It would have been interesting to include Fundamentalist Christian American views of Lewis. I grew up closely adjacent to Fundamentalism - never totally immersed because my parents were far too moderate. But growing up in that milieu, outsiders to our family made us children feel very guilty for reading even Christian fantasy authors like Lewis and Tolkien, much less secular fairy tales. To these people, the presence of magic in a book automatically made it demonic and its author must perforce also be Satanic, no matter the author's own stated faith.
'Out of the Silent Planet' is one of my favorite Lewis novels, next to 'Till We Have Faces'. Lewis perfectly captures the tone of the great early science fiction authors like Verne and Wells, and tips the genre on its head to make some profound statements about the impact of the Fall and the Incarnation on the created universe without ever losing the sense of curious wonder that made early science fiction novels literary classics. While the two successive Space Trilogy novels also have profound statements to make, Lewis makes the mistake of letting the message drive the narrative rather than vice versa, making them lesser works, though still well worth reading.
When the Narnia films came out in Germany the press warned their readers that this is the work of a Christian (fundamentalism! Danger!) and might include Christian symbolism -- as an American who was transported by Narnia as a kid I was outraged and frustrated at this concerted effort to destroy such a great work if fantasy before German kids could even get to know it.
This excellent article reminded me that Lewis originally known and controversial as a religious thinker and now I think that’s what stodgy German critics were thinking of.
It was too bad. Not only Narnia has so much to offer but his Christian philosophy works too. Thanks for this review I didn’t know how he was received in Ameriprise to Narnia.
Having recently read “The Abolition of Man” I can attest to its applicability to current context. Technocracy, trans-humanism, globalism et al are seen clearly for what they are through the lens of this book.
I'm one of the secular scholars: CS Lewis has wit, self-knowledge, deep understanding of what has been written before, and is a codex of the third generation of modernism.
I really like your essays on Lewis - you aren't afraid to point out some of his failings. He was human, after all! This is off-topic, but aren't those vintage Time Magazine covers awesome? Every time I see one, I'm impressed.
I could never find it now, but I recollect long ago seeing a Catholic book from the 1950s on the subject of the Index and proper and improper reading material for Catholics in general, which asserted that Protestant religious writings in general were to be avoided but that some such as those of "Charles [sic] S. Lewis" had received general Catholic approval.
Great overview! I still am irked by Lewis's "picayune view of the Church." After a time of almost hero worship I saw the flaws in his cafeteria Christian philosophy as evidenced in how he lived his life. You can't be a "mere" christian and decide for yourself what denomination suits you. You have to find the true Church which is the Body of Christ and suit yourself to the revelation transmitted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. After I came back to the Catholic Church it seemed to me that Lewis's essays often wrestle with questions answered by the Church and that were inadequately answered by the intelligence of one individual. That said, I love his space trilogy, because he is not writing about empty space but about the heavens, which are populated by angels and demons, as he imaginatively and brilliantly portrayed.
It would have been interesting to include Fundamentalist Christian American views of Lewis. I grew up closely adjacent to Fundamentalism - never totally immersed because my parents were far too moderate. But growing up in that milieu, outsiders to our family made us children feel very guilty for reading even Christian fantasy authors like Lewis and Tolkien, much less secular fairy tales. To these people, the presence of magic in a book automatically made it demonic and its author must perforce also be Satanic, no matter the author's own stated faith.
'Out of the Silent Planet' is one of my favorite Lewis novels, next to 'Till We Have Faces'. Lewis perfectly captures the tone of the great early science fiction authors like Verne and Wells, and tips the genre on its head to make some profound statements about the impact of the Fall and the Incarnation on the created universe without ever losing the sense of curious wonder that made early science fiction novels literary classics. While the two successive Space Trilogy novels also have profound statements to make, Lewis makes the mistake of letting the message drive the narrative rather than vice versa, making them lesser works, though still well worth reading.
When the Narnia films came out in Germany the press warned their readers that this is the work of a Christian (fundamentalism! Danger!) and might include Christian symbolism -- as an American who was transported by Narnia as a kid I was outraged and frustrated at this concerted effort to destroy such a great work if fantasy before German kids could even get to know it.
This excellent article reminded me that Lewis originally known and controversial as a religious thinker and now I think that’s what stodgy German critics were thinking of.
It was too bad. Not only Narnia has so much to offer but his Christian philosophy works too. Thanks for this review I didn’t know how he was received in Ameriprise to Narnia.
Having recently read “The Abolition of Man” I can attest to its applicability to current context. Technocracy, trans-humanism, globalism et al are seen clearly for what they are through the lens of this book.
I'm one of the secular scholars: CS Lewis has wit, self-knowledge, deep understanding of what has been written before, and is a codex of the third generation of modernism.
And a tail.
This was so interesting! Thank you.
I really like your essays on Lewis - you aren't afraid to point out some of his failings. He was human, after all! This is off-topic, but aren't those vintage Time Magazine covers awesome? Every time I see one, I'm impressed.
I could never find it now, but I recollect long ago seeing a Catholic book from the 1950s on the subject of the Index and proper and improper reading material for Catholics in general, which asserted that Protestant religious writings in general were to be avoided but that some such as those of "Charles [sic] S. Lewis" had received general Catholic approval.
Great overview! I still am irked by Lewis's "picayune view of the Church." After a time of almost hero worship I saw the flaws in his cafeteria Christian philosophy as evidenced in how he lived his life. You can't be a "mere" christian and decide for yourself what denomination suits you. You have to find the true Church which is the Body of Christ and suit yourself to the revelation transmitted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. After I came back to the Catholic Church it seemed to me that Lewis's essays often wrestle with questions answered by the Church and that were inadequately answered by the intelligence of one individual. That said, I love his space trilogy, because he is not writing about empty space but about the heavens, which are populated by angels and demons, as he imaginatively and brilliantly portrayed.
I'm looking forward to carving out a bit of quiet time to sit with this article. It looks to be intriguing, rich, and informative. Thank you, Joel ...
Now Noll needs to write one on Tolkien.