Lewis’s Continuing Legacy
By Duncan Rize

Although C.S. Lewis is known to many as one of the most powerful literary voices of conservative Christianity, some scholars feel his view of salvation is much more liberal than one would expect. In fact, it would be safe to say that he argued more for a universal interpretation of salvation, the idea that Christ’s death enabled all of humanity’s salvation, not only people of the Christian faith. In fact, his The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series are, say some scholars, trying to convert the reader by “baptizing” the imagination through literature with the hope that “reason” will follow.

Lewis’s legacy is still strong, and young readers around the world can become enraptured in this story of adventure, intrigue, and salvation alike. It is what makes the book series so remarkable and so “reachable” to those of all ages (especially young adults) for all time. That is what makes a classic.

It is also no secret that Lewis’s successful books are not the only part of his life that holds true to his legacy. In fact, the story of his life and how he was drawn to Christianity may in fact be more of a testament to his young readers than even the books themselves.

While he was studying at Oxford, he befriended J. R. R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings series, in a meeting of literary “loose” Oxford friends called “The Inklings,” where they both met for drinks, conversations, and readings of each other’s works. He became a very close friend of Tolkien, who was a devout Catholic. At the time, however, Lewis was not religious, and was in fact an agnostic. Amazingly enough, Lewis was known to dismiss myths and fairy tales as children’s stories and nothing else.

Later in his adult life he was converted to Christianity on a motorcycle ride. The rest of his legacy is history. The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe is by far his most famous achievement, and over fifty years later, these books still enchant the minds of children and adults across the world. Lewis wrote stories that are even now relevant to anyone that ever undergoes change. But what makes his writing even more inspiring is that it reaches out and touches those readers who have never read the Bible, or to those who have never felt the teachings of Christ touch their hearts. It brings the Christian message into their hearts, and into their minds, through, as Lewis put it himself, the “baptism” of the imagination, which makes these books more than just a legacy, but a living and inspiring history and testament to the Christian faith.






Duncan Rize loves the writings of C.S. Lewis and works with the marketing group at www.LearningByGrace.org. Learning by Grace manages of a number of internationally known online K-12 academies including www.TheGraceAcademy.org, www.TheJubileeAcademy.org, www.TheMorningStarAcademy.org and www.TheNarniaAcademy.org . This article is © 2005 ELRN, Inc. and may be quoted in whole or part as long as the author (Duncan Rize) and source (www.TheNarniaAcademy.org) are credited.

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