Good C.S. Lewis Book

[Mr. SmartyPants]

well.... recently i've been getting warped into this dreaded thing called "Apologetics" dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuun

I've been listening to Ravi Zacharias quite extensively (he is such a great speaker!)

I plan on getting some of his books someday

but what about c.s. lewis? What books does he have that are good for apologetics and defending your faith, and reaching our to unbelievers?

[Lynx]

i'd have to say "mere christianity". that's a really good book, i'm half way through it and so far lewis goes through and proves the existance of God and then proves that Christ is the only way to God.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I have also been told that the case for faith by lee strobel was good

i need to get that too!

[ClosetOtaku]

As for C. S. Lewis, I don't know, perhaps apart from Mere Christianity, that any particular book is one you can read, then share the contents of it with unbelievers.

However, a lot of his books may change the way you think about things, and in doing so, change you.

Chief among these is The Problem of Pain. Given how shallow most other treatments of pain and suffering I've read have been, TPoP is refreshing and thought-provoking. It isn't the easiest of reads, especially at the beginning, but it is well worth working through. When you are finished, you may have a better grasp of the nature of human suffering, and why a loving God would allow such things. Most of Christianity responds with a stock answer to this; I think Lewis takes our thinking to a new level.

Another good book is The Four Loves. Lewis discusses, in great detail, the four different kind of Love humans experience, and how we often mistake one for another -- but we do so because we fundamentally misunderstand the nature of divine love. A fairly easy read, but still thought-provoking.

If you really want to get into some deeper thoughts and criticism, try The Abolition of Man, Lewis' warning against the subtle yet effective undermining of morality in modern education. Not for the faint of heart or the easily distracted reader.

The Great Divorce is the story of the "divorce" of Heaven and Hell, told through allegory. A very interesting looking-glass, and a glimpse into Lewis' own theological background.

Lewis also has a number of essays in collections; I've read various entries in God in the Dock and The World's Last Night, and some are fairly engaging.

My favorite book, though, continues to be The Screwtape Letters, if only because it's a relatively short book that nonetheless can bring conviction on how susceptible we are to Satan's wiles.

So... any or all of these may contribute to your "tool box" of apologetics, all in different ways... maybe not as deep theological arguments, but more as ways of thinking about how we think about God.

[glitch1501]

my favorite book by cs lewis used to be the screwtape letters, but i have recently read his space trilogy, and i loved it, definatly awesome, even for nonbelievers

[Lynx]

I have also been told that the case for faith by lee strobel was good

i need to get that too!

yeah that's good, so is "Case for Christ" and "Case for a Creator"

[ThaKladd]

I you want the most complete book, that goes through the most, and best, arguments systematically and in depth - you should get Josh McDowell: The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict

http://www.bookschristian.com/sys/product.php?PRODUCT=111471

That's a Must Have book

[soul alive]

As has been said, Mere Christianity is probably one of the best books by Lewis on apologetics. He thoroughly discusses why there must be a God, among other things. It is a very thought provoking book, so be prepared to take a while to read it.

ClosetOtaku mentioned: The Problem of Pain, The Four Loves, The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, God in the Dock, The World's Last Night, and The Screwtape Letters. I've read most of those and would recommend them as well.

I would also recommend: Miracles: A Preliminary Study, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, and A Grief Observed. Miracles is a very intense book, and it took me a very long time to read through it, as I was trying to understand everything. Weight of Glory is also very intense. Grief Observed is a very touching read, especially for anyone who has lost someone clse to them. The book is actually Lewis's journey through and past his grief over losing his beloved wife, Joy, to cancer.

(As a side note, I am a huge Lewis fan, and collect his books whenever I come across one I don't have... I believe I have around 23 currently. Once you get past the better known ones, it's almost impossible to find the others in bookstores.)

[Galant]

I'll second 'Miracles'.

I'm curious though - what's your approach to Apologetics? Your purpose?

[uc pseudonym]

I would have one recommendation that, while not written by CS Lewis, is based upon his ideas. CS Lewis's Dangerous Idea, by Victor Reppert isn't exactly light reading, but it is a very interesting argument against a strict materialist position regarding reality.

[mitsuki lover]

I forget the exact title but there is that book that centers around the conflicting
world views of Lewis and Freud.Very interesting.

[yukinon]

Weight of Glory is definitely an incredible C.S. Lewis book that often gets looked over.

[mitsuki lover]

One interesting factoid that might disturb some Evangelicals is the fact that
as he got older Lewis actually became more of an Anglo-Catholic in his beliefs.
Read his works carefully and he talks about the importance of Confession and
about going to hear Mass(in the Anglican sense)as well as mentioning Purgatory.
In fact read Letters To An American Lady,which is one of his most personal works,actually a post-humous work of his collective letters to an unnamed
American woman.In one letter he compares Purgatory to rinsing out your mouth
at the Dentist's.

[ClosetOtaku]

One interesting factoid that might disturb some Evangelicals is the fact that
as he got older Lewis actually became more of an Anglo-Catholic in his beliefs.
Read his works carefully and he talks about the importance of Confession and
about going to hear Mass(in the Anglican sense)as well as mentioning Purgatory.
In fact read Letters To An American Lady,which is one of his most personal works,actually a post-humous work of his collective letters to an unnamed
American woman.In one letter he compares Purgatory to rinsing out your mouth
at the Dentist's.

Even as an evangelical, I'm not bothered by that so much. Lewis believed what he believed, but he also had a healthy attitude on many beliefs -- simply that if some of the less critical ones were shown to be false, his faith wouldn't be in ruins.

So, I'm not disturbed, and in fact it has over the years caused me to review how dogmatic I am on certain doctrines. That, in my book, is a good thing.

[mitsuki lover]

Yes,and I think that's why he kept the title Mere Christianity as he meant Christians of all stripes to be able to find something good in it.

[AnubisWerewolf]

C.S. Lewis is wonderful I reread The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe again. It brings back childhood memories. I can't wait for the movie.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The Cosmic Trilogy is also a very good read. It comprises of Out of the Silent, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. Heavy reads and quite deep but take your time and you should enjoy them. By the way, they are fiction.

[yukinon]

I think he also meant Mere Christianity as a sense of getting back to the basics of a Christian foundation. (Truthfully, I have yet to read it.)

I'm excited about the Narnia movie, but a bit antsy too. I'll have confidence in it once I see it. I trust few with my precious Lewis stories. (Anybody have the BBC version on dvd? I do I do!)

I've read Out of the Silent Planet and absolutely loved it. We read That Hideous Strength as part of a class I took last year based on the books of C.S. Lewis.

[uc pseudonym]

Actually, I believe neither of those is what he meant by the title of Mere Christianity but it has been years indeed since I have read it, so I will not venture another option. However, he certainly does intend the book to be unpartial to denominations, only supporting basic Christianity. The metaphore he uses is that Christianity is a house with many rooms for different groups, and that he intends only to usher the reader into the house.

As for the space trilogy, I enjoyed them, but less so as I continued reading.

[mitsuki lover]

If you read Perelandra closely Lewis uses the word transsexual.However he uses
it in it's proper meaning,i.e. transcending sex and not the way it has become used
over the last half century or so,meaning someone who has had an operation to
become a member of the opposite sex.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

aha, thank you all. i've read about a 3rd of mere Christianity, but i keep getting distracted XD

I'm curious though - what's your approach to Apologetics? Your purpose?

not entirely sure... guess it all started with this kid at my school who was very anti-christian... and me listening to sermons on the radio

I guess it was listening to Ravi Zacharias that got me hooked onto the topic O.o

[yukinon]

Ravi Zacharias is awesome. I came THIS close to seeing him speak once. See? That close. yep.

[uc pseudonym]

On the subject of approaches to apologetics, here is a true story from an author I cannot remember that I have found helpful to keep in mind.

He was in college and went to a lecture by a Christian speaker. During the question period, a skeptical person asked a question that seriously worried him. But to his surprise the speaker easily handled it, quickly trapping his opponent into a logical corner and destroying the question. Pleased at this defense of faith, he was leaving the lecture when he overheard someone say, "He may be right, but I still hate his guts."

Our attitude has a lot to do with the actual efficacy of our apologetics. If you argue for the sake of "winning" against the other person, in the end you only prove who is smarter, not who is right. It is necessary to be able to defend your faith (and God knows we need more critical thinking) but if you go into every discussion intending to win your efforts will most likely amount to nothing.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

On the subject of approaches to apologetics, here is a true story from an author I cannot remember that I have found helpful to keep in mind.

He was in college and went to a lecture by a Christian speaker. During the question period, a skeptical person asked a question that seriously worried him. But to his surprise the speaker easily handled it, quickly trapping his opponent into a logical corner and destroying the question. Pleased at this defense of faith, he was leaving the lecture when he overheard someone say, "He may be right, but I still hate his guts."

Our attitude has a lot to do with the actual efficacy of our apologetics. If you argue for the sake of "winning" against the other person, in the end you only prove who is smarter, not who is right. It is necessary to be able to defend your faith (and God knows we need more critical thinking) but if you go into every discussion intending to win your efforts will most likely amount to nothing.

don't many people ask questions in order to "trap" Christians in... so anti-Christians will go "aHA! SEE! Your religion is wrong! YOu couldn't answer the question!"

according to a number of people, you're not asked Christians for answers, your asked to see if you could answer then... they don't care if you have an answer or not...

nethertheless, it works a bit to those who are just "Cultural Christians" who have questions and such

[yukinon]

Well said, UC. Joshua Harris once said (or wrote) something similar. "You don't have to prove someone wrong to do what you know is right." Though we may not agree with them, it is wise and usually more effective and Christ-like to treat others and their opinions with respect, even when they don't return the favor.