The irony of C.S. Lewis
I have been thinking of late as to the irony that the good Prof. Lewis would be a significant hero for so many evangelicals considering the following:
1. Wrote books with magic in them: While most who use magic do so wrongly, the attitude of Lewis, I think, is more to consider how one uses magic. Uncle Andrew uses the magic rings incorrectly, but Digory refuses to return to earth from the newly created Narnia without Polly. The use of magic wasn't wrong; the way one used it could be.
2. Drank alcohol.
3. Smoked.
4. Was friends with a Roman Catholic.
5. Believed in a form of evolution.
6. Was inclusivist in his soteriology.
7. Believed parts of the Old Testament to be (more) myth(ical) (i.e., Jonah).
Anything else that Lewis did that increases his irony as evangelical hero?
1. Wrote books with magic in them: While most who use magic do so wrongly, the attitude of Lewis, I think, is more to consider how one uses magic. Uncle Andrew uses the magic rings incorrectly, but Digory refuses to return to earth from the newly created Narnia without Polly. The use of magic wasn't wrong; the way one used it could be.
2. Drank alcohol.
3. Smoked.
4. Was friends with a Roman Catholic.
5. Believed in a form of evolution.
6. Was inclusivist in his soteriology.
7. Believed parts of the Old Testament to be (more) myth(ical) (i.e., Jonah).
Anything else that Lewis did that increases his irony as evangelical hero?
posted by Aaron Perry at
3:17 PM
7 Comments:
1. he taught literature, not theology, as his profession... (that's just so 'unspiritual').
2. he didn't get married until midlife. (i'm sure the evangelicals were relived to find out he wasn't gay! --which is the natural assumption for people evangelicals who are single beyond the age of 25).
3. he communicated mainly through correspondance for his personal affairs-- (to evangelicals, that is 'false' community). perhaps this is not true, perhaps this is just how the books about him make it seem.
sorry #2 should read: he didn't get married until midlife. (i'm sure the evangelicals were relieved to find out he wasn't gay! --which is the more and more common natural assumption for evangelicals immediately have about people who are single beyond the age of 25).
1. Married a divorced woman, eh?
2. Spent large amounts of time thinking from the perspective of demons :)
#4: he wrote an all too cutting critique of the church in 'the screwtape letters.' criticizing the church is so disloyal! wrong! ungodly! heathen! bitter!
#5 He never cheered for the Hartford Whalers.
#6 He never ever quoted Max Lucado (pronounced by me from now on as Look a Doo)
I think it's interesting (though maybe not ironic) that his clear works of theology go pretty much unnoticed by the general poulation while his alagorical childrens stories are embraced the world over.
I do think it's ironic that a litlerary professor wrote alot in the sci-fi and fantasy genras.
kirk, haha. "Look a Doo." i like it.
aj, it's true. most lit profs don't appreciate fantasy and sci-fi. i didn't think of that.
ap, this is a fun post. getting opinions from multiple people about the way a single person lived his life and got famous. encore.
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