Category Archives: Thoughtful Essays

Superinfection, COVID-19, and C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I am sure I am not the only person who is looking back into history to help me think about the current moment of social unrest. In fact, I know I’m not. For example, I am following an engaging series … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, COVID-19, Gilead, Great Depression, Marilynne Robinson, novel coronavirus, spanish flu, That Hideous Strength, Till We Have Faces, WWI | 27 Comments

The Grand Miracle, Or Easter in Everyday Life with C.S. Lewis (75th Anniversary)

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

On this Holy week near the close of WWII, C.S. Lewis preached a sermon called “The Grand Miracle” at St. Jude on the Hill Church in London. The talk was published two weeks later in The Guardian–following the last episode … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Christmas, dive, Easter, Galatians 2:20, Miracles, self-death, spiritual theology, St. Jude on the Hill, surrender, The Grand Miracle, The Great Divorce, The Guardian, theology | 10 Comments

The Living Lie, But Dead Men Tell the Truth: The Screwtape Letters and Ivan Ilych

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

In Leo Tolstoy’s brilliant novella, The Death of Ivan Ilych (1886), there is a curious pun in the English translation I use (Aylmer Maude): “The dead man lay, as dead men always lie” (96). As the title suggests, The Death of Ivan … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Ars moriendi, C.S. Lewis, cruciformity, Death, Leo Tolstoy, Memento Mori, Nicholas Lezard, The Art of Dying Well, The Death of Ivan Ilych, The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters | 20 Comments

I Am Legend: Book vs. Film(s)

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I am preaching tomorrow on the topic, “It is not Good for Man to be Alone” (Gen 2:18). I have decided to use Robert Neville from I Am Legend as the starting point. I Am Legend took on a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Bob Marley, books, COVID-19, film adaptation, H1N1, I Am Legend, Middle Earth, Night of the Living Dead, Peter Jackson, pop culture, Reading, Recovery, Redemption Song, Richard Matheson, Theology of Culture, vampires, Will Smith, zombies | 19 Comments

Why the Logic of Prevention will Always Fail for Some: Steady Thoughts in Response to COVID-19

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I awoke early this morning, before the alarm, thinking about teaching. Over the weekend, leaders in our largest colleges and universities and in our government have taken steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. It is not yet a state … Continue reading →