Tag: Mere Christianity

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 7th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Mere Christianity was first published on this day (July 7th) in 1952.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“When a man who accepts the Christian doctrine lives unworthily of it, it is much clearer to say he is a bad Christian than to say he is not a Christian.”

Mere Christianity
(Published in 7/7/1952)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

If you consider the order they were first published, what do you first notice about The Silver Chair that is different from the previous three stories?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

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.

C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity (Paul McCusker)

William OFlaherty All About Jack, Podcast

Many think of Mere Christianity just as single book that is great at helping you understand and defend the faith. However, not only was it originally released as three different books and four series of radio talks, but there are many other fascinating behind the scenes details that you can learn from C.S. Lewis & Mere Christianity: The Crisis That Created a Classic. This book by Paul McCusker is just being released.

C.S. Lewis Said What? YES, He Really Did!

William OFlaherty Special Feature

I’ve been working on a short talk for the 2014 Taylor Colloquium (9th Frances White Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends) about quotes falsely attributed to Lewis. Along the way I’ve come across some lesser known quotations that some might have a difficult time believing he DID say. While a collection of quotes of this nature could contain a variety of categories, I’ve chosen to share sayings that are generally humorous (however, some may be more ironic, than funny).

“A good toe-nail is not an unsuccessful attempt at a brain: and if it were conscious it wd. delight in being simply a good toe-nail.”

(Letter to Hugh Kilmer from April 5, 1961 in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3)

“If you think you are a poached egg, when you are looking for a piece of toast to suit you, you may be sane, but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you.”

(Essay – What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ? in God in the Dock)

Fact / Quote / Quiz: April 19th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Christian Behaviour was first published on this day (4/19) in 1943. It is better known for being Book 3 of Mere Christianity.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Hope is…a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”

Christian Behaviour
(Published 4/19/1943)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What article by Lewis was published this month had the title “Outer Space” in it that was later re-titled?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

RETROSPECT: April 11th – 19th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

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 second third of April (11th – 19th) include: Publication of third BBC series; Publication of second book from BBC Talks; four posthumous books and the final installment about a bus ride to heaven.

Christian Behaviour: A Further series of Broadcast Talks tops the list of happenings over the years in the life of Lewis. It was first published on the 19th in 1943 in the U.K. (and nine months later in the U.S.). As you may be aware, it was just the second book printed of three that eventually became part of Mere Christianity. What gets confusing to some is that when you examine the book from 1952 Christian Behavior is stated as being “Book III.”

Fact / Quote / Quiz: April 8th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

On this date (4/8) in 1947 the first U.S. edition (a hardback) of The Abolition of Man was published.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Who said I disliked women? I never liked or disliked any generalisation.”

Letter to Margaret Fuller on 4/8/1948
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume II)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

This month one of the three books that became a part of Mere Christianity was published; what was it?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Fact / Quote / Quiz: April 5th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

On Church Music was published this month in 1949 in English Church Music and is available in Lewis’s Christian Reflections.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“All our offerings, whether of music or martyrdom, are like the intrinsically worthless present of a child, which a father values indeed, but values only for the intention.”

On Church Music
(Published in the April 194 issue of English Church Music)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

The only surviving recording from the BBC series that is a chapter is Mere Christianity is what chapter?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

RETROSPECT: April 1st – 10th

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the first third of April (1st – 10th) include: Final broadcast from his last BBC series; preaching the same sermon for second time and the death of his grandfather.

The concluding BBC broadcast in the fourth and final series for Lewis stands out as the most noteworthy for this period. 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. When the book version came out it contained four additional chapters not heard on the radio (which are also found in Mere Christianity). When expanding the material for print Lewis actually modified the content of this talk and so what was actually heard that night is somewhat different than what is in the book. For the sake of simplicity I will

RETROSPECT: March 22nd – 31st

William OFlaherty Jack in Retrospect, Special Feature

Highlights for the final third of March (22nd – 31st) include: Publication of The Four Loves, his first essay collection and republication of a landmark professional work.

During the last decade of Lewis’s life his Christian-themed titles had less to do with defending the faith and more with sharing his understanding of a variety of aspects of it. The Four Loves, released on the 28th in 1960 is one of those works where he shares his wisdom on a topic related to the faith he had gained a greater understanding of over his life. Many individuals are not aware of the fact that two years prior to the book release Lewis had given ten radio talks on this theme.