Tag: The Guardian

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.”

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: August 1st

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Today (8/1) in 1941 the 14th letter from Screwtape was published in The Guardian before being in the book The Screwtape Letters.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing … it is irresistible. If even ten per cent of the world’s population had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before a year’s end?”

Letter to Mary Margaret McCaslin 8/1/1953
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

In which book does Lewis have Merlin play a role?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 25th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

On this day (7/25) in 1941 the 13th letter from Screwtape was published in The Guardian. Wormwood has failed again…second conversion.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

[Screwtape Admits:] “I know that the Enemy [God] also wants to detach men from themselves, but in a different way. Remember always, that he really likes the little vermin, and sets an absurd value on the distinctiveness of every one of them.”

The Screwtape Letters XIII
(Published in The Guardian on 7/25/1941)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What was the name of the person who was going to be sent where Ransom ended up going in Out of the Silent Planet?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

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

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 18th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The twelfth letter from Screwtape was published on this date (7/18) in The Guardian in 1941.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“The only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing.”

The Screwtape Letters XII
(Published in The Guardian on 7/18/1941)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

In “The Great Divorce” what animal was perched on the shoulder of a ghost that symbolized lust (and what color was it)?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 11th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The eleventh letter from Screwtape was published on this date (7/11) in The Guardian in 1941.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“I don’t believe that good work is ever done in a hurry.”

Letter to Arthur Greeves 7/11/1916
(Published in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume I)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

In The Screwtape Letters where are the young demons initially taught and who leads the place?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 8th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

Lewis first used the term “Mere Christianity” in The Screwtape Letters #25; initially published 10/17/41 in The Guardian.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Our divisions should never be discussed except in the presence of those who have already come to believe that there is one God and that Jesus Christ is His only Son.”

Mere Christianity
(Published in 7/7/1952)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What non-fiction book was published this month that contained very little new material but is one of Lewis’s best known works?
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: July 4th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The tenth installment of The Screwtape Letters was published today (7/4) in 1941 in The Guardian.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

(Screwtape commenting on the patent faking cynical and skeptical attitudes):
“All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be.”

The Screwtape Letters X
(Published in The Guardian on 7/4/1941)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

What is the title of the non-Lewis fictional book that was published this month by a famous friend?

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.

Daily Lewis – Fact / Quote / Quiz: June 29th

William OFlaherty Daily Lewis

FACT OF THE DAY:

The ninth letter from Screwtape was published in The Guardian at the end of June (the 27th) in 1941.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden.”

The Screwtape Letters IX
(Published in The Guardian on 6/27/1941)

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QUIZ OF THE DAY:

Complete the quote and name the source (4 words):
“We…shall not be _____ _____ _____ _____ on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest.”
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(Click “Read More” to SEE Answer)