C.S. Lewis Fans

Random Lewis Quote:

2008-05-20T00:51:01Z

"No doubt those who really founded modern science were usually those whose love of truth exceeded their love of power."

--The Abolition of Man

A question

2008-03-11T11:37:02Z

In the 3rd chapter of 'The Discarded Image' Lewis discusses the scene from Lucan's 'Pharsalia', where ghost of Pompey "looked down and saw the mockeries done to his own corpse, which was having a wretched and hugger-mugger funeral. They made him laugh". "For Englishmen - Lewis continues - the passage, as it is well known, has another and more particular interest". Excuse me my ignoranse of 'well known' things - I'm not an Englishman after all - but what does he mean? I don't recall anything of the sort in "Hamlet" :)

cs_lewis @ 2008-02-04T13:05:00

2008-02-04T21:07:07Z

Here is a Youtube Series loosely based on the Screwtape Letters. I thought you all might like it. This is the first one but there are eight more.

If your in the area.....

2008-01-17T22:20:51Z

Beyond the Wardrobe: An Evening with C.S. Lewis

J.T. Turner brings the famous author of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to life in this one man show. Lewis shares his life story with the audience, including the development of his Christian apologetics, his science fiction works, and of course the Narnia series.

Learn about the amazing life journey of Lewis,from an unremarkable atheist teacher
to one of the most beloved authors and passionate Christians in the world.

Friday & Saturday
February 1,2, 7:30pm

Sunday
February 3, 3pm

Tickets $15

Part of the proceeds will benefit the West Gloucester Congregational Trinitarian Church

Performances at The West End Theater, 1 Washington St., Gloucester, Ma.

A Narnia Fic

2008-01-02T16:37:09Z

I recently participated in a Fic exchange, and wrote my very first Narnia story. It's post The Last Battle, and so will contain spoilers for that book. C.S. Lewis himself makes a cameo appearance in the story.

Here's the link:

OUTLIVING THE UNIVERSE

http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/257853.html

Happy Birthday

2007-11-29T22:41:15Z

Spent a very enjoyable day with my students celebrating Jack Lewis's birthday. We began with devotions from John 11 - on how it is better for one man to die for the many, and mentioned "death working backwards" in the verses just before. Later in literature class, the students enjoyed tea and biscuits whilst I gave a brief biography of Lewis and read the section of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where Lucy and Susan follow Aslan and witness his death and wait for the joyless morning. Later still, we read on into the unbelievable joy of Aslan's resurrection, and I read from Bruner/Ware's devotional on the significance of "following the rules" established in the nature of things. And finally, instead of history class, we watched the last thirty-five minutes of Adamson's recent film version and answered trivia for movie collectibles. In preparation, I was struck again and again by the centrality of the resurrection in the stories and lives of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien: the worst possible thing becoming the greatest. Eucatastrophe!

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-29T10:20:00

2007-11-29T16:21:29Z

What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing: 'What does it matter so long as they are contented?' We want, in fact, not so much a Father in heaven as a grandfather in heaven- a senile benevolence who, as they say, 'liked to see young people enjoying themselves,' and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, 'a good time was had by all'. Not many people, I admit, would formulate a theology in exactly those terms: but a conception not very different lurks in the back of many minds. I do not claim to be an exception: I should very much like to live in a universe which was governed on such lines. But since it is abundantly clear that I don't, and I have reason to believe, nevertheless, that God is Love, I conclude that my conception of love needs correction.

~C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-28T18:07:00

2007-11-28T23:08:29Z

"I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise what ever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?" The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about."
C.S. Lewis
Reflections on the Psalms

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-27T18:18:00

2007-11-27T23:29:27Z

"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easliy pleased."
C.S. Lewis
The Weight of Glory

Narnia fic

2007-11-27T19:57:31Z

I have just finished my very first Narnia fic, and I wondered if there is anyone on the list who would like to beta it for me? I'd prefer someone from the UK, as I am American, and it needs to be "Brit-picked".

If you are interested, please comment.

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-26T08:56:00

2007-11-26T13:57:35Z

"Those who would most scornfully repudiate Christianity as a mere "opiate of the people" have a contempt for the rich, that is, for all mankind except the poor."
-The Problem of Pain
--C.S. Lewis

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-14T22:39:00

2007-11-15T03:40:50Z

"You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness."'
-The Weight of Glory
--C.S. Lewis

Preface To Paradise Lost Online?

2007-11-14T21:59:44Z

Hey folks.

I seem to remember seeing A Preface to Paradise Lost somewhere online a couple of years ago, but I can't remember where I saw it, or whether I actually did see the text online. Does anyone know?

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-11T23:28:00

2007-11-12T04:29:54Z

"You find out more about God from the Moral Law than from the universe in general just as you find out more about a man by listening to his conversation that by looking at a house he has built."
-Mere Christianity
--C.S. Lewis

cs_lewis @ 2007-11-10T23:05:00

2007-11-11T04:07:04Z

"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered."
-Out of the Silent Planet
--C.S. Lewis

Day Trip to Oxford

2007-07-12T02:57:15Z

Hi everyone! Two entries ago I asked for some recommendations about making a day trip to Oxford. And now I'm back from the trip (for more than a month already, actually) to give some of my own for whoever interested in visiting Oxford.

It is possible to visit all the "C.S. Lewis sites" within a day with good planning, and without the help of a guide. You just have to arm yourselves with a good map or two (I personally find this from Oxford City Council very helpful), and plan to go to Oxford early (try to reach by 9am). It is easy to walk from one end to another, especially in the nice spring-summer weather when I was there. Do remember to check the weather forecast before you actually go there as it plays a big part on how much you'll enjoy the trip.

I would recommend the following rough itinerary:
1. Go to the visitors' centre to orientate yourself and take a walk around Oxford city
2. To the Eagle and Child Pub for early unch (where the Inklings used to meet; it's probably a 7 to 10 min walk from Broad Street)
3. The Kilns (Lewis' former residence; prior appointment required, see below)
4. Holy Trinity Church at Headington Quarry (where he used to worship & where he was buried)
2. Magdalen College (where he used to teach)

I took the Oxford Espress from London to Oxford which costs 14 pounds for a round trip. The first thing you should do when you get there is to find the Visitors' Centre which is on Broad St. There, you can find a variety of guidebooks about Oxford. I think the Centre also offers several (paid) walking tours around the city. I didn't go on it because I didn't have the time (so that's why you need to reach Oxford early!). Oxford is a really nice city so you definitely want to wander around there a bit.

Unlike what is said in a certain guide's website, the people at the Kilns (which is owned by the C.S. Lewis Foundation) are extremely friendly and warm. A few weeks before my visit, I emailed them to ask if I could visit the Kilns and the reply was positive. The person-in-charge even gave me easy to follow directions to the Kilns from Oxford centre. The premise is now used primarily as a place of quiet study, so the tours are only offered on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (and perhaps Saturday mornings as well, if I recall correctly). The tour lasts a little over 2 hours, and you should allocate some time to wander around the premise and take a look at the little nature reserve nearby.

There is a bus to the nearby Holy Trinity Church at Headington Quarry (I don't know the number of the bus because I didn't manage to fit this into my trip). You can find the exact location from Google Maps and ask the staff at the Oxford Visitors' Centre which buses to take. You can also ask for a free bus guide book.

From there, you can head back to Oxford city and visit the Magdalen College (it only opens to visitors in the afternoon, and it closes at 6PM if I recall correctly).

It can be quite a rush in the afternoon because both the Kilns and the Magdalen College are open in the afternoons. It would definitely be better if you can afford stay a night in Oxford and spread the places to visit out a bit. That way, you can see more of the non-C.S. Lewis related sites within Oxford itself.

Hope this helps someone! :)

Neil Gaiman does Narnia...

2007-05-17T06:48:01Z

In one of his newest books of short stories "Fragile Things" Neil Gaiman has a story called "The Problem of Susan" which kind of touches on Susan after the railway crash.

Sort of.

HOWEVER... I should warn everyone... it is a rather bizarre story. And somewhat dirty at times. And VERY dirty at others, especially in one particularly strange dream sequence in which certain characters do some very... out of character... things.

I guess it just interested me seeing a popular writer writing a short story about Narnia, though it definately isn't very "Narnian." And would possibly disgust Lewis if he were alive to see it, though you never know.

An Oxford Day-Trip

2007-04-11T08:29:20Z

Hi! This is my very first post to this community, and I need some recommendations/suggestions from people who have been to Oxford before...

I will be visiting London next month and I intend to make a day-trip at Oxford. I found out about the C.S. Lewis tour that Ron Brind gives via Google. I have read positive and negative comments about the guy and the tour, so I am still undecided on whether I should go for it. Some of my considerations includes the cost of the tour, how much more "value added-ness" will the tour give, compared to exploring Oxford (and the places related to C.S. Lewis) on my own, and alternatively whether or not it is easy enough to get around the sites by walking? I understand that the tour fee is supposedly voluntary, but the fact that there is a "suggested amount" on the website says something.

Given sufficient time, I would usually prefer to explore places on my own because I think it creates a more lasting memory, but my concern is whether I am able to go to all the sites by myself.

So what would you advise me to do? Comments appreciated! :)

Greetings and a Question about the Dark Tower

2007-01-22T06:47:23Z

Hello everyone!

I’ve been a Narnia fan ever since the summer of 2003 when I somehow managed to read all six books and pass my School Cert at the same time. :D I’m really excited to find this community.

I’ve been buying up and reading a lot of his works and I’d like to know more about ‘The Dark Tower’ anthology. From what I read on wikipedia, there’s a lot of speculation about its authenticity. Has anyone here read it? And if you have, do you think it is a CS Lewis work? [I’ve read ‘Out of the Silent Planet’ and ‘Perelandra’ so do not be alarmed at spoiling me for those two.]

Recommendation

2007-01-08T00:13:44Z

I don't want to spoil the read, but for all you Lewis fan I recommend Here There Be Dragons, by James Owens. Its listed as a Young Adult novel, but I loved it, and I think many Lewsi fans will as well. there is a nice Lewis connection to it.

Happy New year!

The Abolition of Man.

2006-10-24T05:50:56Z

I just made a big post about it here in my journal.

Comments appreciated, preferably in my actual journal.

~initiate response~

2006-09-01T14:09:34Z

"But God's love, far from being caused by goodness in the object, causes all the goodness which the object has, loving it first into existence and then into real, though derivative, lovability. God is Goodness. He can give good, but cannot need or get it. In that sense all His love is, as it were, bottomlessly selfless by very definition; it has everything to give and nothing to receive. [...] Our highest activity must be response, not initiative."

--CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain

cs_lewis @ 2006-08-27T12:17:00

2006-08-27T20:18:32Z

i just read A Grief Observed and i loved it.
I thought it was interesting how he concluded the book with a quote from Dante:

Poi si torno all' eterna fontana. ( and then she turned back to the Eternal Fountain )

I wanted your feedback on what you think that quote means exactly.

compare twain's devil to lewis's screwtape?

2006-08-25T11:14:34Z

The lack of logical oppositions in these stories is apparent in considering the human/animal dichotomy. When Mark Twain talks about the "human" animal in Letters from the Earth he has in mind the incorporation of the various animal archetypes being expressed in this one creature, humanity. Twain's Divine One says to the Angels, "[I will p]ut into each individual, in differing shares and degrees, all the various Moral Qualities [. . .] that have been distributed, a single distinguishing characteristic at a time, among the nonspeaking animal world".

Twain (sometimes as Satan) takes satiric delight in showing the failure of this creature (due to its moral sense) as compared with the others; both in these letters, and in other unfinished stories in the book, most notably "The Damned Human Race."

Lewis’s Screwtape writes: "Humans are amphibians--half spirit and half animal (The Enemy's determination to produce such a revolting hybrid was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from him)". Mark Twain's Lucifer is the perfect expression of this outrage.

The two men's approaches are best distinguished in this way: Lewis is setting down and ordering the varied and verbal expression of the moral sense, but minimizing it as the cause of damnation. The moral sense is a way of grace to him, and in these letters not humanly impossible. However, if a reader looks closely, he or she may see that his purpose is to encourage our reliance, through prayer, upon the One solely answerable (a la Twain's complaint) for the dilemma. Lewis wants to make the situation noticeable and unconfusing, while writing what he knows of it by faith, by accepted authority, and through his own experience. He is no innocent--otherwise he would never be able to share with us the minutia of our temptations, our evil estate.

But Twain is passionately wrestling. He wrestles with both the real confusion of and his passion over the moral sense, seeing it as a two-edged sword ... coming and going, like the sword protecting Eden and the Tree of Life. In Dionysian fashion, his passion sometimes gets the better of his logic. We see this in every story where he wrestles with this dilemma. Yet, however, we do not see it in "Letters to the Earth," in which he chastises the "professional Christian." Here he has written a perfect work helpful to the would-be believer; crackling, devastatingly funny, and illustrative of humanity's false position. He would say that this position is where the moral sense has landed us. His Satan might sarcastically say, "Look what God has done. Shouldn't he assume responsibility for it?"

What would Lewis, the Christian, answer? He might say, "Look at what is hanging on the cross."

© 2002, 2006 S. Dorman

Talking with Giants

2006-08-21T12:12:06Z

A friend suggested I post this here so here I am and here it is :o]

I thought I'd type up some bits from my current reading - The Inklings - that struck me last night:

The article was called 'Christianity and Literature'. It originated as a paper read to a religious society at Oxford, and it was printed in 1939 in Lewis's volume of essays 'Rehabilitations'. In it, Lewis said he found 'a disquieting contrast between the whole circle of ideas used in modern criticism and certain ideas recurrent in the New Testament'.

'What', he asked, 'are the key-words of modern criticism? Creative, with its opposite derivative; spontaneity, with its opposite convention; freedom, contrasted with rules. We certainly have a general picture of bad work flowing from conformity and discipleship, and of good work bursting out from certain centres of explosive force - apparently self-originating force - which men call genius.' This, he said, was in conflict with the New Testament, where (he claimed) it is often implied that all 'creation' by men is at its best no more than imitation of God, and in no sense 'original' at all. From this he concluded that the duty of a Christian writer lies not in self expression for its own sake, but in reflecting the image of God. 'Applying this principle to literature,' he said, 'we should get as the basis of all critical theory the maxim that an author should never conceive himself as bringing into existence beauty or wisdom which did not exist before, but simply and solely as trying to embody in terms of his won art some reflection of eternal Beauty and Wisdom. Our criticism would therefore from the beginning group itself with some existing theories of poetry against others.It would have affinities with the primitive or Homeric theory in which the poet is the mere pensioner of the Muse. It would have affinities with the Platonic doctrine of a transcendent Form partly imitable on earth; and remoter affinities with Aristotelian doctrine of mimesis and the Augustan doctrine about the imitation of Nature and the Ancients. It would be opposed to the theory of genius as now generally understood. Above all it would be opposed to the idea that literature is self-expression.'

The argument of Lewis's 'Christianity and Literature' was paralleled by Tolkien's lecture on Fairy-Stories, delivered the same year (1939) that Lewis's essay was published. In this lecture Tolkien declared - as he had told Lewis on that September night [the night of Lewis's conversion - C.] eight years earlier - that in writing stories man is not a creator but a sub-creator who may hope to reflect something of the eternal light of God. In the lecture he quoted from the poem that he had written for Lewis, recording something of their talk that night under the trees in Addison's Walk:

'Although now long estranged, Man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed. Disgraced he may be, yet is not de-throned, and keep the rags of lordship once he owned:
Man, Sub-creator, the refracted Light
through whom is splintered from a single White
to many hues, and endlessly combined
in living shapes that move from mind to mind.
Though all the crannies of the world we filled
with Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build
Gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sowed the seed of dragons - 'twas our right
(used or' misused). That right has not decayed:
we make still by the law in which we're made.'

I was familiar with Tolkien's paradigm shattering essay On Fairy-Stories (you can read part of that here), but this first paragraph above which concerns Lewis's personal ethos on writing really excited me as it mirrors almost word for word my own motivation behind my visual art. The scene that is set here of these two brilliant yet minority academics consciously and almost single-handedly countering the widely accepted and pervading literary trend of decades is quite thrilling. Knowing that shortly they were both to take the fight to a new level by publishing their own works in the form of Tolkien's 'lightning out of a clear sky' The Lord of Rings and Lewis's multitude of religious writing and Chronicles of Narnia children's books, it is safe to say their fight was not without lasting effect on the literary landscape and their legacy is fresh still today. A reminder that even the fewest who take a stand upon Truth cannot be resisted regardless of the odds - 'the God who is behind the scenes moves those scenes He is behind'.