JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis

[oneflewoutofthecuckcoosnest]

Both Tolkien and Lewis have had a large impact on my thought. What are your thoughts on these two? Neither were fundys or evangelicals, but both were people of strong faith, intelligence, creativity and influence.

[myotch]

I admire both men. I like Tolkien's stories more, and I greatly admire Lewis's apologetics.

Tolkien led Lewis to Christ, or rather, to a dark night of the soul.

Try some Chesterton, too.

[pastor's wife]

C. S. Lewis is one of my favorite writers ever. I truly enjoy reading his books (except for Til We Have Faces which I just don't get and that frustrates me because I feel stupid!) While I know I would disagree with him on certain points of doctrine, I am moved and challenged by his application of Christian theology to real life.

He seems to combine humility, authenticity, and optimism. He doesn't water down the high calling of the Christian life, but he does make it seem noble and worthy and RIGHT to live up to. So often in the preaching I'd heard, we were puffed up with self-righteousness because we were not like those other worldly Christians, but then we were bludgeoned into despair by our constant failures to live up to what we were supposed to do. It became a burdensome obligation instead of a glorious mission. Lewis in contrast presents a view of Christianity that is invigorating and inspiring.

[dramaturge]

Love them. And Charles Williams (a fellow Inkling). Williams's writing is a bit more mystical than theirs (except perhaps for That Hideous Strength--it leans toward the mystical and probably reflects Williams's influence on Lewis). Lewis's writing has had and continues to have a greater impact on my spirituality and beliefs than any other Christian writer I can think of. Tolkien less so, but I read him later, and he is a bit loftier than Lewis. Tolkien is probably a large reason for my environmental leanings, though. I think both Tolkien and Lewis are excellent examples of men who walked individual paths with God and their own humanness while sharpening each other in different ways. So in short, I like them.

[oneflewoutofthecuckcoosnest]

(06-29-2012 10:56 PM)myotch Wrote:  I admire both men. I like Tolkien's stories more, and I greatly admire Lewis's apologetics.

Tolkien led Lewis to Christ, or rather, to a dark night of the soul.

Try some Chesterton, too.

Yeah I like Chesterton too. And George MacDonald. Haven't read any Charles Williams though.

[Sharon]

(06-29-2012 11:31 PM)pastors wife Wrote:  C. S. Lewis is one of my favorite writers ever. I truly enjoy reading his books (except for Til We Have Faces which I just don't get and that frustrates me because I feel stupid!) While I know I would disagree with him on certain points of doctrine, I am moved and challenged by his application of Christian theology to real life.

He seems to combine humility, authenticity, and optimism. He doesn't water down the high calling of the Christian life, but he does make it seem noble and worthy and RIGHT to live up to. So often in the preaching I'd heard, we were puffed up with self-righteousness because we were not like those other worldly Christians, but then we were bludgeoned into despair by our constant failures to live up to what we were supposed to do. It became a burdensome obligation instead of a glorious mission. Lewis in contrast presents a view of Christianity that is invigorating and inspiring.

Til We Have Faces is one of my favorites, but I don't get the Space Trilogy at all -- and I dig science fiction. (so don't feel stupid. Sometimes, I think, we don't get books because they aren't aimed at us.)

[Tikatu]

(06-30-2012 10:51 AM)Sharon Wrote:  

(06-29-2012 11:31 PM)pastors wife Wrote:  C. S. Lewis is one of my favorite writers ever. I truly enjoy reading his books (except for Til We Have Faces which I just don't get and that frustrates me because I feel stupid!) While I know I would disagree with him on certain points of doctrine, I am moved and challenged by his application of Christian theology to real life.

He seems to combine humility, authenticity, and optimism. He doesn't water down the high calling of the Christian life, but he does make it seem noble and worthy and RIGHT to live up to. So often in the preaching I'd heard, we were puffed up with self-righteousness because we were not like those other worldly Christians, but then we were bludgeoned into despair by our constant failures to live up to what we were supposed to do. It became a burdensome obligation instead of a glorious mission. Lewis in contrast presents a view of Christianity that is invigorating and inspiring.

Til We Have Faces is one of my favorites, but I don't get the Space Trilogy at all -- and I dig science fiction. (so don't feel stupid. Sometimes, I think, we don't get books because they aren't aimed at us.)

Out of the Silent Planet was okay for me, but boy, did I have trouble with Perelandra! I go back and read That Hideous Strength every so often; the characters are painted so vividly, and though it's no longer as possible as it once was, it can still send a chill down my spine.

I think that my most favorites of all of Lewis's books are The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters. Both of them highlight the many hypocritical beliefs of Christianity and of the world that dampen the joy that can be found in Christ Jesus.

[squiz]

One idea that impressed me long ago from the Last Battle in the Narnia series is the idea that worshippers of the false god Tash, who do so in all honesty and with integrity, will be judged as if they had worshipped Aslan, the Christ figure. This idea resolves such problems as Loftus' Outsider test of faith and Pascal's wager relatively well. I think it could be well extended by Christians to agnostics and atheists who are so with honesty and integrity.

Of course such an idea is anathema to fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals, for whom it contradicts the whole system they've built up.

On the other hand, I was much less impressed by his "trilemma" argument, which is frankly an extremely weak argument.

[squiz]

Googling for "tolkien racist sexist" found me this:

http://requireshate.wordpress.com/2012/0...l-with-it/

I had noticed a fair bit of this, back when I read LoTR many years ago, but it never occurred to me that the Dwarves might represent the Jews. But check this out:

Quote:The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor fellow doing it if he would; but they would have done their best to get him out of trouble, if he got into it, as they did in the case of the trolls at the beginning of their adventures before they had any particular reasons for being grateful to him. There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent people like Thorin and Company, if you don’t expect too much.

[greg]

Both were brilliant men, but only men. I would disagree with much of their respective theologies. But I would recomend for every Christian to read "Mere Christianity."