C.S. Lewis - Scholarly Works Part II

C. S. Lewis – Scholarly Works Part II
By Duncan Rize

Born a catholic, turned a theist, then reverted to Christianity after a road trip with his brother Warnie, C. S. Lewis found himself in the company of the Inklings, a group of writers with a common love of the art of literature. Members of the Inklings included J. R. R Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield. For the next 16 years these writers would meet regularly at the Eagle and Child Pub, also known as the Bird and Baby, where they would read their works and exchange ideals. It has been noted that this was the spawning ground for two great classics written by two equally renowned authors. These were The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, both of which had and still continue to hold a relevant place in literature. It is also at this time where C. S. Lewis began writing more about fantasy with religious undertones, which writers and scholars alike would take apart for further research.

His writing on academic studies continued on together with his fantasy based writing well on until his wife died and ultimately until his own death in November 22, 1963. It was also on this day that American President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and Aldous Huxley died.

Academic Works

God on the Docks: Essays on Theology and Ethics
A compilation of works written by C. S. Lewis. This compilation touches on a number of subjects most of which are rooted in religion and its relationship with other literary forms. It is a good place to start for those who want a crash course on the inner workings and reasoning of C. S. Lewis.

A Grief Observed (written as N. W. Clark)
This is Lewis at his most honest as he writes about his grief upon losing his wife to cancer. It is a look at the human condition and what goes through the mind of one who has lost. Yet amidst all the inner turmoil there is something that keeps him going as he has. It is not cold, nor calculating. It is the truth being told as it is being experienced.

The Problem of Pain
An insightful look on the human relationship with his beliefs about God. This book tries to understand the reasoning behind God’s omnipotence and the presence of human suffering. Partly griping about the human condition C. S. Lewis explains why God exists and why there is pain. More importantly, he goes on to explain that it is the pain which proves God’s existence. The Problem of Pain is a book that pokes at us, yet at the same time explains our faith without preaching, instead using anecdotes and an extremely sharp wit.

The Four Loves
The Four Loves touches on the four types of love that man experiences, namely affection, friendship, erotic love and love of God. It is a testament to C. S. Lewis ability to write on such a subject, like Christianity, and bring it across as something that is not academic and not heavily religious, but as something that is just life as it should be.

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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