Valin Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 NRO: Christian apologist, novelist, public intellectual Lewis spoke to his own time and ours in many voices. James Como 11/22/13 Nearly 50 years ago, not long after C. S. Lewiss death on that horrific November 22, 1963, I first beheld his name. It was in Jeffrey Harts The Rebirth of Christ, published in National Review. Four years thereafter I helped found the New York C. S. Lewis Society (the oldest and still the largest of such societies), the midwife for which, as it happens, was National Review itself. Linda Bridges, then a summer intern at the magazine, received a letter to the editor asking if there was any interest in forming such a group and passed it on to Mr. Buckley, who, being a Lewis reader, included it in his Notes & Asides column. I mention this now not merely for the sheer pleasure of closing the circle, but also to lend some perspective to the tiresome question that Im still sometimes asked, Why all the fuss? Even now there remains puzzlement over Lewiss popularity, and many who are not puzzled persist in misconstruing the man. (Snip) Now we have this, from the former archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who has published The Lions World: A Journey into the Heart of Narnia. In it this good man (but not good literary critic, I think) allows that Lewis help us rinse out what is stale in our thinking about Christianity. Fine. But then Archbishop Williams frets about Lewiss presumed orientalism and lingers over the simplistic notion that Susan Pevensie never returns to Narnia because she began to wear lipstick, whereas the actual reason is her denial of the very existence of Narnia and her claim that the adventures there were mere childrens stories invented by her and her siblings. (Snip) First, there is the man himself an amply published (if minor) poet of considerable metrical and narrative skill; a philosopher (that is, academically trained as such), whose first university appointment was in philosophy and whose admonitory Abolition of Man (1943) is proving frighteningly prescient); a public intellectual whose book reviews and topical essays, such as On Living in an Atomic Age (Nothing is more likely to destroy a species or a nation than a determination to survive at all costs) and The Dangers of National Repentance (you can indulge in the popular vice of detraction without restraint, and yet feel all the time that you are practicing contrition), settled much hash; a first-person novelist (Till We Have Faces, 1956) the equal of Nabokov in technical proficiency and psychological depth; a writer, with some peers but no betters, of speculative fiction (the * Ransom Trilogy, 19381945) and of fantasy (** The Chronicles of Narnia, 19501956), works dense with ideas; a religious thinker whose sermons and essays, such as Transposition, Membership, and Meditation in a Toolshed, have knocked down many a straw man and clarified opaque doctrine; a fearsome debater (e.g., at the Oxford Socratic Club, of which he was president from 1941 to 1954); a Christian apologist who still invites attack as well as aspirants to be the next C. S. Lewis; and a prose stylist whose gifts of wit, analogy, imagery, economy, rhythmical dexterity, and rhetorical adroitness should place him in any canon worthy of study by anyone who claims to know let alone to teach the literature of English-speaking peoples. (Snip) Yet I wonder if that last Lewis the romantic proselytizer and avuncular oracle takes up so much reputational oxygen that it obscures the whole mans broad cultural influence. For each of his personae has its voice: the religious thinker and fantasist as well as the public philosopher, the literary artist, the penetrating critic, and the unrelenting letter writer. For it is all of those voices together that sing us to intellectual clarity and coherence, to visionary joy, and to spiritual hope, and that lift us finally to the brink of Heaven. At the end of the day, that is why all the fuss. * Note: As I have mentioned before That Hideous Strength is something that should be read today, as a cautionary tale. ** Some very deep theology behind these "Children's Books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Excellent! Well written and a terrific summary of the man. I wanted a copy but couldn't make it work. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 Excellent! Well written and a terrific summary of the man. I wanted a copy but couldn't make it work. Any suggestions? Copy what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 The article! Edited to add: Actually, my printer is telling me it needs ink. That might be the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 The article! Edited to add: Actually, my printer is telling me it needs ink. That might be the problem. Nah! I suspect a * giant insidious plot. * And they're the worst kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 23, 2013 Author Share Posted November 23, 2013 C.S. Lewis, Hot Off the Presses Jeremy Lott 11/22/13 When C.S. Lewis died 50 years ago today, he thought his works were likewise not long for this world. The famous professor, who had graced the cover of Time magazine and delivered radio broadcasts heard by most Britons (the original title of Mere Christianity was Broadcast Talks), thought popular memory of him would linger for five years, give or take. Then he would belong to the specialists. Book critic Michael Dirda joked of this comically pessimistic assessment, "Lewis was clearly no prophet." However, give Lewis this much: it would be hard even for a drunken optimist to foresee the success that he has enjoyed since his passing. (Snip) Image and Imagination, which I am still working my way through, has 40-plus book reviews by Lewis, never before collected elsewhere; introductions and papers that are not always easy to find; brand new, never-before-published essays including the one that gives the book its title; and his take on France (on the French Enlightenment: "This France to some degree I consider my enemy, but she is a noble enemy."). This new book gives us several Lewis essays on J.R.R. Tolkien's elfin epic; Lewis on The Odyssey, Aristotle, and Boethius; Lewis on Dorothy Sayers, Charles Williams, Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh and -- most surprisingly -- Harold Bloom. (Snip) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
righteousmomma Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Valin, we listened to the entire video of the Harvard professor comparing Lewis to Freud. Long and he is not a dynamic speaker but it is a very worthy listen. I have had a dislike for Freud's psychology since I was about 12 or so and heard my father say that Freud was responsible for my brilliant author uncle becoming an atheist due to Freudian psychiatric therapy. Then when in college I read all about his id and libido theories and must say my agnosticism was much aided. Today I learned much about the man that I did not know. It goes without saying that I very much appreciated the speaker's presentation of one of our favorites. In fact I was blown away by the implication that the Harvard psychiatrist is a believer. Thanks for finding this and sharing it with us all. I shall find the link and pass it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 23, 2013 Author Share Posted November 23, 2013 Valin, we listened to the entire video of the Harvard professor comparing Lewis to Freud. Long and he is not a dynamic speaker but it is a very worthy listen. I have had a dislike for Freud's psychology since I was about 12 or so and heard my father say that Freud was responsible for my brilliant author uncle becoming an atheist due to Freudian psychiatric therapy. Then when in college I read all about his id and libido theories and must say my agnosticism was much aided. Today I learned much about the man that I did not know. It goes without saying that I very much appreciated the speaker's presentation of one of our favorites. In fact I was blown away by the implication that the Harvard psychiatrist is a believer. Thanks for finding this and sharing it with us all. I shall find the link and pass it on. You might be interested in this Playlist "The Question of God": Sigmund Freud And C.S. Lewis Or you might not be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
righteousmomma Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Thanks, Valin I really enjoyed hearing the actual, real voice of Lewis on one of your links. It is the only radio audio talk that survived recycling for war efforts. The link to John Piper and Tim Keller talking about Lewis' influence was so cool. Keller is really popular in evangelical circles. Remember when Kirstin Powers' transformation was posted on Breitbart and her whole article is in Christianity Today? Well, it is Keller and his church that are her biggest influencers. So Keller's wife wrote Lewis when she was about 12 because she became a believer thru his Chronicles of Narnia. Then Lewis wrote her 4 or 5 letters that they have kept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 23, 2013 Author Share Posted November 23, 2013 Thanks, Valin I really enjoyed hearing the actual, real voice of Lewis on one of your links. It is the only radio audio talk that survived recycling for war efforts. The link to John Piper and Tim Keller talking about Lewis' influence was so cool. Keller is really popular in evangelical circles. Remember when Kirstin Powers' transformation was posted on Breitbart and her whole article is in Christianity Today? Well, it is Keller and his church that are her biggest influencers. So Keller's wife wrote Lewis when she was about 12 because she became a believer thru his Chronicles of Narnia. Then Lewis wrote her 4 or 5 letters that they have kept. As I keep saying "I'm not that bright", but I really like reading/listening/being around to those who are, in the hope that something will rub off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I'm not that bright either. Tried reading The Abolition of Man today but it was above my head. C.S. Lewis can do that to me when he gets into academics. I did fall asleep though, and slept for nearly an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 I'm not that bright either. Tried reading The Abolition of Man today but it was above my head. C.S. Lewis can do that to me when he gets into academics. I did fall asleep though, and slept for nearly an hour. A very good friend of mine once gave me a piece of advice..."If you don't understand what is on a page, you can reread it...no extra charge" I have very often used this piece of sound advice. ooooor you might try YouTube: "The Abolition of Man" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
righteousmomma Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 LOL both of you, Nickydog and Valin. Same thing happens to me when reading certain of his books so I use them for specific ideas in searches. (if that makes sense) Mere Christianity is the only one I made it all the way through back in the 70s. Having said all that the laptop internet age has given us free access to 100s of Lewis' quotes and I take full advantage. For example just 2 weeks ago for a talk I copied these to use - a couple directly and a couple to encourage me indirectly: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.C. S. Lewis A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.C. S. Lewis If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.C. S. Lewis Then when I was searching for quotes I stumbled across some nitwit guy expounding that C.S. Lewis was not a Christian because Lewis said: "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." (Cannot be a Christian if you use the "if" word in regards to Christianity., doncha know? Speak about being not too bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 LOL both of you, Nickydog and Valin. Same thing happens to me when reading certain of his books so I use them for specific ideas in searches. (if that makes sense) Mere Christianity is the only one I made it all the way through back in the 70s. Having said all that the laptop internet age has given us free access to 100s of Lewis' quotes and I take full advantage. For example just 2 weeks ago for a talk I copied these to use - a couple directly and a couple to encourage me indirectly: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. C. S. Lewis Then when I was searching for quotes I stumbled across some nitwit guy expounding that C.S. Lewis was not a Christian because Lewis said: "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." (Cannot be a Christian if you use the "if" word in regards to Christianity., doncha know? Speak about being not too bright. 2 quick points 1.I used to think how great it would be to live in DC or New York and be able to go to all these great panels/forum/speeches, well we can today thanks to that little silicon chip. 2. To quote my buddy Rick "The grear thing about America is you can be as stupid as you want." I would add some people really push the envelope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I'm not that bright either. Tried reading The Abolition of Man today but it was above my head. C.S. Lewis can do that to me when he gets into academics. I did fall asleep though, and slept for nearly an hour. A very good friend of mine once gave me a piece of advice..."If you don't understand what is on a page, you can reread it...no extra charge" I have very often used this piece of sound advice. ooooor you might try YouTube: "The Abolition of Man" Nope, I give up. I tried again twice today, but it was no use. I also listened to part of the guy with the wonderful English accent read aloud on YouTube. But when Lewis starts talking about Tao and then slips into Greek and Latin phrases he loses me for sure. I can imagine him talking like this with his Cambridge buddies late into the night with great gusto and satisfaction. I am going back to my history of the Russian revolution. 850 pp. I am on p. 308. I think I have a decent brain, but I am quite willing to admit there are certain writings of C.S. Lewis that are not for me. On the other hand, there are many C.S. Lewis books that hit right on the mark for me, and I am very glad for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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