Essential C.S. Lewis

Jack in Retrospect Weekly

This is a weekly feature, just begun in 2013, highlights many of the events and accomplishments in the life of C.S. Lewis, along with books of his works published after his death. Anyone fairly familiar with C.S. Lewis knows he wrote a lot of books, but did you know he also had many shorter works (essays, sermons and addresses) published in his life? Likewise, there are a variety of interesting facts that many casual fans are unaware. One is that Lewis died on the same day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and that Aldous Huxley also passed away (November 23, 1963. This year is the 50th anniversary of those events and is a key reason for the creation of my weekly series.

Understanding and Appreciating C.S. Lewis

May 15th - 21st

The following is part of a weekly series reflecting on the life of C.S. Lewis. This is done by summarizing various events or happenings during his lifetime for the noted week and may include significant events related to him after his death.

A couple of landmark events in Lewis's professional life occurred this week. After holding a temporary position at Oxford teaching philosophy, he was elected a Fellow in English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford on the 20th in 1925. Just over 10 years later, in 1936 on the 21st his first scholarly work was published. Regarding the first step, his fellowship at Oxford, it cannot be understated how excited both Lewis and his father was about this milestone. Albert, his father, who had supported him financially since 1919 recorded these words in his diary: "I went to his (Jack's) room and burst into tears of joy. I knelt down and thanked God with a full heart."

This same year (1925) was when Lewis's former tutor, F. P. Wilson suggested to him that he should consider writing a book on some characteristic of Medieval thought. About two years later he began the task of creating something that would dramatically build his reputation as a first-rate scholar. The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition may not be read by many outside those interested in literary criticism, but it clearly shows that from his early days as a Christian Lewis didn't see any conflict about being a person of faith who took his "secular" work seriously.

It's interesting to note a connection about this first professional work and another more personal event happening in the mid-1940's. It was just before the publication of The Allegory of Love in 1936 that Lewis made a connection with Charles Williams. Williams would go on to become a very close friend of Lewis and had such an influence on him that the final book of the Ransom Trilogy is viewed as a title clearly influenced by him. However, the connection to this week is a sad one, as Williams died without much warning at the early age of 58on the 15th in 1945. On a brighter personal note, Lewis's mother was born this week, on the 18th in 1862.

In terms of speaking or having something else published this was a somewhat quiet week. The third letter from Screwtape was release in The Guardian and he gave a talk at the Oxford Socratic Club. On the 20th in 1946 he spoke at a regular meeting of the Socratic Club. "Religion without Dogma?" was Lewis's choice for a topic. It was selected because he wanted to reply to Professor H.H. Price's paper that was previously read at another of the club's meeting. While first published the same year in the Phoenix Quarterly, it was also in the fourth issue of The Socratic Digest from 1948. The article version now available in God in the Dock contains a slightly revised version of the paper.

In "Religion without Dogma?" Lewis begins by summarizing Professor Price's positions into four points and then takes the assertions one at a time. The first, which he disagrees with is "that the essence of religion is belief in God and immortality." This is also addressed in a chapter in Reflections on the Psalms. One of the other points had to do with the miraculous, which Price stated as something that could not be accepted by those believing in science.

As noted the third Screwtape letter was released. It was on the 16th in 1941 and begins with presenting some perspective about why a believer's behavior is often slow to change. Due to habits and thought patterns one "can practise self-examination for an hour without discover any of those facts…which are perfectly clear to anyone who has ever lived in the same house." The patient's mother is indirectly introduced and another demon name Glubose is mentioned.

May 8th - 14th

"Miracles" is among the many misused words in our vocabulary today. This was true even back in 1947 when Miracles: A Preliminary Study was released on the 12th this week by C.S. Lewis. Of course, Lewis was addressing more of an unbelief in the miraculous. In fact, as the inside dusk jacket of the first edition notes, the subtitle isn't about Lewis giving his tentative thoughts on the subject, but rather the book is designed to be "a study preliminary to any historical inquiry into the actual occurrence of miracles." That is, before any examination of specific miracles one has to believe that the miraculous can genuinely occur.

Miracles is also the last book Lewis wrote with any completely new apologetic material. As noted previous in an earlier weekly, Lewis was called to task about some material from this book and it resulted in him revising the third chapter. In the first edition it was called "The Self-Contradiction of the Naturalist," but it was revised and retitled as "The Cardinal Difficulty of Naturalism." That new edition actually came out this week, too, but 13 years later on May 9, 1960.

In Lewis's personal life a very significant meeting occurred on the 11th in 1926. Prior to returning to the Christian faith Lewis met J.R.R. Tolkien, who not long after became one of two friends that were invaluable aids in Lewis's conversion. They first met on that date in May at an Oxford English faculty tea, but Lewis wasn't all that impressed my him. However, they soon became good friends once it was discovered that they each shared a love of "Northernness" and enjoyed Norse mythology. Because of their mutual interests they began getting together to discuss them (an ultimately their own writings) in what eventually became known as the Inklings. One of the outgrowths of this was for them to challenge each other to write a science fiction story from a Christian worldview. Lewis would write a "space-journey" and Tolkien a "time-journey." Tolkien's effort was never published during his life, but Lewis's attempt resulted in Out of the Silent Planet, which was the first of three similar themed books. It's interesting to note that this effort has some indirect ties to the distancing between Tolkien and Lewis. When the last of the trilogy, That Hideous Strength came out it was immediate recognized as being influenced by the writings of Charles Williams. It was Lewis's close friendship with Williams that began the decay of the relationship between Lewis and Tolkien. Prior to all this, however, Lewis was a key factor in encouraging Tolkien to finish writing The Hobbit and seeking to get it published. He was also a vital influence in the follow-up, The Lord of the Rings.

Also on the 11th this week, but in 1959, Lewis gave a lecture to students at Wescott House in Cambridge. When first published after his death in 1967 in Christian Reflections the title was "Modern Theology and Biblical Criticism." However eight years later it was the lead essay in another collection of shorter works by Lewis. Fern-Seed and Elephants, while a catchy title for a book (and essay) apparently didn't impress readers in the seventy's as that book is out of print. In the talk, given to theology students, Lewis gave four criticisms of modern theology; so you can imagine it is not a light-hearted read. However, despite being given to a specialize audience, any interested in Lewis's views on the Bible will be especially rewarded with digesting the speech. Hear an essay chat I did with Reggie Gates on this talk in two segments (1st Part / 2nd Part).

Finally, two key happenings were on the 9th this week. The first was in 1941, when the second letter from Screwtape was published in The Guardian. As you may recall from last week this material was initially given without any explanation of the reverse perspective. In this letter, later available in the landmark book The Screwtape Letters, Lewis has Wormwood's uncle provide some interesting thoughts about the Church and how it can be "one of our great allies" (recall that good is bad for the demons, so calling the Church an ally to Hell is a real slap in the face to the contemporary Church). This letter also introduces the idea (mentioned also in the ninth letter) that our enemy's goal is just as much to keep our mind off of things as they are to suggest ideas. The other event was the broadcast of a recording Lewis had made a few months before in 1948. This very brief audio was an adaptation of the preface of The Great Divorce. From my understanding it was aired just before a dramatic version of the book was presented, but no recording of that radio drama was made.

May 1st - 7th

Over a decade apart on the exact same day two major events occurred in Lewis's life this week. The origins of Narnia finally became known and the first of thirty-one soon to be famous letters were released. If you are even vaguely familiar with Lewis, then you are aware I'm speaking of The Magician's Nephew and the start of The Screwtape Letters.

The Magician's Nephew came out on the 2nd in 1955, just eight months after the previous Narnia story (The Horse and His Boy). This was the shortest time span between releases. Current editions of the book list The Magician's Nephew as the first to read, however, it was published sixth. Most experts suggest those new to the series read it in the publication order because a good deal is revealed that would not be a mystery if you read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe after this beginnings story. Many are surprised that he finished this book last and he also completed his autobiography Surprised by Joy around the same time.

On the 2nd in 1941 the character of Screwtape debut in The Guardian. Eventually the book came out in 1942, but if you lived in England you could first experience the story unfold weekly. Readers were suddenly presented with a role reversal in this masterpiece of satire. The "Enemy" was God and "Our Father" became "Our Father Below," a reference to the great deceiver. Wormwood was the recipient of the wiser Screwtape's advice about his new patient, a nameless male. In the first letter he's told "jargon" is better than "argument" because the latter risks having a person thinking about truth and "attending to universal issues." The "affectionate" uncle spells it out in the end by stating "you are there to fuddle him" and not teach.

Almost a year earlier (May 3, 1940) and more straightforward, Lewis had "Two Ways with the Self" published in the same periodical (The Guardian). This short essay begins with noting that renouncing the self is, rightly so, central to Christian ethics. However, what are we to do with self-love when Scripture commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and also that one should "hate his own life?" Lewis offers (in part) this advice: "The Christian must wage endless war against the clamour of the ego as ego: but he loves and approves selves as such, though not their sins." The article is now best available in God in the Dock.

The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature is one of the books Lewis was preparing before he died. It was released on the 7th in 1964. The material for the book came out of lectures he had given on the image of the medieval world over the years both at Oxford and Cambridge. While informing his contemporaries of the model and why it is helpful to know, he underscores the fact that he is not suggesting going back to that model of the universe.

Finally, Lewis had a temporary turning point in his life when on the 5th in 1924 he accepted a position to teach philosophy at Oxford. It wasn't a long-term assignment because he was only filling in for his former tutor, E.F. Carritt, who went on leave to teach in the U.S.. Besides giving lectures at University College, he also conducted tutorials as well. A year later (but in another week) he received a more permanent position at Oxford, but many people are unaware that he first taught philosophy.

April 24th - 30th

This was a relatively quiet week over the years in the life of Lewis. However, as with anything he wrote, there is significant materials to highlight as April raps up. One item, "The Grand Miracle" gets to be noted for the second time within a few weeks. It was first a sermon at St. Jude on the Hill Church on April 15, 1945. During this week it was published the same year on the 27th in The Guardian. You can see what I said about it in the April 10th - 16th essay or can checkout an interesting YouTube video featuring an audio version with live animation that helps you understand the material. You can read the essay in God in the Dock.

On the 29th in 1952 Lewis spoke before another audience, but this time it was part of the meeting of the Library Association at Bournemouth. "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" is best found in On Stories and it's curious to note that it was given before all seven Narnia stories had been published. Since that time, Lewis's fame in children's literature has risen to greater heights. We find Lewis suggesting two good of three possible ways to write for children. The bad way is to give kids what you think they want. One of the better motivations is to write " a children's story because a children's story is the best art-form for something you have to say." Also within the talk Lewis defends the use of fantasy in stories for kids.

Also on the 29th, but in 1944 and not a speech, Lewis wrote again for the "Notes of the Way" column in Time and Tide. When it was reprinted in Present Concerns the essay was called "Democratic Education." Among the points Lewis makes is that while democracy is useful in the political and economic realms it has shortcomings when applied to education. Even if you don't agree with is points regarding this, his predictions on the negative results from educational decisions being based on the likability of courses adds to his credibility of predicting some trends.

A couple of pieces not yet mentioned that were actually in monthly publications are "Will We Lose God in Outer Space" and "On Church Music." The former was first in the April, 1958 issue of Christian Herald before being retitled "Religion and Rocketry" in The World's Last Night. Lewis first observes how two opposing arguments have been used to disprove a Creator and then he examines the possible implications of space travel and finding life on other worlds. The more down to earth essay was published in 1949 in English Church Music. While confessing his lack of expertise in music, Lewis nevertheless offers useful insight in this piece now found in Christian Reflections. Among them is this observation and suggestion: “Where both the choir and the congregation are spiritually on the right road no insurmountable difficulties will occur. Discrepancies of taste and capacity will, indeed, provide matter for mutual charity and humility.”

Finally, the only book published during his life that had a co-author happen on the 27th in 1939. Cambridge Professor E.M.W. Tillyard shared authorship with Lewis on The Personal Heresy: A Controversy. It's a collection of six essays between both of them on the topic of whether or not "all poetry is about the poet's state of mind." Lewis believed it wasn't. The weekly for February 5th - 11th details a debate the two had on this issue.

April 17th - 23rd

Christian Behaviour: A Further series of Broadcast Talks tops the list of a very busy week over the years in the life of Lewis. It was first published on the 19th of April in 1943 in the U.K. (and nine months later in the U.S.). As you may be aware, it was the second book printed of three that eventually became part of Mere Christianity. What gets confusing to some is that when you examine that book, Christian Behavior is stated as being "Book III." That's because the first two series of radio broadcasts were combined into a single book. Christian Behaviour addresses the faith more directly than the debut book, specifically examining the traditional moral teachings. Unlike the first book it contained totally new material not given on the radio. They were these chapters: 2.) The Cardinal Virtues, 6.) Christian Marriage, 9.) Charity and 10.) Hope.

Perelandra is also a "middle" book from a trilogy that brings confusion to some, though it is for different reasons. The potential puzzlement has to do with what to call the series itself. Informally it's been called the "Science Fiction Trilogy" and the "Ransom Trilogy." However, when published, on the 20th in 1943, it has had two different group titles, the "Space Trilogy" and "The Cosmic Trilogy." Hardcore fans tend to prefer "Ransom Trilogy" because Ransom is a central character in each story. In Perelandra he visits Venus to help save that world from impending corruption. On some occasions in his life Lewis considered this novel to be his best (this was also said of Till We Have Faces). Perelandra was dedicated "To Some Ladies at Wantage," as in Wantage, Berkshire where his friend Sister Penelope was a nun at the Community of St. Mary the Virgin.

The next group of books that came out this week all happen after Lewis had died in 1963. Just three years later, Letters of C.S. Lewis was released on the 18th. It was edited by Lewis's brother Warren (a.k.a. "Warnie") and contains a memoir at the start. The book was first begun as a biography on Lewis, but the editor found the collection of letters and diary entries that Warnie gathered more to their liking. Another book of letters came out this week. On the 19th in 1979 They Stand Together: The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves was published. As obvious from the subtitle, they are letters just to one individual. Arthur Greeves was Lewis's best friend from his teen years and they corresponded from 1914 to 1963. The final book for the week, All My Road Before Be: The Diary of C.S. Lewis, 1922-27 came out on the 18th in 1991. Again, the subtitle clearly describes the content. Both of these last two books were edited by Walter Hooper. The first book, by Lewis's brother was revised and enlarged by Hooper in 1988.

There were two different occasions that Lewis spoke before a group this week. In 1942 on the 22nd he gave the annual Shakespeare Lecture before the British Academy in London. This talk, "Hamlet: The Prince or the Poem?" was published that same year in The Proceedings of the British Academy and later in Lewis's They Asked for a Paper and also in Selected Literary Essays (both are out of print). As you can tell from the setting and the title, this was an academic speech where Lewis shared his thoughts on one of Shakespeare's well known plays. The other talk, two years later, on the 18th (some sources suggest it was the 19th) is a questions and answers session that was part of a "One Man Brains Trust" held at the Electric and Musical Industries Christian Fellowship in Hayes, Middlesex. "Answers to Questions on Christianity was first published by the organization in 1944 and after his death in God in the Dock. While the talk was given before a lay audience, they were individual working in Industry and so Lewis opened with comments noting "Christianity does not replace the technical." In reply to a question of obtaining happiness Lewis humorously replies "the religion of worshipping oneself is the best" (though it is short-lived).

A very significant event in Lewis's personal life occurred this week. On the 23rd in 1956 he was married to Joy Davidman in a civil ceremony (less than a year later he married her again, but in an ecclesiastical ceremony). This first time Lewis essentially considered Joy to be a friend who, as not a British citizen, but wanting to stay in England, needed a way to legally stay in the U.K. Few individuals were even aware they became married. The latest book by Dr. Alister McGrath on Lewis, C.S. Lewis - A Life, provides some interesting thoughts on the topic. It should also be noted that Joy's birthday is also this week, as she was born on the 18th in 1915.

April 10th - 16th

Something related to The Great Divorce occurred three times this week over a twelve year span for Lewis. On the 16th in 1933 he shared with his brother Warnie the idea for what first became the weekly series in The Guardian (although he got the initial thought in September of 1931). Then on the 13th in 1944 he read the concluding chapter of The Great Divorce at an Inklings meeting when Tolkien and Charles Williams was present. Finally, the twenty-third and concluding installment of "Who Goes Home? or The Grand Divorce" appeared in The Guardian on the 13th in 1945. This segment raps things up with a few some key points, namely the question about MacDonald being a Universalist and the reveal that all of what is described is from a dream. In fact, Lewis says "make it plain that it was but a dream" and that he was making no claim to knowing what the afterlife is like.

Another book by Lewis, but released after his death this week was Letters to Children. It came out on the 11th in 1985. As the title suggests they are a collection of letters that were written to children. They were, of course, responses to questions he had received from younger fans of his works. It's no surprise that the majority came as a result of his Narnia stories. In fact, a fairly well-known quote from this work is a letter that Lewis wrote in reply to a mother who wrote to him about her nine-year old son being concerned that he loved Aslan more than Jesus. His response, in part, was "God knows quite well how hard we find it to love Him more than anyone or anything else, and He won't be angry with us as long as we are trying. And He will help us."

On the 15th in 1945 Lewis preached a short sermon at St. Jude on the Hill Church in London. By the end of the month it was found in the April 27th issue of The Guardian. "The Grand Miracle" is not to be confused with a chapter later to be found in his book simply called Miracles, although the content is similar. To confuse matters, Lewis also had an article entitled "Miracles" and a letter he wrote in response to it is listed as "Miracles" in God in the Dock, where "The Grand Miracle can be best found. In his message, Lewis notes that Christianity is likely the only religion that cannot be stripped of its miraculous elements. He believed that the greatest miracle was Christ's birth.

"Lilies that Fester" was an article appearing in the April, 1955 issue of a periodical called Twentieth Century. It was essentially a rebuttal to another article in that same issue. As a result, Lewis spends several pages answering a question raised by that piece, why some "go to such lengths to prove to us that really they are not intellectuals at all and certainly not cultured." In the remaining part he explains why matter is important. The title is from one of Shakespeare's sonnets that states “Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds." Within the article Lewis contrasts culture for the sake of enjoyment with culture for the sake of self-improvement and/or advancement. You can locate this shorter work best in The World's Last Night.

Many are unaware that Lewis served in World War One. He didn't join the conflict until late this month in 1917. During part of this week in 1918 Lewis was in the middle of a clash in Mouth Bernenchon that is now known as the Battle of Arras. On the 15th he was wounded by "friendly fire" and pieces of the British shell remained in his chest for nearly the remainder of his life. Subsequently he was sent back to England to recover. Later in his life Lewis took part in another war in a much different way. He was asked to speak to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first one is believed to have likely happen sometime in April, but could have been as late as early May in 1941.

April 3rd - 9th

The concluding BBC broadcast in the fourth and final series for Lewis stands out as the most noteworthy for the week. On the 4th in 1944 "The New Men" talk was heard from a recording made the previous month. It is the only surviving recording from the Beyond Personality series. The book version contained four additional chapters not heard on the radio and these are also found in Mere Christianity. Because of the expanded material, what was actually heard that night is somewhat different than what is in the book. For the sake of simplicity I will treat the material from the book as if it was what was presented that day. In this final chapter Lewis uses the familiar concept of Evolution as a tool to express how transforming being a Christian is by suggesting that the "next step" in Evolution has occurred in Christ. He is careful to note how very different this "next step" is from that popular expression (that he is not endorsing). Among the five ways it is different includes that it is voluntary and occurs at a different speed (the concept of time is viewed uniquely). A quote that summarizes part of his point is this: "To become new men means losing what we now call 'ourselves. Out of our selves, into Christ, we must go."

Also on the 4th this month, but a year later (in 1945), Lewis had an essay entitled "The Laws of Nature" published in The Coventry Evening Telegraph. It dealt with the topic of prayer in relation to, or how some people view it, as opposed to the laws of nature. The article opens with a comment made by a friend at the start of a day before Lewis's first student arrived. The friend expressed disagreement with something another said about her prayers being the reason her son was not killed by a bullet that nearly missed him. Before being interrupted the person concluded it "was simply due to the laws of Nature" and not prayer that it happen that way. Later when Lewis reflected on the matter he developed his argument for why upon careful analysis it isn't just that simple. You have to consider the source behind these laws, something science is not able to explain. The essay is best available in God in the Dock.

Two other of Lewis's shorter works were publish this month (but not on a particular day). Both appeared in The Review of English Studies and are reprinted in Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature by Lewis. The first is "A Note on Comus" in 1932. It dealt with examining five manuscripts of this poem by John Milton and the alterations between them and what can be learned as a result. In 1936 "Genius and Genius" came out in the monthly periodical. It explored the dual role of "Genius" in The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. It is interesting to note another term discussed here and Lewis's use of it in Out of the Silent Planet.

A series almost finished around this time was the weekly "Who Goes Home? or The Grand Divorce" in The Guardian. On the 6th, the twenty-second installment that became part of the thirteenth chapter of The Great Divorce was published. In it was a reflection on the what was observed between the Tragedian and the lady. Specifically, the question of why those in Heaven don't try to go down to Hell and do whatever possible to make them happy is addressed. In answering this we also find out how small Hell is.

March 27th - April 2nd

The Four Loves tops the list this week in the life of Lewis. It came out on the 28th in 1960. However, two years earlier a version of the work was heard on the radio. In fact, if you come across what is present as an audio version of the book that is read by Lewis himself, it is actually those original broadcasts! The book is much expanded and has more than twice the amount of material including an interesting introduction and chapter on "Likings and Loves for the Sub-Human." He also chooses to focus on using the English words for the four different Greek words for love that were emphasize on the air.

On the same day (the 28th), but years earlier (in 1944) listeners in England had the chance to hear Lewis address the question "Is Christianity Hard or Easy?" Interestingly it was one of few times the talk was not given live. It had been recorded the week before, along with the final broadcast that I'll explore next week. This recording did not survive. In the talk (that was published in The Listener two days later) Lewis stated that the Christian faith was both "hard" and "easy." It is "easier" for those who give themselves completely to God and let him work through you; but doing this is "harder" in some respects. This content is now a part of Mere Christianity.

Another series continued this week; the first part of what is best known as material from The Great Divorce was published in The Guardian on the 29th in 1945. The interaction between a lady and a Tragedian continue in this segment. We find that he had misused pity which "was meant to be a spur that drives joy to help misery." Another work of Lewis was published on the 29th. In 1941, in Time and Tide (under the title of "Notes on the Way") "Bulverism" was published, which was later expanded and published in The Socratic Digest (June 1944). Also on the 29th, but after Lewis's death in 1990, Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century came out. It was a reprint of English Literature in the Sixteenth Century: Excluding Drama from September 1954.

"Miserable Offenders: An Interpretation of Prayer Book Language" was a sermon Lewis preached twice in 1946, on March 31st at his parish church, Evensong and on April 7th at St. Matthew's Church in Northampton. It was also published that same year in a booklet called Five Sermons by Laymen. Lewis's message was focused on three phrases from the Anglican Prayer Book, but even those who are not from this tradition will find what he said interesting. It was reprinted in God in the Dock.

During Easter in 1945 (although an exact date is not known, Easter was on the 1st that year), Lewis spoke at the Carmarthen Conference for Anglican Youth Leaders and Junior Clergy in Carmarthen, Wales. His address was first published after his death in God in the Dock as "Christian Apologetics." Even though his talk was given to a similar audience to the just mentioned sermon, the points he makes applies to all who want a better understanding of how to defend Christianity. Like the classic Mere Christianity material, he advocates focusing on the core truths of the faith and not one's individual opinions.

A final event for this week is the death of Lewis's grandfather, Richard Lewis. He died on the 2nd in 1908 during a time when he a young Lewis was dealing with the failing health of his mother, Flora (who would also die four and a half months later).

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