Tag Archives: Surprised by Joy

A Letter Home to his Papy 100 Years Ago Today

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

After my Monday post about C.S. Lewis’ diary entry 90 years ago, a reader asked why I didn’t just go the distance and include a letter from 100 years ago. While I’m as much a fan of centenary celebrations as … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, Lewis Biography | Tagged bullying, C.S. Lewis, History, letters, Malvern College, public school, Surprised by Joy, writing, Wyvern College | 4 Comments

The Beginnings of Complicated (Dis)Agreement: C.S. Lewis’ 2nd Letter to Charles Williams

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

After posting the first letters between C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams last week, it was requested that I post Lewis’ second letter to Williams. Williams worked for Oxford University Press and was reading Lewis’ first academic book, The Allegory of … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, Lewis Biography | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Death, letters, literature, romantic theology, Romanticism, Surprised by Joy, theology, Walter Hooper | 25 Comments

A Poetic Tribute to The Great Knock

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

In an October 2012 blog, “A Tribute to a Mentor,” I told the story of C.S. Lewis’ great teacher, William Kirkpatrick. He was called “The Great Knock” by the Lewis family, and he absolutely transformed C.S. Lewis’ way of thinking. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Digory Kirke, Don King, lion the witch and the wardrobe, literature, mentor, Poetry, religion, Surprised by Joy, The Great Knock, The Last Battle, The Magician's Nephew, William Kirkpatrick | 15 Comments

Was C.S. Lewis Wrong about His Own Conversion?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

C.S. Lewis’ conversion to Christianity is one of the 21st century’s classic spiritual stories. And the moment of his final, reluctant yielding to a belief in God has been often repeated: “You must picture me alone in that room in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Original Research | Tagged Alister McGrath, Andrew Lazo, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Conversion, conversion to Christianity, Marion E. Wade Center, owen barfield, religion, Surprised by Joy | 34 Comments

On the Shoulders of Giants: C.S. Lewis’ Preface to “The Allegory of Love” (1935)

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I’ve talked before about the value of reading the prefaces and introductions to books. It’s amazing how much we miss when we skip them. I’m a big fan of the fore-matter. C.S. Lewis’ preface to The Allegory of Love (1936) … Continue reading →