Category: Special Feature

RETROSPECT: August 22nd – 31st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for August 22nd – 31st 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 Lewis, died on the 23rd in 1908. This was also due to cancer. Although Lewis had prayed for his mother to live, he reports not actually being a Christian at the time

RETROSPECT: August 12th – 21st

William OFlaherty Special Feature

Highlights for August 12-21 include: A final series of radio talks, the concluding book of a series, two more talks from his initial broadcast series and a never before published essay by Lewis that became available in 1990.

The first scholarly book by Lewis was The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition. The theme of love in a broader sense is (obviously) of great importance to him and can be found in a large variety of his writings. So it is of no surprise that when Lewis finally agreed to return to the microphone for another series of radio talks this was the theme. These talks were recorded in London on the 19th and 20th in 1958, but they were not done for the BBC (as his previous radio work was). It was the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation from the United States who had made the request. Eventually the material from these talks were extended to become The Four Loves.

RETROSPECT: August 1st – 11th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for August 1-11 include: Lewis’s first time ever on the radio, earning of a second First at Oxford and two more letters from Screwtape.

In one sense not a lot of events occurred in Lewis’s life over the years during the first week and a half in August; but then the most significant from this period is likely among the highest points in his entire life. It was on the 6th in 1941 that he stood before a microphone to kick-off the first of four scheduled talks about “Right and Wrong: A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe.” The place was the offices of BBC Home Services and the local time was 7:45 p.m. Over the next fifteen minutes he would speak on “Common Decency,” but later this first chapter of book one in Mere Christianity would be called “The Law of Human Nature.”

Upcoming Lecture on Lewis as Preacher

William OFlaherty Special Feature

This year is the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s first appearance behind the pulpit. His first sermon was in 1939 at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford. To help mark this landmark event William O’Flaherty will be speaking at the C. S. Lewis Society of Chattanooga on Tuesday, August 12 to highlight all of his messages.

O’Flaherty’s talk is entitled “Lewis as Preacher – A 75th Anniversary Reflection” as is part of the group’s free summer series held at The Camp House in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Preview some of the material that will be covered at the talk by reading an article recently posted on HarperOne’s official C.S. Lewis blog. Below is the first couple of paragraphs

RETROSPECT: July 22nd – 31st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the period of July 22-31include: Lewis on the radio that wasn’t a part of the eventual Mere Christianity book, the U.S. release of The Four Loves and the publication of a friend’s landmark book that Lewis encouraged the author to write (hint: it has a “ring” to it).

When you consider a person’s life over the years (like this series has with C.S. Lewis), it’s no surprise that there might be a week or two were relatively little significant events happened. Such is the case for this time-period. However, there was a very meaningful moment in the life of a now more famous friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. In 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring was published at the end of July (the actual date is either the 24th or 29th, as I’ve seen both listed).

It’s not just because they were friends that it’s worth mentioning, rather

C.S. Lewis’s Hidden Hatred of Males

William OFlaherty Special Feature

Those who falsely claim that C.S. Lewis didn’t like women have missed the gender than he secretly hated: MALES! That’s correct, hidden very deep within the writings of C.S. Lewis you will discover a hatred that is so concealed that only my carefully skilled abilities have been able to uncover the shocking truth.

I don’t expect you to accept my word on this delicate matter…so, I’ll reveal what my findings have been so far (undoubtedly there is more yet to be discovered). What follows is a list of characters Lewis created along with a short explanation as to why it proves my point.

Edmund Pevensie – in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Edmund is the villainous traitor whose deeds result in the death of Aslan.

RETROSPECT: July 11th – 21st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the period of July 11-21 include: the first book resulting from speaking on the BBC, an unusual meditation, and the death of Joy.

When Lewis agreed to do talks over the radio he had no idea how well received they would be. After two successful series of talks that were each in five parts and another series scheduled to start in late September, the book Broadcast Talks was released on the 13th in 1942. Unlike the later books released after each of his last two series, this book contained no additional material. They were merely five chapters each to match what was on the air. The only difference had to do with the order of the chapters from the first series.

RETROSPECT: July 1st – 10th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the first third of July (1st – 10th) are: the release of his landmark nonfiction book, the publication of a new collection of shorter works and the preface to his first claim to fame was written.

In the early 1950’s Lewis saw continual success from his writing. By the middle of 1952 he had experienced significant praise from his venture into children’s literature with two Narnia stories released and a third due out in a few months. But it was on the 7th of July in 1952 that a new book came out that was actually a re-release of previous material that secured Lewis as an author of practical information about the Christian faith. Mere Christianity is the best known non-fiction book by Lewis. Various individuals from many walks of life give credit to this book as either strengthening their faith, or as a tool that God used to lead them to Christianity.

RETROSPECT: June 22nd – 30th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the final third of June (22nd – 30th) include: Sharing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with his close friends four months before it was published, being awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity and more talk from Screwtape about the “law of Undulation.”

As you may recall, Lewis met frequently with a group of friends called the Inklings. They gathered at a variety of places, but on the 22nd in 1950 it happened to be at the Eagle and Child. When they came together at this location it was unusual for them to actually read any of their works. Nevertheless, this was a special occasion, as Lewis brought the galley proofs of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity: The Crisis That Created a Classic

William OFlaherty Special Feature

Get a chance to WIN a copy of C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity: The Crisis That Created a Classic by Paul McCusker BEFORE you can even buy it!

It contains twelve chapters giving you a variety of background information about Mere Christianity that was first written in the 1940’s for radio. Details about HOW to win are below.

Please note, as with most of my contests, it is ONLY open to those living in the U.S. & Canada (sorry, but it’s the publisher who mails the prize and they set the limits). See complete rules below. Also you MUST enter by Wednesday, June 18th at 6pm.
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Follow LINK for DETAILS