C. S. Lewis and religious writings

In my last blog, I wrote about a British literary society who called themselves The Inklings. They met weekly at a pub in Oxford and read to each other - and critiqued - works in progress. Among the best known of The Inklings was C. S. Lewis. Millions of children, including my own, either read  or were read to his "Chronicles of Narnia." More recent children have seen on TV or in the movies versions of these books, often under the name of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." 

In addition to his fantasies, Lewis was well known for his writings on Christianity. During World War II, the British Broadcasting Corporation recruited him to write and read pieces for the general British public to bolster their confidence that all would ultimately be well and that they were on God's side. Lewis had a talent for writing pieces that were profound and engaging. Perhaps the best known product of these efforts was "The Screwtape Letters." Screwtape is an imp - an assistant to Satan - who is sent by the underworld to wreak havoc and cause suffering among humanity. Of course, Screwtape creates Hitler and the Nazis. The letters are insightful, sardonic and usually hilarious. We can see in Screwtape's observations and plans the seeds of his eventual failure. After the war, these were collected in a book which has been enormously popular ever since. When I was in college a few years ago, "The Screwtape Letters" could be found on many syllabus reading lists, which is where I first read it (Thank you, Professor Woods!)

However, Lewis' best selling book was "Mere Christianity," an analysis of his defense of the Christian religion. Lewis was a practical theologian, with most of this work being in apologetics, the defense of the faith. If one is not a practicing Christian , this writing is not aimed at conversion, but rather at justification of your choice. All of Lewis' apologetics are accessible and - surprise - beautifully written. The best known, in addition to "Mere Christianity," are "Surprised By Joy," "The Problem of Pain." and "A Grief Observed." 

Not enough Lewis yet? There is a good movie about him and his late-life marriage to poet Joy Davidman, called "Shadowland. " starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.