C.S. Lewis: The Shape of His Faith and Thought

by Paul L. Holmer

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Genres: Theology, Religion

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1977

About the author

Professor Paul L. Holmer (1916–2004) was Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School (1960–1987), having previous taught at Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota. He was widely recognised as a leading authority on Kierkegaard, and was the author of books and papers on the subject, including the two-volume Kierkegaard's Edifying Discourses.

Reviews

[Kris]

One of the older Lewis studies, from 1976. Just 30 years after WWII, and 13 years after Lewis's death in 1963.

It isn’t groundbreaking for my understanding of Lewis, but it is perceptive and insightful. The author emphasizes how Lewis avoids getting stuck in theological or literary theories (of history or his day). Instead, he uses simple language to get to the point and help the reader engage. Slightly more focus on Lewis’s nonfiction than his fiction, though most all his major works are mentioned at least once.

Cited by Alister McGrath.

Quotes:

“Lewis’s literature shows us something without quite arguing it” (pg. 20).

"C. S. Lewis's thought is so different because it is not neatly separated into kinds and compartments. He is a moralist without a definitive moral thesis, a theologian without being a schoolish type, a critic without having quite a critical theory" (pg. 61-62).

[Kathleen Nalley]

I’m exploring Lewis’ work and this text affirmed some of my observations in a much more learned way than I could state them!

[Anne Hamilton]

I found this a curiously dry book, as if despite the title it was observing from a distance rather than closely engaged with Lewis' thought. On reflection, like Alister McGrath's If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Ideas of C. S. Lewis on the Meaning of Life, it somehow manages to wedge his writing into the paradoxical position of being erudite and superficial at the same time. I've come to the conclusion that what appeals to academics about Lewis is his fierce and relentless logic that whittles away all pretensions both in defence of the gospel and in opposition to it.

But Lewis himself must have, at some point, recognised the limitations of logic (which ultimately fails, because it does not cope with paradox) and began to write bright works of fiction: Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet / Perelandra / That Hideous Strength and The Chronicles of Narnia. Let me peer with wonder into the mystery and the transcendent beauty of those novels - yes, I know it's impossible now to feel the watershed moment that changed the nature of science fiction writing and is described by John Griffiths in Three Tomorrows: American, British, and Soviet Science Fiction, referring to Out of the Silent Planet - but I want to have a sense of the spiritual and emotional seachange that Lewis brings to readers.

If you want something different from what I do, without the incandescence and the fire, this is a mighty fine introduction to Lewis' thought.

[Brenton]

These are theologian Paul L. Holmer’s inaugural Wade Lectures on C.S. Lewis at Wheaton College in 1975, written up into a book. The writing is sharp and descriptive, and the ideas clear. I love the intellectual question of Lewis and theory (philosophical and literary), but I disagree with almost everything. This may be the space between us and the cultural moment (for theory is always in a cultural moment) rather than a substantial difference in how we have read Lewis.

[Jeffrey Kahl]

A very faithful presentation of many fundamental principles that animate the thinking of C S Lewis.

[Tweedledum]

An excellent book! Having read Paul Holmer on Lewis I feel I can now begin to talk about Lewis with some confidence and feel doubly inspired to get on and read everything he wrote. Holmer describes Lewis' literature as " a long kind of praeparatio evangelica" in other words he ( Lewis) prepares the ground for modern man, woman and child to accept God and Christ where so much has been done to undermine the ultimate significance of Christianity.

[James Eckblad]

A simple book that nails the relationship between Lewis and understanding of the value of literature.