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God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics
Lewis addresses theological and ethical questions with profoundly Christian insight in these 48 essays. Drawn from a variety of sources and written to meet a variety of needs, the essays range from popular newspaper pieces to learned defenses of the faith.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 1971
978 people are currently reading
11074 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,093 books46.8k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
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August 31, 2017
I once heard a pastor/theologian say CS Lewis was overrated. Now, I like this person and have found his work helpful. But I can't help but wonder he made this judgment based on reading very few Lewis books and knowing nothing about Lewis' life. The more I learn about Lewis, the more I am amazed by his work. Yet, if you just read Mere Christianity and The Chronicles of Narnia, maybe also Screwtape Letter, sure, he may seem over-rated.
God in the Dock is the longest Lewis book I've seen, maybe only his collected Letters are longer. There are dozens of essays in here covering a variety of topics. As any collection of essays will be, some are fantastic and a few are not. If you have read a lot of Lewis you will see ideas from his other works coming out here. I think this book, along with the essay collection Weight of Glory, are must-reads to fully understand Lewis though it also makes sense to save them till you've read the bulk of his work.
In one essay, maybe two, Lewis argues that part of the test for ordination should be translating a passage from a heavy theological book into language the common man can understand. I assume this is why some see him as overrated. His most popular books, such as Mere Christianity, are targeted at people who do not read thick and heavy theology books. He may come across a bit simplistic in those works. Don't get me wrong, I think Mere Christianity is great. My point is, Lewis is much more complex than a reading of a few of his books can show.
He may not have quoted theologians, but he was familiar with academics. I think, had he wanted to, he could have written a thick and heavy theology book. He was more than capable of the research. Instead, he wrote short books and essays and taught at university. Through that, his work has been more influential than anyone writing thick and heavy theology books in the 20th century.
I highly recommend this series of essays. There is so much here that is thoughtful and relevant. As I said, some of it is familiar: Christianity as true myth, question of how we can trust our senses if they evolved only for survival, his musings on prayer. Some things are unique, such as his talk on politics. I almost want to say until you read this, and a good biography or two, you don't know Lewis.
You should know Lewis. Read this one.
God in the Dock is the longest Lewis book I've seen, maybe only his collected Letters are longer. There are dozens of essays in here covering a variety of topics. As any collection of essays will be, some are fantastic and a few are not. If you have read a lot of Lewis you will see ideas from his other works coming out here. I think this book, along with the essay collection Weight of Glory, are must-reads to fully understand Lewis though it also makes sense to save them till you've read the bulk of his work.
In one essay, maybe two, Lewis argues that part of the test for ordination should be translating a passage from a heavy theological book into language the common man can understand. I assume this is why some see him as overrated. His most popular books, such as Mere Christianity, are targeted at people who do not read thick and heavy theology books. He may come across a bit simplistic in those works. Don't get me wrong, I think Mere Christianity is great. My point is, Lewis is much more complex than a reading of a few of his books can show.
He may not have quoted theologians, but he was familiar with academics. I think, had he wanted to, he could have written a thick and heavy theology book. He was more than capable of the research. Instead, he wrote short books and essays and taught at university. Through that, his work has been more influential than anyone writing thick and heavy theology books in the 20th century.
I highly recommend this series of essays. There is so much here that is thoughtful and relevant. As I said, some of it is familiar: Christianity as true myth, question of how we can trust our senses if they evolved only for survival, his musings on prayer. Some things are unique, such as his talk on politics. I almost want to say until you read this, and a good biography or two, you don't know Lewis.
You should know Lewis. Read this one.
September 21, 2024
2024 Review
While the arguments or turn of phrases he uses can feel occasionally repetitive, it was fun to see how Lewis used them in different contexts. This covers a wide range of topics and for the most part stays relevant. (Could have done without the letters at the end. I think they add more randomness than cohesiveness.)
2022 Review
While I didn't love it quite as much as the collection of essays in The Weight of Glory, I have no doubt this volume of letters, essays, interviews, and speeches by Lewis will rapidly rise on my favorites list. I had read some of these essays before (the one opposing vivisection, for example), but there was a great deal of new content.
What amazed me the most is how relevant most of these topics are. It isn't that modern society faces quite the same problems, but we live in a society that stems from problems he addressed. The repercussions he warns about have impacted modern discourse and life.
Which leads to the other part I did not expect: how much this book (while primarily theological) treats on political issues. Whether it is the cruelty of testing on animals or the purpose of the death penalty or the applicability of just war theory, he's putting his theology into practice.
I didn't agree with everything. I find the logic he uses to oppose female ordination faulty (centered on a misquote of Jane Austen, no less!)
Overall, a thought-provoking read (or listen) and worth the time.
While the arguments or turn of phrases he uses can feel occasionally repetitive, it was fun to see how Lewis used them in different contexts. This covers a wide range of topics and for the most part stays relevant. (Could have done without the letters at the end. I think they add more randomness than cohesiveness.)
2022 Review
While I didn't love it quite as much as the collection of essays in The Weight of Glory, I have no doubt this volume of letters, essays, interviews, and speeches by Lewis will rapidly rise on my favorites list. I had read some of these essays before (the one opposing vivisection, for example), but there was a great deal of new content.
What amazed me the most is how relevant most of these topics are. It isn't that modern society faces quite the same problems, but we live in a society that stems from problems he addressed. The repercussions he warns about have impacted modern discourse and life.
Which leads to the other part I did not expect: how much this book (while primarily theological) treats on political issues. Whether it is the cruelty of testing on animals or the purpose of the death penalty or the applicability of just war theory, he's putting his theology into practice.
I didn't agree with everything. I find the logic he uses to oppose female ordination faulty (centered on a misquote of Jane Austen, no less!)
Overall, a thought-provoking read (or listen) and worth the time.
July 14, 2021
Excellent essays by CS Lewis collected by Walter Hooper. To be read slowly. These essays, over time, help you begin to think like Lewis…hopefully. I think The Sermon and the Lunch was my favorite even though once again Lewis skewers the needy woman. I can only wonder at how dreadful Mrs. Moore must have been.
September 29, 2019
This is a collection of essays and letters by C.S. Lewis that mostly aren't available elsewhere. Probably my favorite of all the essays is "Man or Rabbit?", which is a word-picture of conversion. ("All the rabbit in us is to disappear -- the worried, conscientious, ethical rabbit as well as the cowardly and sensual rabbit.")
Some of the essays are less interesting to me, and some of them I don't find interesting at all. But Lewisian gems are sprinkled everywhere, and I like that his curmudgeonly side comes out.
Some samples:
"The moment a man seriously accepts a deity his interest in 'religion' is at an end. He's got something else to think about."
"It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies."
"If it were my business to have a 'view' on this, I should say that I much approve of merry-making. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business."
"Can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers?"
"Didn't they know that, Bomb or no Bomb, all men die (many in horrible ways)? There's no good moping and sulking about it."
"A right to happiness doesn't, for me, make much more sense than a right to be six feet tall."
"Most political sermons teach the congregation nothing except what newspapers are taken at the Rectory."
"I have never helped to organize youth, and while I was young myself I successfully avoided being organized."
September 29, 2019 ...
Adding this from a delightfully curmudgeonly essay called, "Delinquents in the snow":
At my front door they are, once every year, the voices of the local choir, on the forty-five other annual occasions they are those of boys or children who have not even tried to learn to sing, or to memorize the words of the piece they are murdering. The instruments they play with real conviction are the door-bell and the knocker; and money is what they are after.
Some of the essays are less interesting to me, and some of them I don't find interesting at all. But Lewisian gems are sprinkled everywhere, and I like that his curmudgeonly side comes out.
Some samples:
"The moment a man seriously accepts a deity his interest in 'religion' is at an end. He's got something else to think about."
"It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies."
"If it were my business to have a 'view' on this, I should say that I much approve of merry-making. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business."
"Can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers?"
"Didn't they know that, Bomb or no Bomb, all men die (many in horrible ways)? There's no good moping and sulking about it."
"A right to happiness doesn't, for me, make much more sense than a right to be six feet tall."
"Most political sermons teach the congregation nothing except what newspapers are taken at the Rectory."
"I have never helped to organize youth, and while I was young myself I successfully avoided being organized."
September 29, 2019 ...
Adding this from a delightfully curmudgeonly essay called, "Delinquents in the snow":
At my front door they are, once every year, the voices of the local choir, on the forty-five other annual occasions they are those of boys or children who have not even tried to learn to sing, or to memorize the words of the piece they are murdering. The instruments they play with real conviction are the door-bell and the knocker; and money is what they are after.
July 30, 2023
Every time I read Lewis, I'm struck again by not only how many different subjects he's written on, but also about how he somehow manages to bring a unique angle to each topic he addresses. It's the rare author who has the consistent level of insight that Lewis has on various issues of Christian living.
While there are many good essays in this book, his final section on justice was my favorite. Some of those essays are ones I'd read prior to this year, and his "Humanitarian Theory of Justice" article in particular was incredibly helpful for some of the issues I had to navigate as a teacher a few years back. Really formative essay for me.
As a whole, while the breadth of this collection is rather wide, the insights are rather striking.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good).
While there are many good essays in this book, his final section on justice was my favorite. Some of those essays are ones I'd read prior to this year, and his "Humanitarian Theory of Justice" article in particular was incredibly helpful for some of the issues I had to navigate as a teacher a few years back. Really formative essay for me.
As a whole, while the breadth of this collection is rather wide, the insights are rather striking.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good).
February 23, 2021
An excellent collection of pivotal ideas. I requested & received this book as my 15th or 16th birthday present on the strength of a single quote from the titular essay, and devoured the whole.
Lewis developed many of the ideas from these early periodical publications into books or book chapters, and they weren't always improved by the expansion.
On the other hand, as he got older he became more circumspect in his self-editing. These earlier works at times reveal prejudices which he later outgrew or, at least, grew wise enough or ashamed enough not to publish. Which is also useful to read, if you are the sort of fan inclined to lionize your favorite authors.
Recommended reading for fans and pupils of Lewis' nonfiction.
Lewis developed many of the ideas from these early periodical publications into books or book chapters, and they weren't always improved by the expansion.
On the other hand, as he got older he became more circumspect in his self-editing. These earlier works at times reveal prejudices which he later outgrew or, at least, grew wise enough or ashamed enough not to publish. Which is also useful to read, if you are the sort of fan inclined to lionize your favorite authors.
Recommended reading for fans and pupils of Lewis' nonfiction.
June 5, 2009
Great. Also read in March of 1980.
September 29, 2019
It’s a mashup of Lewis’s thoughts over various different times. Long and sometimes rambly, but rich with insights if you take the time to stop and think.
One of the older essay collections, assembled by Hooper. Anthologies like this show that good ideas rolled off Lewis in waves, in whatever he happened to be writing. Fascinating to see the same idea at play in various different spots. I read this with a pencil in hand and underlined something on nearly every other page.
Read this review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One of the older essay collections, assembled by Hooper. Anthologies like this show that good ideas rolled off Lewis in waves, in whatever he happened to be writing. Fascinating to see the same idea at play in various different spots. I read this with a pencil in hand and underlined something on nearly every other page.
Read this review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 18, 2021
Mostly gems. The little bit of gravel is not enough to detract. Lewis had a massive intellect and the ability to express himself with clarity, charity, and beauty.
October 26, 2016
I have read a number of books from Lewis, but I don't think I have savored one as much as this one. This is due in large part to the style of the book. "God in the Dock" is a collection of 60 letters and essays, so it's kind of like picking C.S. Lewis' brain over coffee... minus the coffee.
When I read Lewis, it feels like I am reaping a harvest, but as time passes, I realize that it was really more like planting for one. At times, Lewis is very quotable. Every good author is. But he is more than that. His books are filled with ideas that are exploding with implications. Owen Barfield said that what Lewis "thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything." He referred to it as a kind of "consistency" or "presence of mind".
This is what I have found in his books - a consistently Christian worldview. And what better place to find it than in a book with the topical diversity of "God in the Dock".
From ethical questions (like pains and afterlife of animals) to theological topics (like religion and science) to cultural topics (like the celebration of Christmas), Lewis writes with his characteristic precision and color. But he always does so as a Christian. He addresses every topic with the foundational confidence that what he believes about God and the world is relevant to the discussion. True, this sometimes leads him into muddy waters. But even when the path is less clear, it no less enjoyable.
Even when he is responding to critics, Lewis writes humbly and charitably. He responds with a sincere desire to win them over, not show them up. This is so hard to do, especially in print. There is always a temptation to be overly harsh or critical of people when your opponents are not present to defend themselves.
In a book this broad in its focus, it was not surprising to find that we parted ways on a number of points. But as someone else has said so well, Lewis is in the delightful category of authors who edify me even when I disagree with them.
When I read Lewis, it feels like I am reaping a harvest, but as time passes, I realize that it was really more like planting for one. At times, Lewis is very quotable. Every good author is. But he is more than that. His books are filled with ideas that are exploding with implications. Owen Barfield said that what Lewis "thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything." He referred to it as a kind of "consistency" or "presence of mind".
This is what I have found in his books - a consistently Christian worldview. And what better place to find it than in a book with the topical diversity of "God in the Dock".
From ethical questions (like pains and afterlife of animals) to theological topics (like religion and science) to cultural topics (like the celebration of Christmas), Lewis writes with his characteristic precision and color. But he always does so as a Christian. He addresses every topic with the foundational confidence that what he believes about God and the world is relevant to the discussion. True, this sometimes leads him into muddy waters. But even when the path is less clear, it no less enjoyable.
Even when he is responding to critics, Lewis writes humbly and charitably. He responds with a sincere desire to win them over, not show them up. This is so hard to do, especially in print. There is always a temptation to be overly harsh or critical of people when your opponents are not present to defend themselves.
In a book this broad in its focus, it was not surprising to find that we parted ways on a number of points. But as someone else has said so well, Lewis is in the delightful category of authors who edify me even when I disagree with them.
August 19, 2023
Excellent in almost every way. Every essay flips things back on it’s feet the way it should’ve been. Definitely going into my re-read section.
Want to read
May 31, 2021Aka Undeceptions.
Read "The Dangers of National Repentance" for the first time on Jan. 22, 2019. Incredibly insightful and incisive. H. L. Mencken was no saint, but his comment "The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it" seems related.
Lewis coined the term Bulverism in an essay in this book.
Read "The Dangers of National Repentance" for the first time on Jan. 22, 2019. Incredibly insightful and incisive. H. L. Mencken was no saint, but his comment "The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it" seems related.
Lewis coined the term Bulverism in an essay in this book.
February 26, 2023
An interesting collection of 13 essays. Lewis argues in these essays that human beings see themselves as standing before God in judgement with God on trial and being judged. The essays are in mo particular order with a range of topics on ethics and theology where Lewis defends and argues for Christian beliefs.
May 30, 2023
This collection of essays and letters from C.S. Lewis covers a wide range of topics, including Christmas traditions, miracles, vivisection, morality, dogma, and prayer.
He talks about how a God who is good can allow pain in the world, briefly summarizing concepts from his book "The Problem of Pain." He talks about the common man of his day and their objections or misunderstandings that keep them from believing in Christ. He talks about the decline of religion in Britain, and the Christian truths hidden in pagan mythology. He answers questions, refutes common mistakes of his contemporaries, and responds to criticisms from his fellow intellectuals.
Some of it felt like I was coming into a conversation after the people had already been talking for an hour. Because I didn't hear what the first person said, then I have little or no context for the responses. Since I have not read whatever article or essay was published by Dr. So-and-so, now I am lost reading Lewis' reply to them.
Other things were a bit confusing to me because I am just not familiar with the knowledge or traditions that were widely known in Lewis' day. Thankfully, some of the footnotes explained these things.
I don't always agree with Lewis in his theology, but I always appreciate that he makes me think deeply about a wide variety of subjects.
In many of these essays, he poses a moral question, dances all around it from every perspective, shows how the atheistic or political perspective is wrong, and then leaves it to you to find an answer for yourself. The only obvious option left at the end is Christ, because that's the only thing that makes sense. Lewis leads you right to the edge of the water, but it is up to you to take it that little extra inch and get a satisfying Christian drink of living water.
I skipped the last section of the book which is some of Lewis' letters, because I have already read a much larger compilation of Lewis' letters. I skimmed over them here, and did not see anything new, so I just skipped it for now.
I was annoyed that several of the essay topics repeat themselves. There is an essay about "The Pains of Animals" and another titled "Vivisection" which have almost exactly the same material. Lewis reuses many of the same illustrations for slightly different topics, so it got kind of repetitive.
However, I still enjoyed it because his writing is just so wonderful in every respect. His words are vivid and powerful. His logic just makes so much sense. He leads you clearly from one point to the next so that you can see each link in the chain as you go along.
There is something truly natural and elemental about his arguments. You can look around you at your own life and say, "Ah yes. He described it exactly. Yep, that is the way the world works. That is reality. What he is saying here is true. I can see it every day in our society around us and in how God works in people." It's not like he is spouting some kind of mystical spiritual mystery that I can never understand or observe. He cuts right into the heart of things and clearly shows you the inner workings behind the glitter of the world.
He talks about how a God who is good can allow pain in the world, briefly summarizing concepts from his book "The Problem of Pain." He talks about the common man of his day and their objections or misunderstandings that keep them from believing in Christ. He talks about the decline of religion in Britain, and the Christian truths hidden in pagan mythology. He answers questions, refutes common mistakes of his contemporaries, and responds to criticisms from his fellow intellectuals.
Some of it felt like I was coming into a conversation after the people had already been talking for an hour. Because I didn't hear what the first person said, then I have little or no context for the responses. Since I have not read whatever article or essay was published by Dr. So-and-so, now I am lost reading Lewis' reply to them.
Other things were a bit confusing to me because I am just not familiar with the knowledge or traditions that were widely known in Lewis' day. Thankfully, some of the footnotes explained these things.
I don't always agree with Lewis in his theology, but I always appreciate that he makes me think deeply about a wide variety of subjects.
In many of these essays, he poses a moral question, dances all around it from every perspective, shows how the atheistic or political perspective is wrong, and then leaves it to you to find an answer for yourself. The only obvious option left at the end is Christ, because that's the only thing that makes sense. Lewis leads you right to the edge of the water, but it is up to you to take it that little extra inch and get a satisfying Christian drink of living water.
I skipped the last section of the book which is some of Lewis' letters, because I have already read a much larger compilation of Lewis' letters. I skimmed over them here, and did not see anything new, so I just skipped it for now.
I was annoyed that several of the essay topics repeat themselves. There is an essay about "The Pains of Animals" and another titled "Vivisection" which have almost exactly the same material. Lewis reuses many of the same illustrations for slightly different topics, so it got kind of repetitive.
However, I still enjoyed it because his writing is just so wonderful in every respect. His words are vivid and powerful. His logic just makes so much sense. He leads you clearly from one point to the next so that you can see each link in the chain as you go along.
There is something truly natural and elemental about his arguments. You can look around you at your own life and say, "Ah yes. He described it exactly. Yep, that is the way the world works. That is reality. What he is saying here is true. I can see it every day in our society around us and in how God works in people." It's not like he is spouting some kind of mystical spiritual mystery that I can never understand or observe. He cuts right into the heart of things and clearly shows you the inner workings behind the glitter of the world.
February 18, 2022
My favorite essays by C.S.Lewis were Xmas and Christmas, Apologetics, and Thoughts on Capital Punishment which should be retitled "Crime and Punishment.
September 15, 2012
"God in the Dock" is a great collection of essays and letters from C.S. Lewis, compiled and edited by Walter Hooper. For the American readers like myself, the book title (from an essay of the same name) is not referring to God being down at the boat dock, but rather in the dock, or witness stand, in a British court. Modern man has essentially put God on trial, asking Him to defend His existence and right to judge us. This book will appeal to the veteran reader of Lewis's major works looking to fill in the gaps in his library, along with the novice looking for a short-format dose of thought-provoking reading. Lewis addresses a wide range of subjects like the presence of evil in the world, the possibility of miracles, dogma, crime and punishment, and various proposed changes in the church at that time in England. Some of the material, being in the form of essays and letters published in magazines and journals of the time, and often in response to other authors, is of a very partial nature and somewhat dated in its subject matter. Explanatory footnotes from Mr. Hooper help fill in some of the backstory of the various debates going on at that time, and generally, the principles he attends to do not diminish with age.
Lewis's ability to pull deep life lessons from any occurrence are highlighted in essays like "Meditation in a Toolshed", "The Sermon and the Lunch", and "Delinquents in the Snow", while "Bulverism" and "Xmas and Christmas" show his humor. "We have no 'Right to Happiness'" hits at the root of much marital infidelity. Essays like "The Grand Miracle", "Christian Apologetics" and "What are We to Make of Jesus Christ?" delve into the very core of what it means to be a Christian. What do you believe? Do you know? If so, good. But then Lewis takes us to the deeper question - Why? Do you believe what your parents believed, what your teachers told you you should believe, what "experts" tell you to believe? Know why you believe what you believe, or else your beliefs will never stand up to the slightest wind of opposition. One final note: there will be sections that most people will struggle to grasp the nuances of Lewis's language. Most of his quotes from Greek, Latin, French, and German are translated in footnotes, but many of these expressions perhaps familiar to a literary scholar, with all the associated connotations, are not so recognizable to us now. Don't let that deter you from reading his works, however. Only in pushing our boundaries do we grow, and our minds are no exception to that rule.
Lewis's ability to pull deep life lessons from any occurrence are highlighted in essays like "Meditation in a Toolshed", "The Sermon and the Lunch", and "Delinquents in the Snow", while "Bulverism" and "Xmas and Christmas" show his humor. "We have no 'Right to Happiness'" hits at the root of much marital infidelity. Essays like "The Grand Miracle", "Christian Apologetics" and "What are We to Make of Jesus Christ?" delve into the very core of what it means to be a Christian. What do you believe? Do you know? If so, good. But then Lewis takes us to the deeper question - Why? Do you believe what your parents believed, what your teachers told you you should believe, what "experts" tell you to believe? Know why you believe what you believe, or else your beliefs will never stand up to the slightest wind of opposition. One final note: there will be sections that most people will struggle to grasp the nuances of Lewis's language. Most of his quotes from Greek, Latin, French, and German are translated in footnotes, but many of these expressions perhaps familiar to a literary scholar, with all the associated connotations, are not so recognizable to us now. Don't let that deter you from reading his works, however. Only in pushing our boundaries do we grow, and our minds are no exception to that rule.
February 2, 2023
C.S. Lewis is a hero of mine. I read his Mere Christianity when I had had newly become a follower of Jesus, and his writing stirred my soul in wonder to God like few things ever had. That book still stands as one of the most philosophically formative books I’ve ever read.
This book is also phenomenal. This seems in a way, as a bit of a sequel to Mere Christianity. It is very different. It is a series of his most memorable articles dealing in apologetics. I found myself amazed at Lewis’s compelling philosophical discourse, much of it from the 1940s, as it still rests firm as ever on our modern discussions.
I love reading Lewis because of his genius, his writing style, and because in his writing occasionally I see glimpses of the majesty of God. He’s also just fun. It’s fun to read C.S. Lewis. Reading Lewis is never boring. I dare say it can’t be boring.
I also love Lewis’s charity toward those who disagree with him. With Lewis there is never a morally superior - or scolding tone. One has the sense that an atheist and Lewis could walk through the park as dear old friends - all the while discussing their differences of philosophy and even the dangers of each others beliefs (all with some friendly banter and jovial mockery).
This book was truly a great read, and it deserves a place among Lewis’s other classics.
This book is also phenomenal. This seems in a way, as a bit of a sequel to Mere Christianity. It is very different. It is a series of his most memorable articles dealing in apologetics. I found myself amazed at Lewis’s compelling philosophical discourse, much of it from the 1940s, as it still rests firm as ever on our modern discussions.
I love reading Lewis because of his genius, his writing style, and because in his writing occasionally I see glimpses of the majesty of God. He’s also just fun. It’s fun to read C.S. Lewis. Reading Lewis is never boring. I dare say it can’t be boring.
I also love Lewis’s charity toward those who disagree with him. With Lewis there is never a morally superior - or scolding tone. One has the sense that an atheist and Lewis could walk through the park as dear old friends - all the while discussing their differences of philosophy and even the dangers of each others beliefs (all with some friendly banter and jovial mockery).
This book was truly a great read, and it deserves a place among Lewis’s other classics.
September 25, 2019
Reading Lewis is a mindtrip. It seems as though he has taken you to explore other worlds, but sooner or later you realize he is showing you a clearer picture of this one.
May 5, 2021
Solid gold, as per usual. “Bulverism” and “The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment” strike me as particularly important essays right now.
August 6, 2024
This was a WONDERFUL collection of essays. It has made it's way onto my Must Read & my Apologetics playlist and I cannot recommend it enough. It covers everything from politics, anthropology, deism, animal suffering, Christianity in general, and so much more. I listened to them free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj8dR... & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZAfj... . From answering common questions & objections for his time, addressing how to do evangelism in a world still so similar to ours, C.S. Lewis as a Christian Philosopher & evangelist does something that is so hard to do. Make the language of Christian teaching easy & plain to understand, and to apply it directly to so many life situations that even an unbeliever can understand what is being said. Agree or disagree, he does a masterful job of critiquing the failures in other world views & showing the strength of Christianity.
"The collection covers a wide range of topics but focuses primarily on Lewis' view of Christianity. The book is split into three sections, the first of which contains essays such as "Myth Became Fact", "The Grand Miracle", and "Is Theism Important?". These articles lay the groundwork for Lewis' apologetics, essentially establishing a starting point at which the true discrepancies between Christians and non-Christians become clear."
"The collection covers a wide range of topics but focuses primarily on Lewis' view of Christianity. The book is split into three sections, the first of which contains essays such as "Myth Became Fact", "The Grand Miracle", and "Is Theism Important?". These articles lay the groundwork for Lewis' apologetics, essentially establishing a starting point at which the true discrepancies between Christians and non-Christians become clear."
April 1, 2022
Another great collection of essays by CS Lewis. I was astounded many times by how timely many of these essays are for our time right now. Lewis may not have been a prophet but he saw what was coming very clearly. My favorites from this collection were: Answers to Questions on Christianity, On the Transmission of Christianity, Dangers of National Repentance, God in the Dock, and We have no “Right to happiness”
So good and so highly recommended
So good and so highly recommended
July 7, 2025
While it’s difficult to review a collection of essays on a variety of topics, I can safely say this collection is, on the whole, solid gold. There are a few essays in this I need to chew on some more.
January 10, 2021
C.S. Lewis faz falta. Cristão leigo, pensador, professor, escritor, apologista; seus méritos só se avolumam quando experimentamos lê-lo e descobrimos uma mente fazendo uso constante da lógica e assim trazendo as discussões no meio cristão a um nível impressionante. Isso faz muita falta.
May 1, 2021
Um livro que pode ter seus capítulos lidos de maneira independente, e estanque.
O autor aborda vários assuntos, principalmente, nas cartas, na parte final.
Pode ser usado para o estudo da Cultura, Cosmovisão, Artes, Leis, Vida Cristã.
A visão que permeia todos os temas tratados é justamente o título do livro, ou seja que de fato, o homem pensa que "Deus no banco dos réus".
Esta visão vem ao encontro do estudo da modernidade e pós-modernidade, principalmente, se o objetivo for averiguar seus fundamentos históricos.
As afirmações feitas continuam muito atuais, o que mostra que o autor captou a essência da problemática do homem.
Recomendo: 👍🏻 ⭐️
O autor aborda vários assuntos, principalmente, nas cartas, na parte final.
Pode ser usado para o estudo da Cultura, Cosmovisão, Artes, Leis, Vida Cristã.
A visão que permeia todos os temas tratados é justamente o título do livro, ou seja que de fato, o homem pensa que "Deus no banco dos réus".
Esta visão vem ao encontro do estudo da modernidade e pós-modernidade, principalmente, se o objetivo for averiguar seus fundamentos históricos.
As afirmações feitas continuam muito atuais, o que mostra que o autor captou a essência da problemática do homem.
Recomendo: 👍🏻 ⭐️
December 22, 2018
This is my last book read of 2018, completing virtually all of C.S. Lewis’ works. It was a fantastic way to end.
At 380 pages (and denser pages than the typical Harper Collins Lewis publications), this was the longest Lewis book I read all year. But as with Weight of Glory and other ‘books,’ this is simply a collection of essays. But I’d say this is the best collection. About a half of it is apologetics, which I really enjoy. I’d say reading Lewis’ apologetic essays here were clearer than in Miracles (although I loved Miracles!). But the other essays had to do with theology, church, some politics, and Christian living. It was a beautiful mixed bag of Lewis’ thoughts!
As for which essays were great, I have many starred (and doubled starred) in the contents. But next year I plan on going through them each more. All I will say is that this collection confirmed something that I have been thinking as I’ve been reading all of Lewis this year: he is a better essayist than whole book author. I’m sure that’d be disputed by many, but that’s my opinion. His larger works (books) are of course full of brilliance. But there’s many more poor spots. The Problem of Pain on suffering, The Great Divorce on hell, The Reflection on the Pslams on the psalms, and The Four Loves on love, and even Mere Christianity, are all worthwhile reads, but they’re not his best works (Miracles even could be added to this list). Instead, he thrives when he writes a 15-30 page essay on a similar topic. He’s clearer, he avoids his bad spots, and he usually still gets the brilliance across.
So, being a book of essays, I loved this very much. It took me a while to get through, but I was savoring it. Of course, some were much better than others. But overall, I loved it—even more than The Weight of Glory collection of essays. It’s worth dredging through for sure.
At 380 pages (and denser pages than the typical Harper Collins Lewis publications), this was the longest Lewis book I read all year. But as with Weight of Glory and other ‘books,’ this is simply a collection of essays. But I’d say this is the best collection. About a half of it is apologetics, which I really enjoy. I’d say reading Lewis’ apologetic essays here were clearer than in Miracles (although I loved Miracles!). But the other essays had to do with theology, church, some politics, and Christian living. It was a beautiful mixed bag of Lewis’ thoughts!
As for which essays were great, I have many starred (and doubled starred) in the contents. But next year I plan on going through them each more. All I will say is that this collection confirmed something that I have been thinking as I’ve been reading all of Lewis this year: he is a better essayist than whole book author. I’m sure that’d be disputed by many, but that’s my opinion. His larger works (books) are of course full of brilliance. But there’s many more poor spots. The Problem of Pain on suffering, The Great Divorce on hell, The Reflection on the Pslams on the psalms, and The Four Loves on love, and even Mere Christianity, are all worthwhile reads, but they’re not his best works (Miracles even could be added to this list). Instead, he thrives when he writes a 15-30 page essay on a similar topic. He’s clearer, he avoids his bad spots, and he usually still gets the brilliance across.
So, being a book of essays, I loved this very much. It took me a while to get through, but I was savoring it. Of course, some were much better than others. But overall, I loved it—even more than The Weight of Glory collection of essays. It’s worth dredging through for sure.
May 22, 2017
If I had to recommend to you an essay collection by C. S. Lewis, then THIS WOULD IT BE!!!
Walter Hooper has done a very great job in compiling this essay collection....
I must confess that in the art of writing, the essay form versus the novel or even novellas has capture and gain my heart.
It even was neglected by me, so as for example other peoples neglect short stories or non fiction literature....
And so "God in the Dock" by C. S. Lewis will not disappoint, it is witty and insightful written, covering a vast variety of topics and shedding much needed light particularly for the times we live in....
Before I pick up some of my favorites essays in the collection for you, I must say that the paperback edition from Eerdmans is a carefully and high qualitative elaborated piece of a book!!!
The paper, the size of the letters and the whole book, invites and affords you to enjoy at the best this collection.
"God in the Dock" begins with a foreword by Walter Hooper, is then follow by four main parts, and reminding and showing us a sample of Lewis skills in his diverse letters brings to an end this valuable and really good essay collection.
"Revival or decay ?" treat with the Christian religion and how people react to it!!!
"Meditation in a toolshed" sheds light on the subject of looking along, and looking at it, it will knock you out!!!
If you want to start reading C. S. Lewis works, than this book would be a good beginning ...
I recommend it to all of you whose spirits keep asking, and cannot find appropriate answers.
And five stars of course, please don't miss this one, it will be without a doubt rewarding experience.
I promise it!!!
Dean:)
Walter Hooper has done a very great job in compiling this essay collection....
I must confess that in the art of writing, the essay form versus the novel or even novellas has capture and gain my heart.
It even was neglected by me, so as for example other peoples neglect short stories or non fiction literature....
And so "God in the Dock" by C. S. Lewis will not disappoint, it is witty and insightful written, covering a vast variety of topics and shedding much needed light particularly for the times we live in....
Before I pick up some of my favorites essays in the collection for you, I must say that the paperback edition from Eerdmans is a carefully and high qualitative elaborated piece of a book!!!
The paper, the size of the letters and the whole book, invites and affords you to enjoy at the best this collection.
"God in the Dock" begins with a foreword by Walter Hooper, is then follow by four main parts, and reminding and showing us a sample of Lewis skills in his diverse letters brings to an end this valuable and really good essay collection.
"Revival or decay ?" treat with the Christian religion and how people react to it!!!
"Meditation in a toolshed" sheds light on the subject of looking along, and looking at it, it will knock you out!!!
If you want to start reading C. S. Lewis works, than this book would be a good beginning ...
I recommend it to all of you whose spirits keep asking, and cannot find appropriate answers.
And five stars of course, please don't miss this one, it will be without a doubt rewarding experience.
I promise it!!!
Dean:)
June 4, 2021
There are some brilliant pieces in this book--and a few terrible things! It isn't my favourite collection but I do like reading it every couple of years. It was better when I read it chronologically than in the way it is designed (because of repetition, but it also let me see what was important to Lewis at different points in his life).
January 8, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. At one moment it would be delightful, then next abominable theology, and the next the best theology I've heard in a long time. Definitely one to cherry pick from and re read in the future
March 3, 2016
As someone who is quite fond of the writings of C.S. Lewis [1], I was glad to be able to pick up a book I had long looked forward to reading. In many ways, this particular book is a feast of scraps, a topically organized collection of essays, articles, and letters about theology and ethics by C.S. Lewis that had been largely forgotten until they were collected after his death by his longtime friend and personal secretary, Walter Hooper. The essays themselves are divided into several parts: part I consisting of those the editor judges to be clearly theological, part II those the editor judges to be semi-theological, part III those essays the editor judges to be ethical in nature, and part IV consisting of a brief collection of letters. The contents of the book cover 340 pages or so of core material, and range from ruminations on Christmas and the doctrinal importance of liturgy to discussions of punishment by humanitarian means, miracles, the relationship of science and religion, and the judgment. These various essays and articles were published in small-scale journals and magazines, and show a great deal of consistency of approach and a certain gracious humility and pointed honesty in C.S. Lewis.
If someone should ever decide to make a book of my more obscure but thoughtful writings, I would hope that it would bear at least a slight resemblance to what is in these pages. Throughout these essays we see Lewis engaged in a give-and-take with others, mostly responding to others in a sort of debate [2], showing concerns, addressing matters within his expertise, and pointing out matters of controversy from his perspective. As Lewis was an articulate intellectual layman who wrote often from his own particular religious background as well as from the point of view of an openly avowed intellectual with an interest in literary criticism who sought to communicate with ordinary people of no particular technical expertise, I have long found his writing and approach to be congenial to my own. Continually, Lewis is apologizing for having written something in a particularly ambiguous or unclear way so as to cause confusion, and then seeking to make his point again in different language, seeking first a meeting of minds that allows others to understand what he is really saying, and so that he understands what they are saying, so that at that point a meaningful discussion of means and ends can begin. The audiences dealt with are largely either internal Christian audiences, often of an Anglican kind, where Lewis’ place as a well-known and well-regarded layperson allowed him the liberty to fence with the ordained ministry of his church in ways that must have stung for some of the people Lewis debated over matters of theology and ethics. While Lewis was humble as to his own abilities to engage in emotional appeals to “come to Jesus,” the fact that he participated openly and publicly in discussions with ordained ministers must have been viewed as somewhat cheeky and daring, and maybe even disrespectful, by some people who believe themselves above accountability to laypeople concerning the practices and behavior of ordained ministers.
Even apart from the specific context of Lewis’ writings in various intramural debates among fellow Christian apologists, or in his pointed critiques of his contemporary political culture, these essays sparkle in large part because they are so eminently quotable [3]. Those who are only familiar with Lewis’ longer writings, without a familiarity with this hurly burly essay work would miss a large part of how he became the writer he did, with his thoughts sharpened in discussions with others, often in the printed word. In these occasional pieces, written as debate pieces in the Socratic Club, as replies to people who took offense to one aspect or another of his books or public addresses, or as responses to the writings of others that he read in the newspaper or in various magazines, or even one particularly humorous and biting discussion of the home life of a particular vicar whose lack of authenticity in talking about family life is noted, Lewis sharpens his language, examines those aspects of his thinking or writing that are unclear or misleading, and refines both his thoughts and writings as a result of a lengthy conversation with fellow thoughtful Christians and open-minded atheists. For those of us who, like him, speak and write in public, especially those of us who as laypeople have no particular claim to official authority, this sort of book is a worthwhile example of a life spent profitably in the public square, and a worthy model of the approach and attitude to take in these efforts.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[3] See, for example:
“To a mind which did not share our emotions, and lacked our imaginative energies, the argument from size would be sheerly meaningless. Men look on the starry heavens with reverence: monkeys do not. The silence of the eternal spaces terrified Pascal, but it was the greatness of Pascal that allowed them to do so. When we are frightened by the greatness of the universe, we are (almost literally) frightened by our own shadows: for these light years and billions of centuries are mere arithmetic until the shadow of man, the poet, the maker of myth, falls upon them. I do not say we are wrong to tremble at his shadow; it is a shadow of an image of God. But if ever the vastness of matter threatens to overcross our spirits, one must remember that it is matter spiritualized which does so (41).”
“If we had noticed that the young men of the present day found it harder and harder to get the right answer to sums, we should consider that this had been adequately explained the moment we discovered that schools had for some years ceased to teach arithmetic. After that discovery we should turn a deaf ear to people who offered explanations of a vaguer and larger kind—people who said that the influence of Einstein had sapped the ancestral belief in fixed numerical relations, or that gangster films had undermined the desire to get right answers, or that the evolution of consciousness was now entering its post-arithmetical phase. Where a clear and simple explanation completely covers the facts no other explanation is in court (115).”
“It is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives the others just that same feeling of despair which their flaws give you. And it is almost certainly something you don’t know about—like what the advertisements call ‘halitosis’, which everyone notices except the person who has it. But why, you ask, don’t the others tell me? Believe me, they have tried to tell you over and over again, and you just couldn’t ‘take it’ (153).”
“Finally, I must add that my own work has suffered very much from the incurable intellectualism of my approach. The simple, emotional appeal (‘Come to Jesus’) is still often successful. But those who, like myself, lack the gift for making it, had better not attempt it (244).”
“It may be said that by the continued use of the word punishment and the use of the verb ‘inflict’ I am misrepresenting Humanitarians. They are not punishing, not inflicting, only healing. But do not let us be deceived by a name. To be taken without consent from my home and friends; to lose my liberty; to undergo all those assaults on my personality which modern psychotherapy knows how to deliver; to be re-made after some pattern of ‘normality’ hatched in a Viennese laboratory to which I never professed allegiance; to know that this process will never end until either my captors have succeeded or I grown wise enough to cheat them with apparent success—who cares whether this is called punishment or not? That it includes most of the elements for which punishment is feared—shame, exile, bondage, and years eaten by the locust—is obvious. Only enormous ill-desert could justify it; but ill-desert is the very conception which the Humanitarian theory has thrown overboard (290-291).”
“Thus in the ruthless war of promiscuity women are at a double disadvantage. They play for higher stakes and are also more likely to lose. I have no sympathy with moralists who frown at the increasing crudity of female provocativeness. These signs of desperate competition fill me with pity (322).”
If someone should ever decide to make a book of my more obscure but thoughtful writings, I would hope that it would bear at least a slight resemblance to what is in these pages. Throughout these essays we see Lewis engaged in a give-and-take with others, mostly responding to others in a sort of debate [2], showing concerns, addressing matters within his expertise, and pointing out matters of controversy from his perspective. As Lewis was an articulate intellectual layman who wrote often from his own particular religious background as well as from the point of view of an openly avowed intellectual with an interest in literary criticism who sought to communicate with ordinary people of no particular technical expertise, I have long found his writing and approach to be congenial to my own. Continually, Lewis is apologizing for having written something in a particularly ambiguous or unclear way so as to cause confusion, and then seeking to make his point again in different language, seeking first a meeting of minds that allows others to understand what he is really saying, and so that he understands what they are saying, so that at that point a meaningful discussion of means and ends can begin. The audiences dealt with are largely either internal Christian audiences, often of an Anglican kind, where Lewis’ place as a well-known and well-regarded layperson allowed him the liberty to fence with the ordained ministry of his church in ways that must have stung for some of the people Lewis debated over matters of theology and ethics. While Lewis was humble as to his own abilities to engage in emotional appeals to “come to Jesus,” the fact that he participated openly and publicly in discussions with ordained ministers must have been viewed as somewhat cheeky and daring, and maybe even disrespectful, by some people who believe themselves above accountability to laypeople concerning the practices and behavior of ordained ministers.
Even apart from the specific context of Lewis’ writings in various intramural debates among fellow Christian apologists, or in his pointed critiques of his contemporary political culture, these essays sparkle in large part because they are so eminently quotable [3]. Those who are only familiar with Lewis’ longer writings, without a familiarity with this hurly burly essay work would miss a large part of how he became the writer he did, with his thoughts sharpened in discussions with others, often in the printed word. In these occasional pieces, written as debate pieces in the Socratic Club, as replies to people who took offense to one aspect or another of his books or public addresses, or as responses to the writings of others that he read in the newspaper or in various magazines, or even one particularly humorous and biting discussion of the home life of a particular vicar whose lack of authenticity in talking about family life is noted, Lewis sharpens his language, examines those aspects of his thinking or writing that are unclear or misleading, and refines both his thoughts and writings as a result of a lengthy conversation with fellow thoughtful Christians and open-minded atheists. For those of us who, like him, speak and write in public, especially those of us who as laypeople have no particular claim to official authority, this sort of book is a worthwhile example of a life spent profitably in the public square, and a worthy model of the approach and attitude to take in these efforts.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[3] See, for example:
“To a mind which did not share our emotions, and lacked our imaginative energies, the argument from size would be sheerly meaningless. Men look on the starry heavens with reverence: monkeys do not. The silence of the eternal spaces terrified Pascal, but it was the greatness of Pascal that allowed them to do so. When we are frightened by the greatness of the universe, we are (almost literally) frightened by our own shadows: for these light years and billions of centuries are mere arithmetic until the shadow of man, the poet, the maker of myth, falls upon them. I do not say we are wrong to tremble at his shadow; it is a shadow of an image of God. But if ever the vastness of matter threatens to overcross our spirits, one must remember that it is matter spiritualized which does so (41).”
“If we had noticed that the young men of the present day found it harder and harder to get the right answer to sums, we should consider that this had been adequately explained the moment we discovered that schools had for some years ceased to teach arithmetic. After that discovery we should turn a deaf ear to people who offered explanations of a vaguer and larger kind—people who said that the influence of Einstein had sapped the ancestral belief in fixed numerical relations, or that gangster films had undermined the desire to get right answers, or that the evolution of consciousness was now entering its post-arithmetical phase. Where a clear and simple explanation completely covers the facts no other explanation is in court (115).”
“It is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives the others just that same feeling of despair which their flaws give you. And it is almost certainly something you don’t know about—like what the advertisements call ‘halitosis’, which everyone notices except the person who has it. But why, you ask, don’t the others tell me? Believe me, they have tried to tell you over and over again, and you just couldn’t ‘take it’ (153).”
“Finally, I must add that my own work has suffered very much from the incurable intellectualism of my approach. The simple, emotional appeal (‘Come to Jesus’) is still often successful. But those who, like myself, lack the gift for making it, had better not attempt it (244).”
“It may be said that by the continued use of the word punishment and the use of the verb ‘inflict’ I am misrepresenting Humanitarians. They are not punishing, not inflicting, only healing. But do not let us be deceived by a name. To be taken without consent from my home and friends; to lose my liberty; to undergo all those assaults on my personality which modern psychotherapy knows how to deliver; to be re-made after some pattern of ‘normality’ hatched in a Viennese laboratory to which I never professed allegiance; to know that this process will never end until either my captors have succeeded or I grown wise enough to cheat them with apparent success—who cares whether this is called punishment or not? That it includes most of the elements for which punishment is feared—shame, exile, bondage, and years eaten by the locust—is obvious. Only enormous ill-desert could justify it; but ill-desert is the very conception which the Humanitarian theory has thrown overboard (290-291).”
“Thus in the ruthless war of promiscuity women are at a double disadvantage. They play for higher stakes and are also more likely to lose. I have no sympathy with moralists who frown at the increasing crudity of female provocativeness. These signs of desperate competition fill me with pity (322).”
November 28, 2020
This collection of essays, lectures, interviews, and letters covers a wide spectrum of topics. Most deal with some serious theological or philosophical issue; some deal with relatively trivial matters. All of them illuminate a compelling strand of Lewis's thought. Here are some examples:
The relation of religion to science emerges as a recurring theme throughout God in the Dock. In "Dogma and the Universe" Lewis argues against the self-existence of matter; in "Religion and Science" he refutes the claim that premodern man was more gullible about the miraculous than we; in "Religion Without Dogma" he attacks naturalism; in "Two Lectures" we hear an eloquent argument for evolution turned upside-down and played backward as a defense of creative design.
Several essays answer specific questions: Is a good life possible without Christianity? Is prayer effective? What are we to make of Jesus Christ? (—to which Lewis answers, what is He to make of us?) Should we love the self or renounce the self? Is Christianity in a state of revival or decay? (Both.) Can there be Anglican priestesses? (Not if it is still to be Christianity.) Should we read modern translations of the Bible? (Definitely, although with prudence.)
In three essays ("The Pains of Animals", "A Rejoinder to Dr. Pittinger", and "Vivisection") Lewis defends, corrects, and expands the arguments of "The Problem of Pain."
We should read old books more than new ones.
Christmas has three meanings: the religious holiday, the popular holiday of merrymaking and hospitality, and the commercial racket. The first should be observed, the second tolerated, the third condemned.
He did not like the carolers who came to his door. (This was because they were often year-round troublemakers who temporarily donned angelic expressions when soliciting money at Christmas.)
The welfare state enslaves its populace.
Anglican priests should know the lines of boundary between Anglican Christianity and two distortions: the broad slipperiness of modern liberalism on the one side, and Roman Catholicism on the other.
Archaic and traditional language in the Book of Common Prayer should be retained ("Miserable Offenders"); but watch out for undue veneration of the Authorized Version ("Modern Translations of the Bible").
We have no "right to happiness" in the way the phrase is usually meant. (Then, as now, it almost always means "sexual happiness.") A right is a freedom guaranteed by the laws of a society, but Lewis argues that those laws cannot guarantee a happy state for every individual. In the U.S.'s Declaration of Independence, which Lewis defends, there is of course the right to pursue happiness—that is, pursue it by means sanctioned by the nation and nature; but this is not an unlimited right or a promise of its realization. After all, Lewis comments, the people making the most noise about the "right to happiness" fail to fairly apply it outside the realm of transgressive sexual relationships: do we ever hear about the right of the ruthless CEO to make more money or of the nicotine addict to smoke more cigarettes just because those behaviors will bring them happiness?
The Nazis attempted to co-opt Wagner's mythology into their ideology, but it was a doomed project. The Nazis, after all, believed that might was right; theirs was a utilitarian worldview built on sheer power—the ultimate expression of survival of the fittest coupled with the optimistic arrogance of Aryan supremacy. But in Wagner's Ring Cycle, and in the broader Norse mythology of which it was the Romantic capstone, the looming background was always defeat. The gods were destined for a tragic fate; Odin had the right but not the might; and of all the world's religions, the Norse was the only one calling men to fight on the losing side ("First and Second Things").
Repenting of imaginary sins, especially on national scale, is not harmless but destructive ("The Dangers of National Repentance").
There should not be a Christian party or Christian platform in government ("Meditation on the Third Commandment").
The decline of religion may be a very good thing, in that it leaves little room for ambiguity or impostors: "When the Round Table is broken, one must follow either Galahad or Mordred."
Capital punishment should be maintained as a form of retributive justice (as opposed to remedial justice).
There's a difference between looking at and looking along. To look at something is to analyze it; to look along it is to be caught in the experience of it. One can look at a sunbeam filtering through the dust, or one can look along the sunbeam to see the outside world and the sun itself. One can analyze love or faith or courage as physical phenomena directed by physics, genetics, or Freudian or Marxist impulses, or one can be in love, or have faith, or take courage ("Meditation in a Toolshed"). This is really two ways of knowing: direct experience on the one hand, and analysis and abstraction on the other. The problem is that while we are experiencing something we cannot analyze it (who analyzes pain when impaled by a spear, or love in the nuptial embrace?), and when we do pause to analyze it we know longer really know the thing. And this is where myths, and the Christian myth especially, are so important: through myths we come the closest to experiencing in a concrete way what would otherwise be mere abstraction ("Myth Became Fact").
God relates to us in the same way Shakespeare relates to "The Tempest" ("Must Our Image of God Go?").
The people who wail that we are returning to paganism don't understand how much worse off we are than the pagans.
The relation of religion to science emerges as a recurring theme throughout God in the Dock. In "Dogma and the Universe" Lewis argues against the self-existence of matter; in "Religion and Science" he refutes the claim that premodern man was more gullible about the miraculous than we; in "Religion Without Dogma" he attacks naturalism; in "Two Lectures" we hear an eloquent argument for evolution turned upside-down and played backward as a defense of creative design.
Several essays answer specific questions: Is a good life possible without Christianity? Is prayer effective? What are we to make of Jesus Christ? (—to which Lewis answers, what is He to make of us?) Should we love the self or renounce the self? Is Christianity in a state of revival or decay? (Both.) Can there be Anglican priestesses? (Not if it is still to be Christianity.) Should we read modern translations of the Bible? (Definitely, although with prudence.)
In three essays ("The Pains of Animals", "A Rejoinder to Dr. Pittinger", and "Vivisection") Lewis defends, corrects, and expands the arguments of "The Problem of Pain."
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