thinkers. His writings were instrumental in my early development as a Christian and they continue to impact me. When people think of C.S Lewis, they often think of his complex works such as Mere Christianity and Miracles. They are two of my favourites but … Read More “C.S. Lewis: Letters to Children” »
Without a doubt. C.S. Lewis is my favourite Christian author. Although he is popular among evangelicals, some of his beliefs are not without controversy. Few figures loom larger over the past century of Christianity than C.S. Lewis, whose rare and beautiful coupling of an indomitable mind and a sparkling imagination make for some of the … Read More “C.S. Lewis’ Most Controversial Beliefs” »
Like his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis fought in the First World War. Joseph Loconte has written an article on this for the National Review. In the spring of 1918, Germany and the Central Powers staged a final massive offensive that threatened to overwhelm British and French forces along the Western Front. Sir Douglas Haig, … Read More “C. S. Lewis and the Great War” »
Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. But role does it play? Does prayer accomplish anything or is it just a religious duty? No one has all the answers, but C.S. Lewis, like with all topics, is able to get to the heart of the matter. I appreciated his comments in this reflection … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Prayer” »
I recently finished rereading The Chronicles of Narnia with the final battle being The Last Battle. A good book (or series of books) is only as good as its conclusion and The Last Battle is a satisfying conclusion to the Narnia stories. If The Magicians Nephew is the Genesis of Narnia, The Last Battle is … Read More “Thoughts on the Last Battle” »
Like any series of books, C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia vary in quality. Although they are all good, some are better than others. One of my favourites is The Silver Chair. This story features Eustace Scrubb, a character introduced in the Voyage of The Dawn Treader. Eustace should get the award for most developed character … Read More “Thoughts on the Silver Chair” »
Christianity has a long and respectable heritage of deep thinkers. I was recently thinking about the Christians of the past and who I would choose as potential conversation partners. I decided to include people outside the Bible. Who would you include in your list? Augustine John Wesley Dietrich Bonhoeffer C.S. Lewis Francis Schaeffer
I’m always looking for some more C.S. Lewis to read. So I was quite happy to read a collection of his essays in the book Christian Reflections. Many of the chapters in this book were originally talks that he gave to a variety of groups. They are on a number of different topics, although all related … Read More “C.S. Lewis: Christian Reflections – Review” »
I’m up for reading anything by C.S. Lewis. I have reread a number of his books. But one that I had not read was The Pilgrim’s Regress. I had heard by some that it was boring and even Lewis had described it as one of his least favourite books. For those that are not familiar … Read More “Pilgrim’s Regress – Review” »
The problem of suffering is one of the most difficult subjects connected to faith. One of the resources we have in discussing this is C.S. Lewis. Whitney Dotson tackles this in an article in the Christian Herald. Since we are only very young, we learn to become quite acquainted with physical pain. It exists even … Read More “Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?” »
I have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia to my daughter. We have now read five of the seven books having just completed The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Strangely, I have not seen the movie based on it and so I have no idea how close it stayed to the book. What I can … Read More “Thoughts on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” »
Love is one of the highest values of our culture. It is the subject of countless songs and stories. But what do we mean by love? Zachary Krueger turns to C.S. Lewis for wisdom on the nature of love. So I brewed a pot of coffee (the natural starting point of my inquiry), poured a cup … Read More “What C.S. Lewis Can Teach Us About True Love” »
Two of my favourite authors are C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Not only were they friends, Tolkien was instrumental in Lewis becoming a Christian. What not as many people know is that Lewis helped encourage Tolkien to complete The Lord of the Rings. Alicia Kort has written an interesting article on their relationship for Newsweek. … Read More “How C.S. Lewis Encouraged J.R.R. Tolkien” »
James Knight has written an article on Becoming Like Christ. Lots of writing has had a huge impact on my life – particularly in the fields of philosophy, economics, politics, literature, science and, most pertinent here, theology. Here I want to talk about a particular chapter in C.S Lewis’s Mere Christianity called Let’s Pretend, that … Read More “What Does it Mean to Become Like Christ?” »
I recently did something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I read together two books by C.S. Lewis on a similar subject. I read both The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed. The Problem of Pain was written in 1940. It is a solid apologetic treatment of the reasons for suffering. … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Pain and Suffering” »
In this age of information overload, we can sample media sources from every perspective. John Ehrett has put together a hilarious collection of imagined media reactions to the Chronicles of Narnia from the most popular sources today. It is funny because it is true. You really need to read his Here Are The Media Hottakes We’d … Read More “What If the Chronicles of Narnia Was Released Today?” »
Randy Alcorn has written an interesting article on C.S. Lewis’s view of women. In 1949, Lewis sent his five-year-old god-daughter Lucy Barfield the completed manuscript of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with a letter saying, “I wrote this story for you,” which later became the dedication in the printed book. The way he … Read More “C.S. Lewis’s View of Women” »
If you were to look at my interests, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and military history would be near the top of my list. Therefore, I was quite pleased to come across A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great War by Joseph Loconte. Many people know that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have some things in … Read More “A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great War – Review” »
I recently finished reading Prince Caspian. I had read it before, but most of my memories of the story come from the movie version. Prince Caspian was the second of the Chronicles of Narnia to be written, although it is the fourth chronologically according to Narnian history. Having reread the book, I enjoyed it much … Read More “Thoughts on Prince Caspian” »
Both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis served in the First World War. Chris Gehrz has written on this: Tolkien, older than his future friend by nearly seven years, entered military service first, arriving in France in June 1916 — not quite three months after getting married and mere weeks before the beginning of the Battle of … Read More “Lewis, Tolkien, and the Shadow of War” »
For our family, there are a handful of movies that no Christmas season would be complete without watching together. One of these is the most recent film adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Perhaps it is the snow, or the fact that Father Christmas makes an appearance, or that … Read More “The Lion, the Lamb and the Manger” »
I have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia to my youngest daughter. I have decided to read them in chronological order rather than publication. So we read the Horse and His Boy third, even though it was the fifth one published. That is because it takes place during the events of the Lion, the Witch … Read More “Thoughts on The Horse and His Boy” »
The following is an article written by Mark Woods for Christian Today. In CS Lewis’ novel The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Edmund, Lucy and their obnoxious cousin Eustace fall into the magical world of Narnia again through a painting on their wall of a ship at sea. It’s the Dawn Treader, and on board … Read More “What Narnia Teaches Us About the Star of Bethlehem” »
I’m currently reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for the second time, the first time having been about ten years ago. So far, I’m only four books into the series (I won’t go into the order here). My memories of the final book, Last Battle are vague. However, Shane Morris has recently written a post on … Read More “A Critical Look at the Last Battle” »
We live in a world where disagreements are sharp and people are easily offended. Does C.S. Lewis have anything to teach us on this? Michael Ward has written an interesting post for the Intercollegiate Review. As a fellow of one of the colleges at the University of Oxford, I have the responsibility of being senior … Read More “C.S. Lewis and the Art of Disagreement” »
In this opening lecture on “C.S. Lewis and the Rational Argument”, Professor Alister McGrath, the author of a recent biography of C.S. Lewis, explores the role that rational, philosophical argumentation played throughout Lewis’s life, before and after his conversion to Christianity. The lecture is followed by questions from the audience.
A major part of C.S. Lewis’s conversion came from a conversation he had with J.R.R. Tolkien. Brett and Kate McKay have written an interesting article on this event and the example it gives for the power of conversation. It is the evening of September 19, 1931. Three men stroll down Addison’s Walk, a picturesque footpath … Read More “The Power of Conversation: A Lesson from C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien” »
There were many things that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had in common, including a love of literature, brilliant minds, gifted writing and Christian faith. One of the other things that they had in common is that they both served in World War One. Paul Glader interviews Joseph Loconte, author of A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a … Read More “Lewis and Tolkien: An Epic Friendship” »
For many people, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the Chronicles of Narnia. It was likely the success of this first book (in publication order) that called for the rest of the series. In the same way, the movie for this book was successful enough for them to make more movies. This is … Read More “Thoughts on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” »
Christianity has a long and rich history of talented and insightful writers. We are blessed with thousands and thousands of excellent books. I would like to share what I think are five books that all Christians should read. Some are listed not because they are the best of Christian literature but because they teach basic … Read More “5 Books That Every Christian Should Read” »
It is incredible how C.S. Lewis’s writings continue to speak to us today and seem increasing relevant to our world. Chris Banescu has written an interesting article for American Think that you might enjoy. Mid-twentieth-century C. S. Lewis witnessed and wrote about the increasing moral breakdown and intellectual decay of Western civilization. He observed how secular … Read More “Men Without Chests Threaten Civilization” »
Is there a difference between self-interest and selfishness? Art Lindsley has written an article on C.S. Lewis’s position for the Washington Times. C.S. Lewis wrote much about the tension between self-interest and selfishness, offering renewed clarity on these topics. To Lewis, there is a huge difference between self-interest and selfishness, and there is a proper place … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Self-Interest and Selfishness” »
C.S. Lewis couldn’t have predicted the details of this digital age and yet his wisdom might be exactly what we need to hear right now. Justin Dyer has written a very interesting article on this for Forbes. In our mass democratic culture, where majority sentiment ruthlessly limits the moral and intellectual horizon, reading old books … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Reading Old Books” »
Although I have read the Chronicles of Narnia some years ago, I’m currently reading through them again with my daughter. I’m sure I’m enjoying the stories as much as, if not more than, my daughter. I decided to read them in chronological order instead of publication order and thus started with The Magician’s Nephew. The … Read More “Thoughts on the Magician’s Nephew” »
Many fans of C.S. Lewis never get around to reading his Abolition of Man and yet it has been a very influential book. Justin Dyer writes an interesting article on C.S. Lewis and natural law and objective values for the National Review. Ayn Rand, the Russian-born libertarian novelist and playwright, had no love for C. … Read More “C.S. Lewis and Natural Law” »
C.S. Lewis is a hero to many evangelicals. But the reason for this is not very obvious. Lewis by no means fits the typical evangelical mould. David Russell Mosley, an ex-evangelical and now catholic, has written an interesting article on this surprising popularity. Lewis was seen as something of an evangelical hero. His work in … Read More “Why is C.S. Lewis Popular Among Evangelicals?” »
I remember when the movie Shadowlands came out a number of years ago. As a huge C.S. Lewis fan and someone who enjoys Anthony Hopkins’s acting, I was pretty excited. While it was a good movie, I remember being confused by the end of it. The picture of Lewis in this movie did not seem … Read More “How Hollywood Reinvented C. S. Lewis” »
Are you a diehard fan of Tolkien and Lewis? Do you wish that you could do some serious study of them and related topics? It is possible. There is a school called Signum University that offers an online MA in Language & Literature. This school was founded by Corey Olsen, popularly known as the Tolkien … Read More “How Serious Are You About Studying Tolkien and Lewis?” »
Jacob Lupfer has responded to Peter Wehner’s recent post about C.S. Lewis and politics. Here is a short sample: Instead of claiming Lewis would be for an idealized vision of the religious right, they should acknowledge where they’ve missed the mark. Wehner’s op-ed comes across a little like, “My pals and I totally get it … Read More “C.S. Lewis and Conservative Politics” »
Even the person normally not interested in politics is thinking about it these days. We are all looking for wisdom. Is it possible that we could learn from C.S. Lewis in our time of need? Peter Wehner recently wrote an interesting piece on The Political Magic of C.S. Lewis for the New York Times. It … Read More “C.S. Lewis and Politics” »
Barnabas Piper has written a very interesting post on the role of imagination in maturity. Healthy maturity is that which knows when and how to be childlike. A child might interrupt her parents to blurt out a seemingly random question about fruit flies or bodily functions or Barbie dolls or why the iPad won’t work … Read More “Real Maturity, C.S. Lewis and Imagination” »
By far the greatest influence on me, both as a Christian and as an apologist is C.S. Lewis. I was fortunate to discover him very early on in my Christian walk and he has helped to shape my thinking in many ways. I have been doing research recently on Lewis, reading both his works and … Read More “C.S. Lewis: A Life” »
I often hear people asking about recommendations for books in the area of apologetics. There are always good and new books coming out. One place where you can look for these is the book reviews page at Hope’s Reason: A Journal of Apologetics. Another way to find what is good is to look at the … Read More “Top Ten Books in Apologetics” »
One of C.S. Lewis’s most popular and influential books is Mere Christianity. Mere Christianity was published in 1952, but what many people do not know is that the book is based on a number of talks that Lewis gave on the BBC during World War Two. Unfortunately, most of those recordings have been destroyed. Thankfully, … Read More “C.S. Lewis’s Surviving BBC Radio Talks” »
One of my favourite books by C.S. Lewis is the Screwtape Letters. Not only are they funny, but the insight both into human nature and spiritual principles is quite deep. If you have read anything by Lewis, you know there is always more to discover. To help in this endeavour, William O’Flaherty has written a … Read More “C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell” »
What do you think of when you think of C.S. Lewis? If you are anything like me, you think of Lewis the intellectual. Lewis was brilliant at everything he did, from English literature to rational apologetics. But what about C.S. Lewis the mystic? Many of us would never even think about the mystical in Lewis’s … Read More “Into the Region of Awe: Mysticism in C.S. Lewis” »
If one wanted to name the most influential apologists of the twentieth century, both C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer would be near the top of the list. If these two men have had an impact on you, you might be happy to hear that there is book that discusses both of them. Scott R. Burson … Read More “C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer” »
Certain forms of the Jesus Myth Theory make a big deal out of the dying and rising theme where the experience of a god represents what is taking place in nature with regard to seasons and the harvest. Some of this emerges from James Frazier’s The Golden Bough. While I see many of the supposed … Read More “C.S. Lewis Challenges the Jesus Myth” »
I have read many of C.S. Lewis’ most popular books but there are plenty of his writings that I have not read. That’s why I was happy to pick up a copy of The Essential C.S. Lewis, edited by Lyle W. Dorsett. This collection includes portions of many of Lewis’ writings from a wide range of … Read More “The Essential C.S. Lewis” »
