C.S. Lewis – A Far Green Country

In an effort to communicate my appreciation for, and my indebtedness to his life and writing, I decided to put together a post sharing resources on C.S. Lewis to help others find these treasures on Lewis. I told my wife not too long ago that I really do think I could spend the rest of my days reading his books, as well books about him. His contributions across various spheres of Christian life have been vast. He speaks to me as very few others do.

I’m no Lewis scholar. I’m a rank amateur at best. But I am a fan who is trying to learn more about him. And while I can’t cite every fact about his life or how he influenced such-and-such school of thought, I find myself returning to him time and time again… whether it is his fiction, nonfiction, letters, or poetry. For that matter, I usually have a biography of Lewis somewhere near my bedside table.

Below are a few links to websites by folks who really are Lewis scholars and who have contributed in helping us think about how Lewis may serve us as a spiritual guide, among other things. I have also included links to websites about his friends, his influences, and those who have been greatly influenced by him. Enjoy.

Joy and Truth,
Dale

Courses on C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis: His Theology and Philosophy by Michael Peterson (at biblical training.org)

The Life and Writing of C.S. Lewis by Louis Markos (at Great Courses)

C.S. Lewis by Knox Chamblin (at Reformed Theological Seminary)

Mere Christianity by Christopher Mitchell (at C.S. Lewis Institute)

The Screwtape Letters by Jerry Root (at C.S. Lewis Institute)

Letters to Malcolm by Marjorie Lamp Mead (at C.S. Lewis Institute)

Theology of C.S. Lewis by Andrew Hoffecker (at The Gospel Coalition)

An Introduction to C.S. Lewis (at Hillsdale College)

Influences on the Thought of C.S. Lewis by Jerry Root (at Logos.com)

C.S. Lewis Foundation seminars

Websites and Organizations

1.) C.S. Lewis Institute – Bonanza of great resources. Check out their publications, Reflections and Knowing & Doing. They have great curricula on two Lewis books as well as many audio messages you can listen to or download.

2.) C.S. Lewis Foundation – Another bonanza. Lots of great resources including an online journal and blog.

3.) The C.S. Lewis Review

4.) Into the Wardrobe

5.) Diana Glyer’s website

6.) Mere Lewis.org

7.) C.S. Lewis at Harper

8.) C.S. Lewis Society of California

9.) Narnia Web.com

10.) C.S. Lewis & Public Life

Websites with lots of articles about Lewis

1.) Catholic Education Resource Center

2.) Books and Culture

3.) C.S. Lewis, Literature, and Life

Inklings and Other Friends of Lewis Related Sites

1.) The Kindlings and Earl Palmer Ministries

2.) Peter Kreeft

3.) Ralph Wood

4.) American Chesterton Society

5.) The Tolkien Society

6.) The Inklings

7.) Mythopoeic Society

8.) George MacDonald Society

9.) George MacDonald Info Web

What first piqued your interest in C.S. Lewis?

What first piqued your interest in Chopin? In sunsets? In astronomy? In Audrey Hepburn? The question does not need to be asked by anyone who has answered it. The thing itself, the object, Lewis’s mind and spirit, the truths and goodnesses and beauties in his writings, rather than any psychological, individual, “felt need” on my part or any sociological relevance or fashionableness on the part of the society or culture I came out of.
My college roommate credited Lewis, especially Mere Christianity, with saving his faith. When I tried it, it was like Augustine’s first reading of the Bible: “Oh, I know all that; that’s too easy for me.” Like the Bible, and like a human face, the book is deceptively simple on its surface but inexhaustible in its depths. Once we have grown some depths of maturity and overcome superficiality and superciliousness and adolescent arrogance, we love it. It’s the second book I mention, after the Gospels, when people ask me what to read to understand Christianity.

The Problem of Pain was actually the first Lewis book I read, as a college freshman. I didn’t understand it all the first time, but I did understand that the reason I didn’t understand had nothing to do with Lewis, but only with me. Here was the clearest, most direct, honest, intelligent, reasonable answer I had ever seen (and almost 50 years later it remains that!) to the most difficult problem in the world.

Tag: C.S. Lewis

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Peter Kreeft on C.S. Lewis