Category: Jack in Retrospect

RETROSPECTIVE: November 21st – 30th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Interestingly it was on Lewis’s fifty-sixth birthday (in 1954) that he gave what hard-core enthusiasts of his works often consider one of his best talks to a non-religious audience. “De Descriptione Temporum” are not words you hear every day, but they were fitting as a title for his inaugural lecture as Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University. The translation for this Latin title is “a description of the times.” The Internet Archive has a copy of the complete text. Later it was recorded (4/1/1955) as a radio broadcast for the BBC where the title was “The Great Divide” and aired on April 6, 1955. You can get a copy of this recording, along with other audio featuring his voice from Episcopal Marketplace.

As you might imagine, there are differences between the radio version and the actual address. If you have both you will want to listen to it and follow along the printed version to see Lewis’s ability to adapt a text to different audiences.

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

RETROSPECTIVE: November 1st -10th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

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

Highlights for the first third of November (1st – 10th) include: A two-part broadcast talk on “Faith,” a posthumous book on Spenser and the start of bus ride to an unknown destination.

Mere Christianity, as many people know, is a collection of three smaller books that were published in the early 1940’s. Before that they were individual broadcasts on the BBC. A person can pick any of them and gain insight from what Lewis shares. However, as I was reading over the two radio talks for this period I got to thinking that if out of all of the material he shared

RETRO: October 22nd – 31st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for the final third of October (22nd – 31st) include: First sermon preached, three significant posthumous books and Lewis defines “the great sin.”

There are many hats that C.S. Lewis wore: children’s author, Christian apologist, and literary critic being the three most common realms people are familiar with. While similar to his role as a defender of the faith, many are not aware that he also spoke on Sunday mornings several times in his life. The very first occurred on the

RETRO: October 11th – 21st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for the middle third of October (11th – 21st) include: Premier of the first and second Narnia books, debut apologetic work, plus three other books published!

This period over the years for Lewis likely ranks as the most significant. Aslan was introduced and Lewis began to be recognized as a spokesperson for the Christian faith from the book that came out during this time in 1940 (more about that later). The Lion, the Witch and the

RETRO: October 1st – 10th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for the opening third of October (1st – 10th) include: Concluding book from his final BBC radio series, an unsigned review of The Hobbit and the release of A Preface to ‘Paradise Lost’.

While Lewis did go on to record a radio series on love in the late 1950’s, his final one for the BBC was given in early 1944. The book version of it was published on the 9th of October that same year as Beyond Personality: The Christian Idea of God.

RETRO: September 22nd – 30th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for September 22nd – 30th include: Debut story of a Sci-Fi trilogy, a landmark book published anonymously and the death of Lewis’s father to cancer.

It’s no secret that Lewis is known for being a versatile writer. One of his earliest efforts that spotlighted this fact is what happened 75 years ago on September 23rd. In 1938 Lewis released the first of what is referred to its fans as the Ransom trilogy. That’s because Dr. Elwin Ransom is a

RETRO: September 12th – 21st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for September 12th -21st include: Another Narnia book published, a landmark professional title, a final poetry book and the start of his third broadcast series.

If you thought the previous ten day span over the years was a productive period for Lewis, then you will be no less amazed at what occurred during this time. In the above highlights I didn’t even mentioned the autobiography that

RETRO: September 2nd – 11th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for September 2nd-11th include: Two Narnia books published, a final fictional work, being on the cover of Time in the U.S. and his only title devoted to a book of the Bible.

The number of books published over the years during these ten days would be enough for most authors for an entire lifetime. Although, two of the titles are collections of shorter works were released after his death, interestingly the five others were during the last eleven years of his life.

RETRO: August 22nd – September 1st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect

Highlights for August 22nd – September 1st include: An unfortunate childhood loss, letters from Screwtape on gluttony and love, and the radio broadcast of the last chapter of what’s now book one of Mere Christianity.

As mentioned during a previous column last month, Lewis lost his wife to cancer. The second most significant loss for him was during his childhood, when his mother, Florence Augusta Hamilton (Flora) Lewis died