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Tag Archives: Surprised by Joy
“Habemas Papem!” C.S. Lewis on Catholicism
Today’s election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis I has any of us with even the slimmest connection to Roman Catholicism tapping on our iPhones or opening up TweetDeck. It has been a wonderful clash of … Continue reading
Be Careful What You Read… C.S. Lewis’ Literary Encounter with George MacDonald
Perhaps one of C.S. Lewis’ more famous—or infamous—quotations is this: “A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading” (Surprised by Joy, 182). Hidden in this 20th century tweet is the idea … Continue reading
Reconsidering Apologetics
Besides being a children’s author, essayist, fantasy writer, and literary critic, C.S. Lewis was also a Christian apologist. “Apologetics,” as the discipline is called, is the artistic science of logically defending belief. Lewis was doing apologetics on the BBC during … Continue reading
Marching as to War: C.S. Lewis on His Way to the Front Line
As I began to read C.S. Lewis’ wartime letters in 1917-1918 (The Collected Letters, vol. 1), I was struck by the casual tone of his experience. On Remembrance Day in Canada, we consider the weight of the soldiers’ sacrifices for … Continue reading
Posted in Lewis Biography, Memorable Quotes
Tagged C.S. Lewis, letters, Remebrance Day, somerset light infantry, Surprised by Joy, walking, war, wartime letters, WWI, WWII
2 Comments
The Society of Tim
Given the weightier matter of late–an academic review, a short story C.S. Lewis wrote that ends in a gruesome death, and Lewis’ strained relationship with his father–I thought it might be appropriate to lighten things up with some humour. I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Memorable Quotes
Tagged C.S. Lewis, dog, dog lover, Irish Terrier, Surprised by Joy, Tim, writing
10 Comments
The Absence of Presence: C.S. Lewis’ Strained Relationship with his Father
I have written another blog on the death of C.S. Lewis’ mother and the haunting role it played in his life. Quite apart from the absence of his mother, her dead led to an unexpected consequence: a strain in his … Continue reading
Posted in Memorable Quotes
Tagged Albert Lewis, C.S. Lewis, Death, father, Surprised by Joy, Warren Lewis
8 Comments
On a Love for Books; or, An Apology to My Patient Wife
I am, alas, a frequenter of used bookstores. While I like new bookstores, I find them too bright, too organized, almost clinical. They are garish and ostentatious, and all of them share the great sin of not selling my own … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughtful Essays
Tagged bibliophilia, books, C.S. Lewis, Chaim Potok, kurt vonnegut jr, literature, love of books, Reading, Surprised by Joy, Used Bookstores
18 Comments
