The Weight of Glory

Mar 29, 2010 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion-philosophy, christian_life

"The Weight of Glory" and "Transposition" are worth the price of the book, though the other essays--mostly public addresses from the forties--merit pondering. All bring fresh insight to difficult issues of Christian apologetics, even though most were written while bombs of the Blitz still fell about the English audience.

For the Christian reader, this collection may provide more food for thought than even Lewis's famous Mere Christianity. I re-read this book periodically and am usually rewarded w...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Sally Linford rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of Lewis's most brilliant, the title essay in this collection will blow you away with its rationale for pre-earth life, our longing to be recognized by God, and the remarkable practicality of the ending: it has the biggest 'so what?' I've ever read, and all the groundwork he lays throughout the essay makes the crescendo and climax, solid and unarguable.

"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too...more One of Lewis's most brilliant, the title essay in this collection will blow you away with its rationale for pre-earth life, our longing to be recognized by God, and the remarkable practicality of the ending: it has the biggest 'so what?' I've ever read, and all the groundwork he lays throughout the essay makes the crescendo and climax, solid and unarguable.

"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations . . . There are no ordinary people. you have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. and our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat--the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.

I was just going to quote a couple of lines there, but you see how remarkable it is!(less)

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Dec 27, 2007 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Any devotee of Lewis must immediately secure a copy of this collection and read it before the end of the week or death, whichever comes first. Ten bucks at the closest bookstore will secure you much delight. It is Lewis at his finest, writing (originally, speaking) as a believer, to believers, to build them up in faith, hope, and love. He is at pains to make clear what to many is obscure or lofty, and to express its relevance and practical importance. Their homiletical character is quite clear....more

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Apr 04, 2013 Phillip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

Essays or addresses by C.S. Lewis contain many of the things I have come to appreciate in his writing. He expresses his view of the Joy God intends for us to have as lives of abundance. It is wonderful to drink in this point of view from a person who had it.

There is an interesting address warning young adults against being caught up in the pursuit of being in the middle of rings of influence. It is good advice in itself. The thing I kept thinking about was that being a distributor of rings was a...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: essays, mine

I loved this book, and I loved taking my time reading it. It is a collection of essays on life and faith. I think that even someone who does not consider themselves to be Christian would find something of value here. My favorite essays were "The Weight of Glory", "Is Theology Poetry?", "The Inner Ring", and "Membership".

The Weight of Glory
It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one d...more I loved this book, and I loved taking my time reading it. It is a collection of essays on life and faith. I think that even someone who does not consider themselves to be Christian would find something of value here. My favorite essays were "The Weight of Glory", "Is Theology Poetry?", "The Inner Ring", and "Membership".

The Weight of Glory
It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship... It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.

Is Theology Poetry?
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

The Inner Ring
And if in your spare time you consort simply with the people you like, you will again find that you have come unawares to a real inside, that you are indeed snug and safe at the centre of something which, seen from without, would look exactly like an Inner Ring. But the difference is that its secrecy is accidental, and its exclusiveness a by-product, and no one was led thither by the lure of the esoteric, for it is only four or five people who like one another meeting to do things that they like. This is friendship. Aristotle placed it among the virtues. It causes perhaps half of all the happiness in the world, and no Inner Ring can ever have it.

Membership
How true membership in a body differs from inclusion in a collective may be seen in the structure of a family. The grandfather, the parents, the grown-up son, the child, the dog, and the cat are true members (in the organic sense), precisely because they are not members or units of a homogenous class. They are not interchangeable...If you subtract any one member, you have not simply reduced the family in number; you have inflicted an injury on its structure.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Tom Roesler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rather than a full "book" in the traditional sense, this CS Lewis book is a collection of essays, speeches and sermons covering a variety of topics. It is perfect to carry with you for those rare and short snippits of time with nothing to do. Rather than surf Twitter or mess with your phone to kill 5-15 minutes, carry this book with you and enrich your mind and soul.

I first picked up this book after we found out we were expecting our first child. I had long known about it, but the title express...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Steve Hemmeke rated it 5 of 5 stars

CS Lewis was a master essayist, who offered some bracing defenses of orthodox Christian thought and practice at a time when liberalism was already at high tide in his academic circles. Cogent and colorful, this book is a collection of essays:

1. The Weight of glory, in which he ties God's glory to the joy we desire but never fully achieve.

2. Learning in War time, a lecture to students during the war, making the case for continuing the pursuit of culture and vocation during wartime.

3. Why I am not...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Philip rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book opens with a neat little introduction by Walter Hooper which reminds the reader of the intense personality of “Jack.” A window into the humor of one of the greatest Christian minds of the last century does the reader much good in empathizing with the writer. This factor is all-important because most readers are not comfortable with the level of detail to which Lewis will go to make his points. In the mind of this reviewer, many millennials will miss much from this great writer for this...more The book opens with a neat little introduction by Walter Hooper which reminds the reader of the intense personality of “Jack.” A window into the humor of one of the greatest Christian minds of the last century does the reader much good in empathizing with the writer. This factor is all-important because most readers are not comfortable with the level of detail to which Lewis will go to make his points. In the mind of this reviewer, many millennials will miss much from this great writer for this reason.

The first address, “The Weight of Glory” is an address on the nature of glory. Lewis begins the address by reminding the reader that they are too often distracted by simple distractions of life and fail to see that something greater remains just out of view. As he makes this argument, Lewis utters his classic statement, that “it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (26). Point made. Lewis moves on now to the substance of his argument (35). What is the meaning of glory? Lewis answers in one sense that glory is the answer to depth of the human desire for acceptance and admiration. In the Gospel, “only…by the work of Christ” (38), the believer is made an object of glory and is accepted by God. The end result is that “the door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last” (41). But Lewis doesn’t end here, but now turns to another aspect of the concept (42). Glory is the transformation of mortality into immortality, the elevation of the creature to its creative glory. In this context Lewis closes with another of his oft quoted statements. “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations [sic] – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit…” (45-46).

The second address speaks to an issue that one would think inapplicable to the modern world, but much here should resonate with the modern reader. Lewis here addresses a group of young men pursuing a university education while bombs fell on the streets. No one knew if their work of education would be an exercise in futility. For a group of listeners who saw their time as an abnormality, Lewis reminded them that “life has never been normal” (49) and encouraged them not to allow the concerns of war dissuade them from the task at hand. He reminded them to take their task as a religious duty for “every duty is a religious duty, and our obligation to perform every duty is therefore absolute” (53). But before glorifying scholarship, Lewis strikes at the knees of the young listeners. The ordinary duty of a believer may also be quite, daresay, ordinary. With a great reminder of the perspective of heaven, Lewis states that “all of our natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest, and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not” (54). He goes on again to strike at the heart of intellectualism. “I reject at once the idea which lingers in the mind of some modern people that cultural activities are in their own right spiritual and meritorious—as though scholars and poets were intrinsically more pleasing to God than scavengers and [shoe shiners]….The work of Beethoven and the work of a [cleaning maid] become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God” (55). Stopping short of wholly discouraging education, Lewis then reminds the listeners of some “enemies” of the scholar. First, Lewis notes that excitement can draw the scholar off to pursue what seems more romantic, but ends up only distracting from a noble cause. “If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work” (60). Next, is the challenge of frustration. By becoming unduly focused on the future, scholars may be enticed to demur from the call to education. In return, Lewis calls his hearers to leave the future to God as that is where it has always been. Lastly, Lewis warns the band of students to shake off fear as they pursue education. War is just a reminder of death, whose victims cannot be increased or decreased. To allow it to control us is wrong, but rather one should allow war to bring to remembrance the reality of death.

The third treatise entitled “Why I am not a Pacifist” was delivered to the Oxford Pacifist Society. Lewis begins by laying out a substantial number of logical arguments against pacifism. He begins by making an astute observation. The human conscience accepts ideas of right and wrong often without logical explanation. There should be a logical interaction between morality and reason, but unfortunately many simply make decisions with their consciences and come to opposing positions. These positions allow for no debate or reasoning. So, from the outset, Lewis admits a degree of futility in his speech. But he begins by cutting down the generalization that war always does more harm than good. Quite apropos for the modern age, Lewis agrees that “it is…true that wars never do half the good which the leaders of the belligerents say they are going to do” (73), but still holds that wars serve a certain utility. He then moves to the argument from self-defense and the defense of the weak (76). Next, he reminds his listeners that the supposition that death and pain are the worst evils may, in fact, be wrong and suggests another possibility or two (77). Ultimately, Lewis argues that if Pacifism succeeds, it will itself be annihilated, because where it wins, the state will be overcome and a totalitarian regime will not tolerate the weakness of the theory. In classic form, Lewis concludes that “Pacifism of this kind is taking the straight road to a world in which there will be no Pacifists” (78). Turning now from the authority of logic, Lewis reminds the listeners of their human authorities. The weight of the state authority should weigh on the Pacifist to reconsider (80-82). Lastly, Lewis draws upon the weight of Divine authority. Under this head, the subject takes a different turn. Lewis portrays the contrasting points within Scripture and church history where different perspectives are given on the matter. He carefully weighs the evidence and concludes that Christianity does not mandate Pacifism (82-88). In the end, Lewis admits a degree of uncertainty, but ends up finding the Pacifist position “very doubtful” (90).

Fourth comes Lewis’ heady idea of “Transposition.” This reviewer is not going to attempt a thoroughgoing explanation of the concept because the metaphysical argument is still gelling and the reader would likely do better wading in the waters of the argument on their own. The only thought that seems fair to suppose is that Lewis is hinting at something of a fourth dimension beyond sensory perception, but which breaks into the physical universe in spasms of miracles and Divine intervention. This dimension is superior to the physical universe in a similar way that three dimensions are superior to a two-dimensional painting. In one of the soaring heights of the address Lewis picturesquely begins by quoting the Apostle John ““We know not what we shall be”; but we may be sure we shall be more, not less, than we were on earth. Our natural experiences (sensory, emotional, imaginative) are only like the drawing, like penciled lines on flat paper. If they vanish in the risen life, they will vanish only as pencil lines vanish from the real landscape, not as a candle flame that is put out, but as a candle flame which becomes invisible because someone has pulled up the blind, thrown open the shutters, and let in the blaze of the risen sun” (111).

The fifth article is Lewis’ speech on the relationship between Christian Theology and poetry. In a beautiful turn, Lewis denies that Christianity bears a great resemblance to poetry. Yes, there is a sense in which Christianity, in the heart of the believer, becomes a kind of poetry (122), but ultimately the epic of Christianity is something more real and historical (128-129). Christianity is not like poetry (which is fact turned into myth), but Christianity is something greater, something like “myth become fact” (129). To this end Lewis postulates in regard to “the humiliation of myth into fact, God into Man; what is everywhere and always, imageless and ineffable, only to be glimpsed in dream and symbol and the acted poetry of ritual becomes a small, solid—no bigger than a man who can lie asleep in a rowing boat on the Lake of Galilee”(130). So if Christianity is something more like fact, then what can be said for the prevailing theories of the day? Lewis retorts that the theory of naturalistic evolution is more poetry in Christianity. In an epic that simply must be read, Lewis tells the nihilistic epic of evolutionary atheism (123-125). Ultimately, Lewis points out that the atheists have rejected special creation a priori. Their presuppositions do not allow for a Creator, so to allow for such a consideration makes no sense; however, Lewis looks on their naturalistic explanation for the metaphysical realm (cf. 139-14) as “immensely unplausible” (137). Against this backdrop, Lewis argues that after abandoning naturalism he was led inevitably to idealism, which led him to Theism, which led him to Christ. “And when you examined [the claims of Christ] it appeared that you could adopt no middle position. Either He was a lunatic, or God. And He was no lunatic” (138). In conclusion, Lewis summarizes naturalism as poetry and Christianity as myth made fact and soars to his own heights of epic poetry in his final statement. “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else” (140).

The sixth address is entitled “The Inner Ring.” Here Lewis describes the cliquish nature of human relationships. The rings of acceptance are a natural part of life (148), but “dangerous” (149). Articulately, the reader will see how exclusion and inclusion in the rings of culture drive all sorts of ill behaviors and motivations. Lewis brings this issue to the forefront because he believed that “unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life” (152). The end of the rings is twofold. The primary danger is that a passion for achieving the innermost circle makes “a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things” (154). The secondary danger is something of a spiral into nihilism. “As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want. You are trying to peel an onion; if you succeed there will be nothing left. Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain” (154).

Seventh is a fascinating essay on the utter difference between the community of the Body of Christ and the popular expressions of individualism, on the one hand, and collectivism, on the other. Christianity is not a “solitary affair” (160), but neither is it the rush and bustle of our modern society. “We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship” (160). Another aspect of how the church stands out against the ideas of the day is brought to the surface. In culture, diversity is often sought at the expense of unity or unity at the expense of diversity. In the Body, both unity and diversity are elevated. One body, unified by Christ, has many parts (166-167). This otherworldly love and community only can come from one source, for “if there is equality, it is in His love, not in us” (170). All of humanity is able to draw ultimate significance and value from Christ (174-174) and thereby to find something that is beyond what culture can offer, namely “natural self” or “collective mass,” but instead “a new creature” (176).

The eighth essay was quite challenging. Here Lewis strikes a nerve when he speaks of the Lord’s explanation that one will not be forgiven except that he forgive others. This sobering thought is expounded in about seven little powerful pages. The writer postulates that humans often approach God not seeking forgiveness, but in offering excuses. In turn, when it comes to human forgiveness there are certainly similarities, but also significant differences. “In our own case we accept excuses too easily; in other people’s we do not accept them easily enough. As regards my own sins it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are really not so good as I think; as regards other men’s [sins] it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are better than I think” (182). In conclusion, Lewis reminds the reader of the Dominical instruction that “to be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you” (182).

Finally comes Lewis’ discourse on “A Slip of the Tongue.” It is here that the reviewer must again admit his inability to follow the argument of Lewis. As best understood, it seems to be a series of thoughts regarding a failure to look to the eternal. The temporal distractions of life take their toll in drawing one’s affections from the eternal. In a stroke of genius, Lewis quotes Thomas More before climbing to another literary peak. “”If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God, it will make in the end no difference what you have chosen instead.” Those are hard words to take. Will it really make no difference whether it was women or patriotism, cocaine or art, whisky or a seat in the Cabinet, money or science? Well, surely no difference that matters. We shall have missed the end for which we were formed and rejected the only thing that satisfies. Does it matter to a man dying in a desert by which choice of route he missed the only well?” (191)

In these nine selections, the reader will find a wealth of information on a variety of topics. The level of understanding for the modern reader will range from simple to highly complex. The mental gymnastics are half the fun of a volume such as this and well worth the cost. So grab some Starbucks, kick back, and enjoy!(less)

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Feb 08, 2011 Scott Heaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Weight of Glory’ is another piece by a brilliant thinker that challenges the reader to examine their own beliefs and practices in light of Lewis’ strikingly clear logic. It is difficult to pen point an overall feel for the book, as it is 9 independent essays compiled into one work. Lewis is mentioned in the same breath as several classical theologians and philosophers, but his true gift lies not in his ability of understanding the divine, but in having a remarkable grasp on what...more

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Jul 08, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology, philosophy, christian-life-and-spirituality

This is a series of essays, sermons and lectures on various topics. The first one, from which the book gets its title, begins with the assertion that our desires are far too weak for we fool around with all kinds of unsatisfying things while God offers us so much more. From this Lewis talks about heaven, the presence of God, glory itself, that is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our deepest desires. I love how Lewis ends this, by turning the focus from who we will become to who our ne...more This is a series of essays, sermons and lectures on various topics. The first one, from which the book gets its title, begins with the assertion that our desires are far too weak for we fool around with all kinds of unsatisfying things while God offers us so much more. From this Lewis talks about heaven, the presence of God, glory itself, that is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our deepest desires. I love how Lewis ends this, by turning the focus from who we will become to who our neighbor will become. Knowing that the people around us are created in God's image, then all our actions are either helping them to one of two ends: glory or corruption.

The second essay is titled, "Learning in War Time" which is one of the finest arguments for Christians pursuing university (or beyond that, all sorts of) learning. Lewis reminds us that all we do, no matter what we do, must be done to the glory of God. Each person has a different vocation, and some are called to the intellectual life. This is a chapter that should be read by all Christians in college, for it provides an answer to the question of why Christians do anything other than just evangelize all the time.

I found the third essay somewhat disappointing, although when viewed in light of Lewis' style of argument perhaps I should not have. This essay is an explanation of why he is not a pacifist. It is a well reasoned argument. The problem is, he only goes to scripture at the very end and when he does he his analysis is weak. He does not mention the self-sacrificial death of Jesus which his our ultimate example as Christians (Phil. 2:5-11; Mark 8:34-38). When he does mention scripture, it does not necessarily support the Christian taking up the sword (Romans 13:4; 1 Pet. 2:14). Yet we must remember, and Lewis himself reminds us, he was not a Bible scholar. When Lewis asserts that all churches have blessed the necessity of war, he misses the fact that the church as a whole was nonviolent and did not use war until after Constantine. But at the risk of turning this review into my own essay on nonviolence, Lewis does do well in this of reminding us that Christians are not to be passive pacifists who claim to reach the same ends war desires but by different means. In our world pacifism looks like just another secular ideology. If Christians end up deciding that war is not allowed, to follow Jesus is still an active nonviolence that engages in spiritual war. Perhaps writing just after WWII, Lewis is coming at the issue from a different angle. This essay then is good, but leaves the question of what a Christian is to do with war ultimately unanswered.

"Transposition" is a great essay on the relation of supernatural, or higher things, to natural, or lower things. Here Lewis speaks of what it means for the spiritual higher things to be reduced in order to be expressed in lower natural ways. In "Is Theology Poetry?" Lewis talks on how theology relates to poetry, and thus to mythology, pagan religions and so on. "The Inner Ring" is about our human desire to be accepted as part of the in crowd. Lewis argues that, ironically, the harder you want to be in some inner circle, the less pleasure you will have when you attain it but if you simply work hard and use your gifts as best you can you will end up surrounded by people you like and find true friendship (Lewis says it much better than this, sorry).

In "Membership" Lewis contrast church membership, a coming together of different sorts of people, to secular collectivism which strives to reduce everyone to being exactly the same and equal. True unity is a unity of unlikes. The book closes with two brief essays. "On Forgiveness" reminds us that forgiveness pertains to those acts which are not excusable and that forgiveness is not making excuses. Finally, "A Slip of the Tongue" makes us think about whether we manipulate God, trying to order life so we can live how we want and then later get forgiveness.

Overall, a great series of essays. Some of the arguments are found in other writings of Lewis, but the value here is that each essay is brief and thus can be read slowly, by itself, without losing any over-arching theme of one whole book.(less)

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May 15, 2012 Justin Lonas rated it 5 of 5 stars

British author and apologist Clive Staples Lewis is among the best loved writers in the Christian tradition. His fiction (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and The Space Trilogy) has delighted and inspired for generations, and his nonfiction pierces topics with clarity and theological depth rarely found among today’s writers. For these and other reasons, he remains a figurehead of Christian thought across denominational lines.

The Weight of Glory is a collection of nine sermons and...more British author and apologist Clive Staples Lewis is among the best loved writers in the Christian tradition. His fiction (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and The Space Trilogy) has delighted and inspired for generations, and his nonfiction pierces topics with clarity and theological depth rarely found among today’s writers. For these and other reasons, he remains a figurehead of Christian thought across denominational lines.

The Weight of Glory is a collection of nine sermons and essays originally composed by Lewis between 1939 and 1956. An original collection was published in 1949, and reworked into its current form in 1980 by trustee and literary advisor of Lewis’ estate (and personal friend of mine) Walter Hooper, whose introduction to this volume sheds light on the many ways in which Lewis lived out the truths he wrote about.

The title sermon, which appears first in the book, represents Lewis’ most direct work on the value of individuals to God; he affirms that men are immortal souls who have more intrinsic worth than all the cultures and achievements of history. He builds an eloquent case for our responsibility to evangelize and care for our fellow man, reminding us that through every action we are helping our fellow eternal beings toward becoming either “immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

The second major statement in the book is the essay “Transposition” in which Lewis undercuts the Roman Catholic teaching that the elements of communion are actually transformed into the body and blood of Jesus upon receipt. Instead, he posits that the Lord chose those elements to evoke the imagery of His sacrifice through the bread and the cup as a powerful sensory reminder for us.

Lewis’ lecture “Is Theology Poetry?” explores the artistry of God’s story of creation and redemption and leaves us to marvel at the precision which it describes reality. This piece is one of the fundamental texts on worldview thinking, that is, understanding that one’s beliefs and presuppositions form the basis for his values, ideas, and behaviors. It is probably best remembered for his oft-quoted statement, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

The remaining portions of the book, “Learning in War-Time”, “Why I Am Not a Pacifist”, “The Inner Ring”, “Membership”, “On Forgiveness”, and “A Slip of the Tongue” cover issues from relationships and exclusivism to education and courage to participation in the life of the Body.

Lewis wrote from standpoint of wonderment at the mystery of God informed by his conversion from atheism relatively late in life. Each essay, lecture, or sermon in this volume contains pearls of wisdom that inspire and challenge the reader to love the Lord with his mind—taken as a whole, it is an invaluable resource to give form to the ideas that make the Christian life what it is. This book belongs on the shelf of every believer.(less)

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Sep 08, 2011 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Of course I loved it. It's Lewis.

"He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself." (Especially worth remembering in an election year)

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

The cool thing about this one was that it was a collection of short essays on various topi...more Of course I loved it. It's Lewis.

"He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself." (Especially worth remembering in an election year)

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

The cool thing about this one was that it was a collection of short essays on various topics that were originally delivered as talks mainly, it seems, to undergraduates. So it was cool to be able to sit down and read through one with relatively little trouble in fifteen minutes or so.

The quotes above are just a couple that I remember randomly liking. The actual essay "The Weight of Glory" is for me the highlight of the collection, with "Transposition" close behind. To me those could be read again and again and ought to be by anyone who is serious about intellectually reckoning with their faith. Oh and also "Is Theology Poetry?" was quite powerful for me too.

Also "Why I am Not a Pacifist" is great. And by pacifist, I think Lewis means 'people who say they are pacifists but really are only looking for an excuse to not do anything'. Lewis explains the 'turn the other cheek' passage in a new way. Lewis does a great job of pointing out that the 'just war' (which might only have existed a handful of times in human history, in my opinion) concept has been affirmed from Christian antiquity onward. If we believe that God cares about justice (and the entire Judeo-Christian tradition says He does) and justice means that we must address injustice, then how can we sit back and allow injustice to occur while we ineffectively shake our fist at it? I turn the other cheek when I PERSONALLY am struck, but not when I see someone else suffering unjustly. That's just being a jerk, or worse. War is terrible and the reasons we wage war in the modern day are hardly ever just. War should also be the last resort and some causes (e.g. the civil rights movement in America, the end of apartheid, the end of British colonialism in India) can only be won by non-violence. In fact, I am convinced that 99.99% of human endeavors must be undertaken, planned for, and reacted to non-violently, and that the other 0.01% require lots of soul searching. Don't forget that Christ blesses the peacemakers (and if we are His disciples, we should be peacemakers). So by the same token, if we feel the war itself is unjust then we shouldn't be afraid to say so. I have a VERY hard time with people who use 'Christian' rhetoric to support war, any war for any reason because we're America and everything we do is right. When you read this, you have to remember Lewis wrote this in the context of WWII. I think we all agree that stopping the Nazi regime by force was certainly just.

So I guess technically I am not a pacifist, but practically I pretty much am with respect to the wars we choose to wage.

I need to re-read the whole collection again and take notes.(less)

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Feb 18, 2011 Anne Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

The title essay is the best, but the last few are very solid as well.
Some of the middle pieces seem like they would better in their original form, as a speech.

What is it that makes Lewis such a profound writer, other than his obvious intellegence?
He communicates the true stirrings of our souls that most of us can't even recognize much less articulate.

I can't read Lewis without taking away some great nuggets of wisdom:

"Nature is mortal; we shall outlive her. When all the suns and nebulae have...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Evan L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: devotional, inklings-etc, theology

Lewis, as always, is spectacular. His main strength, and why we should all read him, is that he is able to be so incisive about issues which we all think about but rarely find any clarity on. His writing is infused with scripture and the saints, and he always makes a cogent case.

This book, which really is not a book but a collection of his addresses, gets 4 stars mostly because it is a collection thrown together with not that much cohesion and also anytime you take spoken addresses and make them...more Lewis, as always, is spectacular. His main strength, and why we should all read him, is that he is able to be so incisive about issues which we all think about but rarely find any clarity on. His writing is infused with scripture and the saints, and he always makes a cogent case.

This book, which really is not a book but a collection of his addresses, gets 4 stars mostly because it is a collection thrown together with not that much cohesion and also anytime you take spoken addresses and make them into written addresses, it just doesn't work quite the same.

Very many pieces of classic Lewis thought here. Since I totally agree with most of them, I will instead briefly mention one piece about which I largely disagree: the piece entitled Membership. Lewis is making the main argument that to be Christians means being members in terms of being part of the mystical body of Christ, not just cogs in a machine. I do totally agree here, but I disagree with Lewis in that he takes the position that we were never created as equals to each other, and that it is only the fall which has meant that we have had to take up things like allowing women to own property or voting/democracy. I think he gets this backward. I think that we were created equal in value, although of course each uniquely different, and that kingdom work means reaching towards our true original natures. Hence why we have worked towards the abolition of slavery and should work towards the abolition of patriarchy. That is not to say that I believe in a complete end to all forms of hierarchical leadership, just that these forms of leadership are not some sort of divine God given right. I would be interested to hear what Lewis says about slavery in his framework.

Lewis also could do better in Membership to explain what he means by collectivism that is overtaking individuality. I would argue actually that the modern world is incredibly individual as compared with most times in Christian history, and that we need more working as a unit to get things right.

All in all though, I would recommend this work to anyone, and will continue my quest to read all of Lewis' books.(less)

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Mar 10, 2010 Allenh rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book of collected essays contains what I believe to be Lewis' most important works. If you have to buy cheat or steal to read this- do. But not all the lectures are amazing. The three that I love in order of best to least is: Transposition, Is theology poetry?, and Why I'm not a pacifist. Transposition deals with the difficulty of transposing a higher thing onto a lower thing. Example- language with 32 characters onto one with 26. Is theology poetry deals with the question of a tale of myth...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Bryana Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a book I will probably come back to more than once, in order to spend more time going over some more complex portions, particularly the chapter on transposition. My favorite essays from this collection were The Weight of Glory, Learning in War-Time, The Inner Ring, and Membership. The title essay, The Weight of Glory, is an exploration of sehnzucht, what C.S. Lewis calls “your inconsolable secret.” It questions if the answer to our unfulfilled longings might not be ultimate acceptance by...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Greg Balzer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I only read The Weight of Glory essay in this collection, but I must say that CS Lewis makes you think. What Lewis is also gifted in is making one dream, or imagine. Or maybe, rather, to begin to understand the connections between the longings of our soul, and the present and future promises of the gospel (good news) of Christ. We long on our hearts for the restoration of all things. We long to be fully known by a holy God, and yet not rejected. More than that, we long to be seen by God with the...more

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Sep 29, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: british, christian-theology, conversation-starter, intellectual

This book is deceiving. It looks "short" and manageable when in fact it is as dense as a college textbook. The book is a compilation of short essays and speeches on a wide range of topics. It's a bit jarring to jump from one to another. All I can say is: take your sweet time with this book. It is impossible to "power through" it. In fact, If you're pressed for time just read one speech. I cannot recommend enough "Learning in War Time." After reading it twice it got me to start considering gradua...more

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Jan 07, 2009 Shaina rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I could break down the chapters and rate them individually as they have nothing to do with each other or one idea:

Introduction by Walter Hooper: Horrible and waste of time, like most introductions to C.S. Lewis' books.

Preface: Indifferent, slightly important to breakdown of this collection

The Weight of Glory: 5 stars
Learning in War-Time: 2 stars
Why I Am Not a Pacifist: 3 stars
Transposition: 5 stars
Is Theology Poetry?: 4 stars
The Inner Ring: 5 stars
Membership: 5 stars
On Forgiveness: 4 stars
A S...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religious

I like reading CS Lewis' books. His words give me a lot to think about. This book includes many thoughts on our destiny and place in God's eyes. It talks about the importance of humility, work, forgiveness, learning and growing.

Here are a few of my favorite thoughts:

"This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously....more I like reading CS Lewis' books. His words give me a lot to think about. This book includes many thoughts on our destiny and place in God's eyes. It talks about the importance of humility, work, forgiveness, learning and growing.

Here are a few of my favorite thoughts:

"This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously...Having done the best we can to perform whatever God demands, should we not at least enjoy the good He sends us (p. 1)?"

"Lewis had his share of worries. But, having done all in his power to solve them, he left the matter to God and got on with his work and pleasures (p. 10)."

"If we are made for heaven, the desire for our proper place will be already in us... (p. 29)."

"Glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last (p. 41)."

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit....And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love sinner...Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to our senses (p. 46)."

"How can you be so frivolous and selfish as to think about anything but the salvation of human souls (p. 50)?"

"There are always plenty of rivals to our work. We are always falling in love or quarrelling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill or recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while they conditions are still unfavourable (p. 60)."

"Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment "as to the Lord." It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received (p. 61)."

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else (p. 140)."

"He loved us not because we are lovable, but because He is Love (p. 170)."

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you (p. 182)."(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't finished this yet. I'm just not reading it right now because I loaned it to my Dad. I thought the address titled "Is Theology Poetry" most interesting. Several of these essays, such as "Why I'm not a Pacifist" are very logic based, and while Lewis is clear, as always, I still sometimes have difficulty following his arguments. I thought his anecdotal comparison of learning before World War I versus learning after World War I from the first essay I mentioned most interesting. The high va...more

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May 04, 2013 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-christian

The reader is treated to none of Lewis' most memorable layman's sermons, and I doubt that any others can be better than these. Lewis covers one major topic per sermon: active (neighbor) and passive (God) Christian fellowship (what Luther developed as "two kinds kinds of righteousness); vocation; Christianity and 'the sword' of government; transcendent truth; the nature and applicability of Christian theology in science, art, and philosophy; wariness in group acceptance; the Pauline meaning of Ch...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christianity

Lewis provides a very good argument from desire in this essay. We are like fish out of water, but with a desire to swim in the sea. "Ah, but we want so much more-something the books on aesthetics take little notice of. But the poets and the mythologies know all about it. We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words-to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to...more

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Jan 05, 2010 Tim Eby-mckenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology-spirituality

Best elucidation of Christian Hedonism - we are "like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Best explication of the centrality of love of neighbor - "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses... You have never talked to a mere mortal. ...Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your sen...more

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Jun 13, 2010 Bradley Eylander rated it 5 of 5 stars

Probably my favorite CS Lewis book so far - probably a tie with Mere Christianity. I would recommend reading this to anyone.
The book was Lewis's thoughts about Christianity, being a Christian, and defending Christianity. A diverse set of topics, but all of them were interesting.
After reading Shane Claiborne's books I was thinking the anti-war/pacifist view was decent until I read the chapter: "Why I'm not a Pacifist". In this chapter Lewis showed good ground of fighting and also touched on moral...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, theology

A great collection of essays and papers delivered to students during the 1940's. Lewis never ceases to inspire me with his prose. He's simply a great writer. But that's not all he is. He is a great thinker and teacher too. For instance, in the beginning of his piece called "Why I'm not a pacifist" he takes the time to educate his readers/listeners on the art of logical thinking. This is one example of how he teaches beyond the bounds of his topic. This book was a joy to read. That being said, I...more

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Nov 01, 2008 Crawfords444 rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Deep thinkers

The Weight of Glory is a compilation of nine lectures by C.S. Lewis made shortly before his death in 1963. He was a professor at Cambridge England at the time with his home in Oxford where he was previously a professor.
“The Weight of Glory” is the first lecture. It waits a long time before defining glory, making the first part difficult for me to follow. Glory is one of the five things promised by Christ. But it is not until page 41 that I found glory described as being noticed by God and then...more The Weight of Glory is a compilation of nine lectures by C.S. Lewis made shortly before his death in 1963. He was a professor at Cambridge England at the time with his home in Oxford where he was previously a professor.
“The Weight of Glory” is the first lecture. It waits a long time before defining glory, making the first part difficult for me to follow. Glory is one of the five things promised by Christ. But it is not until page 41 that I found glory described as being noticed by God and then glory as “brightness, splendor, and luminosity”.
I next read the third lecture, “Why I Am Not a Pacifist.” The first half gave a background of reasoning methodology. Then he ruled out the reason for pacifism that confronts me most, - “that of the man who claims to know on the grounds of immediate intuition that all killing of human beings in all circumstances is an absolute evil.” Lewis refused to argue this, but deftly argued against pacifism by reasoning or authority. “Does anyone suppose that our Lord’s hearers understood Him to mean that if a homicidal maniac, attempting to murder a third party, tried to knock me out of the way, I must stand aside and let him get his victim?” In contrast with the soldier who suffers every temporal evil except dishonor and final perdition, the pacifist suffers only a temporary “public opprobrium from people whose opinion you discount and whose society you do not frequent soon recompensed by the warm mutual approval .. .of his minority group”. It offers a continuance of the life known and loved among the people and in the surroundings known and loved. It offers you “time to lay the foundations of a career; for whether you will or no, the pacifist can hardly help getting the jobs for which the discharged soldiers will one day look in vain. You do not even have to fear, as Pacifist may have had to fear in the last war, that public opinion will punish you when the peace comes. For we have learned now that though the world is slow to forgive, it is quick to forget.”
“Learning In War Time” was justified and necessary. I am afraid I stopped reading this book then in favor of the more modern, 2007, the Shack by Wm. Paul Young which I found an intriguing story and theology related to contemporary circumstance. The similarities on different subjects between Lewis and Young are striking. And I recommend Young for today’s reader.
(less)

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Dec 04, 2008 Doug rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again I find myself absolutely drawn in by Lewis' wisdom and wit. Lewis manages to come across as both educated and refined in his wording, and yet still presents himself as a common man. A man I could know and get along with quite well. A man that contains a sense of mischevous humor and given to bouts of extreme thoughtfulness and seriousness. This is a compilation of his smaller essays and speeches, some of which are more pertinent to this time than others, some that are pertinent to ete...more

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Aug 06, 2007 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What's interesting is that Lewis is addressing many of the same issues as Donald Miller in the other book I'm reading (Searching For God Knows What) -- but I gotta tell you, as much as I enjoy Miller's wit and fresh perspective, it's taking him a whole book to say what Lewis says in about 10 pages. A few favorite quotes, if I may:

"We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology-spirituality

One of the most spiritually satisfying, yet practical, collection of sermons I have ever read. Weight of Glory has become one of the sermons that I most often reference in thinking about daily life. C. S. Lewis is simply wonderful. Highly recommend! It does take some time to get through, because there are some highly intellectual concepts at play and because the language is a little more archaic (but I prefer it!) to modern sermons, but well worth the effort.

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