Month: November 2013

Fact / Quote / Quiz: November 12th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Lewis’s first ever essay was published in November, 1912 in Cherbourg School Magazine and called “The Expedition to Holly Bush Hill.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“‘Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’— which looks as if everything depended on us and our good actions: but the second half goes on, ‘For it is God who worketh in you’— which looks as if God did everything and we nothing.”

Faith (Given as a talk on the BBC on November 8, 1942 and later published as chapter 12 in Christian Behavior)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

Name Lewis’ lifelong friend from his teen years.
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

RETROSPECTIVE: November 11th – 20th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for the second third of November (11th – 20th) include: The American debut of Mere Christianity, an explanation of why “Fairy Stories,” and the publication of a landmark sermon.

This series has already noted at various times (including the last installment) why the material making up Mere Christianity is such a great book. While I’d used any excuse to say more, this time it is easily justified as those in the US first had the opportunity to purchase the combined book that consisted of all four BBC broadcast talks on the 11th in 1952. This is only four months later than the release in the UK. The main new material for this edition was Lewis’s preface, but the convenience of having all three short books together in one volume was invaluable. While many are aware that the book was adapted from material on the radio, fewer are familiar with any of the details behind this fact. I mentioned last time that Focus on the Family had a new radio

Fact / Quote / Quiz: November 11th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The American edition of Mere Christianity was first published on this date (11/11) in 1952. Lewis It was published on 7/7 in the UK in ’52.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”

Hope
(Chapter 10 of Book III (Christian Behavior) in Mere Christianity)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What is the name of the talking ape in The Last Battle?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Weight of Glory Anniversary Reflections (Revised)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute

“The Weight of Glory” was first published in the November, 1941 issue of Theology. Thus, I felt it appropriate to post a reflection of it that I did five months. Only minor edits have been done to the piece.

This year (2013) marks the 72nd anniversary of C.S. Lewis giving his famous sermon “The Weight of Glory.” He preached it on June 8, 1941 at St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford. If I understand correctly this was only the second time he was in any pulpit. His debut sermon was actually at the same location on October 22, 1939. On that date the message was called “None Other Gods: Culture in War-Time,” but it’s known today as “Learning in War-Time.” That talk was enjoyed so much that when Ashely Sampson was

Fact / Quote / Quiz: November 10th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The first weekly installment of The Great Divorce appears in The Guardian on this date (11/10) in 1944 under the title of Who Goes Home? or The Grand Divorce.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“When the most important things in our life happen we quite often do not know, at the moment, what is going on.
Faith
(Given as a talk on the BBC on November 8, 1942 and later published as chapter 12 in Christian Behavior)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

Finish the quote and name the source (5 words):
“Everybody says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until ____ _____ _____ _____ ______ .”
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

C.S. Lewis Essays Presented Visually

William OFlaherty CSL Minute

Back in May (2013) I told about three “visual” presentations of essays by C.S. Lewis created by a person desiring to make Lewis’s work easier to understand. They are videos freely available on YouTube. I felt it a good time to highlight this excellent work again because he recently added two more videos (see below for a list of all of them). Each are great pieces by Lewis that are often overlooked. As this month is the 50th anniversary of Lewis’s death it’s a good time to be reminded of these lesser known shorter writings. The person goes by “C.S. Lewis Doodle” on YouTube and the style of his presentation is ‘Art Deco’ that was popular in the 1920-40’s.

Fact / Quote / Quiz: November 9th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

“Period Criticism” is an essay about Chesterton that was first published today (11/9) in 1946 in “Notes on the Way” column in Time and Tide.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“The truth is that the whole criticism which turns on dates and periods, as if age-groups were the proper classification of readers, is confused and even vulgar.”

Period Criticism
(Published on 11/9/1946 as “Notes on the Way” column in Time and Tide)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What two chapters in Mere Christianity has the same name and what is it?
(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Faun: Foe or Friend? (CSLM-31)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute

When Lucy visits Narnia for the first time she meets someone who initially might be her enemy. Do you know who it is?

Lucy Pevensie is a very trusting little girl who finds her way into Narnia and meets Mr. Tumnus (in The Li, the Witch and the Wardrobe). Although he had orders to take any human to the White Witch, once he actually meets Lucy he realizes what a heartless thing it would be to turn her in.

Fact / Quote / Quiz: November 8th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

“Faith” is the chapter title of what was the 8th and final BBC talk from Lewis’s third series that became the book Christian Behaviour (where it is chapter 12).

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“There are a great many things [in Christianity] that cannot be understood until after you have gone a certain distance along the Christian road.”

Faith
(Given as a talk on the BBC on November 8, 1942 and later published as chapter 12 in Christian Behavior)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

Name the talk Lewis gave this month that was later an essay published that has a question mark in the title.
(Click to SEE Answer)

When Traveling Space (CSLM-30)

William OFlaherty CSL Minute

If you every happen to travel into space I know someone you should take with you.

Fans of Lewis’ science fiction know the person to have along with you when are exploring the heavens is Dr. Elwin Ransom. As told in Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom in kidnapped and taken to Mars by others who have evil intentions, but he outwits them. Then in the second story in the series, Perelandra, he travels to Venus to help save that world from corruption.