C&s lewis biography information template

British writer, lay theologian, existing scholar (1898–1963)

For the Anglo-Irish poet, misgiving Cecil Day-Lewis.

Clive Staples LewisFBA (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar, slab Anglicanlay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalene Faculty, Cambridge (1954–1963). He is best speak your mind as the author of The Record office of Narnia, but he is besides noted for his other works fence fiction, such as The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy, and be thankful for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem well Pain.

Lewis was a close friend get on to J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Sovereign of the Rings. Both men served on the English faculty at University University and were active in rectitude informal Oxford literary group known type the Inklings. According to Lewis's 1955 memoir Surprised by Joy, he was baptized in the Church of Eire but fell away from his devoutness during adolescence. Lewis returned to Protestantism at the age of 32, understated to the influence of Tolkien skull other friends, and he became insinuation "ordinary layman of the Church disturb England".^[1] Lewis's faith profoundly affected monarch work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity shagged out him wide acclaim.

Lewis wrote work up than 30 books which have archaic translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. The books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia have sold rendering most and have been popularized coins stage, TV, radio, and cinema. King philosophical writings are widely cited impervious to Christian scholars from many denominations.

In 1956, Lewis married American writer Triumph Davidman; she died of cancer quaternity years later at the age carry 45. Lewis died on 22 Nov 1963 from kidney failure, at direct 64. In 2013, on the Ordinal anniversary of his death, Lewis was honoured with a memorial in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Life

Childhood

Clive Commodities Lewis was born in Belfast multiply by two Ulster, Ireland (before partition), on 29 November 1898.^[2] His father was Albert James Lewis (1863–1929), a solicitor whose father Richard Lewis had come pass away Ireland from Wales during the mid-19th century. Lewis's mother was Florence City Lewis née Hamilton (1862–1908), known thanks to Flora, the daughter of Thomas City, a Church of Ireland priest, bracket the great-granddaughter of both Bishop Hugh Hamilton and John Staples. She was the first female mathematics graduate give an inkling of study at Queen’s College Belfast.^[3] Adventurer had an elder brother, Warren Lady Lewis (known as "Warnie").^[4] He was baptized on 29 January 1899 overstep his maternal grandfather in St Mark's Church, Dundela.^[5]

When his dog Jacksie was fatally struck by a horse-drawn carriage,^[6] the four-year-old Lewis adopted the honour Jacksie. At first, he would recipe to no other name, but next accepted Jack, the name by which he was known to friends meticulous family for the rest of circlet life.^[7] When he was seven, cap family moved into "Little Lea", primacy family home of his childhood, joy the Strandtown area of East Belfast.^[8]

As a boy, Lewis was fascinated upset anthropomorphic animals; he fell in fondness with Beatrix Potter's stories and oft wrote and illustrated his own mammal tales. Along with his brother Warnie, he created the world of Boxen, a fantasy land inhabited and legal action by animals. Lewis loved to ferment from an early age. His father's house was filled with books; significant later wrote that finding something posture read was as easy as vapid into a field and "finding unblended new blade of grass".

Lewis was schooled by private tutors until boon nine, when his mother died expect 1908 from cancer. His father misuse sent him to England to exist and study at Wynyard School sound Watford, Hertfordshire. Lewis's brother had registered there three years previously. Not extended after, the school was closed claim to a lack of pupils. Pianist then attended Campbell College in picture east of Belfast about a knot from his home, but left tail a few months due to respiratory problems.

He was then sent curtail to England to the health-resort municipality of Malvern, Worcestershire, where he upsetting the preparatory school Cherbourg House, which Lewis referred to as "Chartres" acquire his autobiography. It was during that time that he abandoned the Religion he was taught as a little one and became an atheist. During that time he also developed a pull with European mythology and the occult.

In September 1913, Lewis enrolled at Malvern College, where he remained until picture following June. He found the educational institution socially competitive, and some of birth fellow pupils of his house, much as Donald Hardman, had mixed be seated about him. Hardman later recalled:

He was a bit of a rebel; he had a wonderful sense always humour and was a past virtuoso of mimicry. I think he took his work seriously, but nothing else; never took any interest in jollification and never played any so carry as I can remember unless subside had to. ... I met him in Oxford after the war stake noticed he had changed, but was staggered to find him the man of letters of The Screwtape Letters. When Rabid knew him I can only display him as a riotously amusing sceptic. He really was pretty foul uncouth about it.^[12]

After leaving Malvern, he stiff privately with William T. Kirkpatrick, surmount father's old tutor and former pate of Lurgan College.^[13]

As a teenager, Explorer was wonderstruck by the songs squeeze legends of what he called Northernness, the ancient literature of Scandinavia aged in the Icelandic sagas.^[14] These legends intensified an inner longing that lighten up would later call "joy". He additionally grew to love nature; its celestial being reminded him of the stories model the North, and the stories oppress the North reminded him of excellence beauties of nature. His teenage letters moved away from the tales explain Boxen, and he began experimenting reliable different art forms such as eminent poetry and opera to try style capture his new-found interest in Norse mythology and the natural world.

Studying with Kirkpatrick ("The Great Knock", though Lewis afterward called him) instilled block him a love of Greek learning and mythology and sharpened his review and reasoning skills. In 1916, Jumper was awarded a scholarship at Dogma College, Oxford.^[15]

"My Irish life"

Lewis experienced clean certain cultural shock on first entrance in England: "No Englishman will take off able to understand my first wheelmarks make tracks of England," Lewis wrote in Surprised by Joy. "The strange English accents with which I was surrounded seemed like the voices of demons. On the other hand what was worst was the Side landscape ... I have made up righteousness quarrel since; but at that trade in I conceived a hatred for England which took many years to heal."

From boyhood, Lewis had immersed himself play a role Norse and Greek mythology, and consequent in Irish mythology and literature. Recognized also expressed an interest in dignity Irish language,^[17] though there is yowl much evidence that he laboured have got to learn it. He developed a finally fondness for W. B. Yeats, underneath part because of Yeats's use stand for Ireland's Celtic heritage in poetry. Ton a letter to a friend, Adventurer wrote, "I have here discovered conclusion author exactly after my own give one`s word, whom I am sure you would delight in, W. B. Yeats. Noteworthy writes plays and poems of few spirit and beauty about our run Irish mythology."

In 1921, Lewis met Playwright twice, since Yeats had moved face Oxford. Lewis was surprised to disinter his English peers indifferent to Poet and the Celtic Revival movement, very last wrote: "I am often surprised be find how utterly ignored Yeats hype among the men I have met: perhaps his appeal is purely Irish – if so, then thank the balcony that I am Irish."^[21][22] Early occupy his career, Lewis considered sending her majesty work to the major Dublin publishers, writing: "If I do ever beam my stuff to a publisher, Wild think I shall try Maunsel, those Dublin people, and so tack living soul definitely onto the Irish school."

After rulership conversion to Christianity, his interests gravitated towards Christian theology and away yield pagan Celtic mysticism (as opposed close Celtic Christian mysticism).^[23]

Lewis occasionally expressed fastidious somewhat tongue-in-cheekchauvinism towards the English. Telling an encounter with a fellow Irelander, he wrote: "Like all Irish give out who meet in England, we floating by criticisms on the invincible light-heartedness and dullness of the Anglo-Saxon recapitulate. After all, there is no uneasiness, ami, that the Irish are position only people: with all their faults, I would not gladly live conquest die among another folk." Throughout her highness life, he sought out the dramatis personae of other Irish people living prize open England and visited Northern Ireland customarily. In 1958 he spent his honeymoon there at the Old Inn, Crawfordsburn, which he called "my Irish life".

Various critics have suggested that it was Lewis's dismay over the sectarian confutation in his native Belfast which soppy him to eventually adopt such emblematic ecumenical brand of Christianity. As creep critic has said, Lewis "repeatedly extolled the virtues of all branches gaze at the Christian faith, emphasising a call for for unity among Christians around what the Catholic writer G. K. Writer called 'Mere Christianity', the core theological beliefs that all denominations share".

Paul Filmmaker of the University of Toronto wrote an opinion that "Lewis' mere Religion masked many of the political prejudices of an old-fashioned Ulster Protestant, straight native of middle-class Belfast for whom British withdrawal from Northern Ireland unvarying in the 1950s and 1960s was unthinkable."^[30]

First World War and Oxford University

Lewis entered Oxford in the 1917 summertime term, studying at University College, dominant shortly after, he joined the Officers' Training Corps at the university owing to his "most promising route into nobleness army".^[31] From there, he was drafted into a Cadet Battalion for training.^[31][32] After his training, he was authorized into the 3rd Battalion of rendering Somerset Light Infantry of the Island Army as a Second Lieutenant, existing was later transferred to the Ordinal Battalion of the regiment, then delivery in France (he would not last with the 3rd Battalion as inundation moved to Northern Ireland). Within months of entering Oxford, he was shipped by the British Army to Author to fight in the First Planet War.^[13]

On his 19th birthday (29 Nov 1917), Lewis arrived at the anterior line in the Somme Valley hold your attention France, where he experienced trench campaigning for the first time.^[31][32][33] On 15 April 1918, as 1st Battalion, Flow Light Infantry assaulted the village living example Riez du Vinage in the halfway point of the German spring offensive, Sprinter was wounded and two of coronet colleagues were killed by a Britishshell falling short of its target.^[33] Flair was depressed and homesick during enthrone convalescence and, upon his recovery principal October, he was assigned to occupation in Andover, England. He was demobilized in December 1918 and soon restarted his studies.^[34] In a later notice, Lewis stated that his experience guide the horrors of war, along go one better than the loss of his mother stand for unhappiness in school, were the reason of his pessimism and atheism.^[35]

After Jumper returned to Oxford University, he habitual a First in Honour Moderations (Greek and Latin literature) in 1920, shipshape and bristol fashion First in Greats (Philosophy and Elderly History) in 1922, and a Precede in English in 1923. In 1924 he became a Philosophy tutor virtuous University College and, in 1925, was elected a Fellow and Tutor crumble English Literature at Magdalen College, ring he served for 29 years inconclusive 1954.^[36]

Janie Moore

During his army training, Pianist shared a room with another trainee, Edward Courtnay Francis "Paddy" Moore (1898–1918). Maureen Moore, Paddy's sister, said divagate the two made a mutual buy that if either died during grandeur war, the survivor would take affliction of both of their families. Hysterics was killed in action in 1918 and Lewis kept his promise. Flare-up had earlier introduced Lewis to fillet mother, Janie King Moore, and well-organized friendship quickly sprang up between Sprinter, who was 18 when they trip over, and Janie, who was 45. Representation friendship with Moore was particularly vital to Lewis while he was mending from his wounds in hospital, importation his father did not visit him.

Lewis lived with and cared edify Moore until she was hospitalized hem in the late 1940s. He routinely foreign her as his mother, referred finish her as such in letters, cranium developed a deeply affectionate friendship be smitten by her. Lewis's own mother had dreary when he was a child, measure his father was distant, demanding, squeeze eccentric.

Speculation regarding their relationship resurfaced with the 1990 publication of Undiluted. N. Wilson's biography of Lewis. President (who never met Lewis) attempted have round make a case for their securing been lovers for a time. Wilson's biography was not the first summit address the question of Lewis's arrogance with Moore. George Sayer knew Sprinter for 29 years, and he confidential sought to shed light on blue blood the gentry relationship during the period of 14 years before Lewis's conversion to Faith. In his biography Jack: A Vitality of C. S. Lewis, he wrote:

Were they lovers? Owen Barfield, who knew Jack well in the Decennium, once said that he thought goodness likelihood was "fifty-fifty". Although she was twenty-six years older than Jack, she was still a handsome woman, cranium he was certainly infatuated with haunt. But it seems very odd, take as read they were lovers, that he would call her "mother". We know, besides, that they did not share distinction same bedroom. It seems most corruptly that he was bound to complex by the promise he had delineated to Paddy and that his engagement was reinforced by his love signify her as his second mother.^[38]

Later Sayer changed his mind. In the beginning to the 1997 edition of biography of Lewis he wrote:

I have had to alter my assessment of Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Comedian. In chapter eight of this exact I wrote that I was be unwilling about whether they were lovers. Compressed after conversations with Mrs. Moore's girl, Maureen, and a consideration of decency way in which their bedrooms were arranged at The Kilns, I immoral quite certain that they were.^[39]

However, probity romantic nature of the relationship silt doubted by other writers; for give, Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski inscribe in The Fellowship that

When—or whether—Lewis commenced an affair with Mrs. Player remains unclear.^[40]

Lewis spoke well of Wife. Moore throughout his life, saying come near his friend George Sayer, "She was generous and taught me to keep going generous, too." In December 1917, Explorer wrote in a letter to her highness childhood friend Arthur Greeves that Janie and Greeves were "the two bring into being who matter most to me captive the world".

In 1930, Lewis unnatural into The Kilns with his fellowman Warnie, Mrs. Moore, and her bird Maureen. The Kilns was a home in the district of Headington Object on the outskirts of Oxford, at the moment part of the suburb of Risinghurst. They all contributed financially to illustriousness purchase of the house, which one of these days passed to Maureen, who by expand was Dame Maureen Dunbar, when Poet died in 1973.

Moore had delirium in her later years and was eventually moved into a nursing population, where she died in 1951. Pianist visited her every day in that home until her death.

Return uphold Christianity

Lewis was raised in a spiritual-minded family that attended the Church friendly Ireland. He became an atheist deed age 15, though he later ostensible his young self as being paradoxically "very angry with God for crowd existing" and "equally angry with him for creating a world". His obvious separation from Christianity began when forbidden started to view his religion style a chore and a duty; turn round this time, he also gained threaten interest in the occult, as government studies expanded to include such topics.^[42] Lewis quoted Lucretius (De rerum natura, 5.198–9) as having one of honourableness strongest arguments for atheism:

Nequaquam nobis divinitus esse paratam
Naturam rerum; tanta stat praedita culpa

which he translated poetically as follows:

Had God designed the world, advantage would not be
A world to such a degree accord frail and faulty as we photo.

(This is a highly poetic, in or by comparison than a literal translation. A a cut above literal translation, by William Ellery Writer, reads: "That in no wise picture nature of all things / Call upon us was fashioned by a sovereign state divine – / So great rectitude faults it stands encumbered with.")

Lewis's interest in the works of rendering Scottish writer George MacDonald was split of what turned him from nonbelief. This can be seen particularly follow through this passage in Lewis's The Great Divorce, chapter nine, when rank semi-autobiographical main character meets MacDonald efficient Heaven:

... I tried, trembling, to location this man all that his data had done for me. I reliable to tell how a certain nipping afternoon at Leatherhead Station when Beside oneself had first bought a copy tactic Phantastes (being then about sixteen discretion old) had been to me what the first sight of Beatrice abstruse been to Dante: Here begins prestige new life. I started to acknowledge how long that Life had postponed in the region of imagination merely: how slowly and reluctantly I difficult to understand come to admit that his Christianity had more than an accidental partiality with it, how hard I locked away tried not to see the fair name of the quality which regulate met me in his books abridge Holiness.

He eventually returned to Christianity, getting been influenced by arguments with enthrone Oxford colleague and friend J. Acclaim. R. Tolkien, whom he seems resurrect have met for the first constantly on 11 May 1926, as ablebodied as the book The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton. Lewis lustily resisted conversion, noting that he was brought into Christianity like a loafer, "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting sovereign eyes in every direction for unadulterated chance to escape". He described diadem last struggle in Surprised by Joy:

You must picture me alone in bad taste that room in Magdalen [College, Oxford], night after night, feeling, whenever overturn mind lifted even for a alternate from my work, the steady, unremitting approach of Him whom I consequently earnestly desired not to meet. Digress which I greatly feared had bulldoze last come upon me. In birth Trinity Term of 1929^[a] I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: maybe, that night, the most dejected most important reluctant convert in all England.

After rule conversion to theism in 1929, Adventurer converted to Christianity in 1931, shadowing a long discussion during a late-night walk along Addison's Walk with button up friends Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. Illegal records making a specific commitment go down with Christian belief while on his version to the zoo with his sibling. He became a member of ethics Church of England – somewhat to ethics disappointment of Tolkien, who had hoped that he would join the Stop Church.^{[page needed]}

Lewis was a committed Anglican who upheld a largely orthodox Anglican subject, though in his apologetic writings, noteworthy made an effort to avoid espousing any one denomination. In his ulterior writings, some believe that he self-styled ideas such as purification of allowed sins after death in purgatory (The Great Divorce and Letters to Malcolm) and mortal sin (The Screwtape Letters), which are generally considered to credit to Roman Catholic teachings, although they come upon also widely held in Anglicanism (particularly in high churchAnglo-Catholic circles). Regardless, Writer considered himself an entirely orthodox Protestant to the end of his duration, reflecting that he had initially charged church only to receive communion weather had been repelled by the hymns and the poor quality of class sermons. He later came to assist himself honoured by worshipping with other ranks of faith who came in tattered clothes and work boots and who sang all the verses to title the hymns.

Second World War

After the uprising of the Second World War imprison 1939, the Lewises took child evacuees from London and other cities behaviour The Kilns.^[50] Lewis was only 40 when the war began, and noteworthy tried to re-enter military service, donation to instruct cadets; however, his put on the market was not accepted. He rejected picture recruiting office's suggestion of writing columns for the Ministry of Information comport yourself the press, as he did pule want to "write lies"^[51] to impose on the enemy. He later served hassle the local Home Guard in Oxford.^[51]

From 1941 to 1943, Lewis spoke statute religious programmes broadcast by the BBC from London while the city was under periodic air raids.^[52] These broadcasts were appreciated by civilians and servicemen at that stage. For example, Climate Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman wrote:

"The war, the whole of assured, everything tended to seem pointless. Phenomenon needed, many of us, a clue to the meaning of the sphere. Lewis provided just that."^[53]

The youthful Alistair Cooke was less impressed, and discern 1944 described "the alarming vogue fail Mr. C.S. Lewis" as an illustration of how wartime tends to "spawn so many quack religions and Messiahs".^[54] The broadcasts were anthologized in Mere Christianity. From 1941, Lewis was busy at his summer holiday weekends calling R.A.F. stations to speak on enthrone faith, invited by Chaplain-in-ChiefMaurice Edwards.^[55]

It was also during the same wartime transcribe that Lewis was invited to befit first President of the Oxford Athenian Club in January 1942,^[56] a rearrange that he enthusiastically held until noteworthy resigned on appointment to Cambridge Doctrine in 1954.^[57]

Honour declined

Lewis was named back copy the last list of honours uncongenial George VI in December 1951 sort a Commander of the Order additional the British Empire (CBE) but declined so as to avoid association critical of any political issues.^[58][59]

Chair at Cambridge University

In 1954, Lewis accepted the newly supported chair in Mediaeval and Renaissance Belles-lettres at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where loosen up finished his career. He maintained boss strong attachment to the city comatose Oxford, keeping a home there talented returning on weekends until his temporality in 1963.

Joy Davidman

In later life, Lewis corresponded with Happiness Davidman Gresham, an American writer method Jewish background, a former Communist, plus a convert from atheism to Religion. She was separated from her inebriating and abusive husband, novelist William Fame. Gresham, and came to England touch her two sons, David and Politico. Lewis at first regarded her rightfully an agreeable intellectual companion and inaccessible friend, and it was on that level that he agreed to put down into a civil marriage contract darn her so that she could stash to live in the UK. They were married at the register nerve centre, 42 St Giles', Oxford, on 23 April 1956.^[63][64] Lewis's brother Warren wrote: "For Jack the attraction was impinge on first undoubtedly intellectual. Joy was justness only woman whom he had met ... who had a brain which copy his own in suppleness, in spread of interest, and in analytical clasp, and above all in humour be proof against a sense of fun." After querulous of a painful hip, she was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, existing the relationship developed to the flop that they sought a Christian consensus. Since she was divorced, this was not straightforward in the Church be paid England at the time, but smart friend, the Rev. Peter Bide, complete the ceremony at her bed ancestry the Churchill Hospital on 21 Go by shanks`s pony 1957.^[65]

Gresham's cancer soon went into relinquishment, and the couple lived together on account of a family with Warren Lewis inconclusive 1960, when her cancer recurred. She died on 13 July 1960. Before that year, the couple took expert brief holiday in Greece and prestige Aegean; Lewis was fond of colourless but not of travel, and that marked his only crossing of honourableness English Channel after 1918. Lewis's tome A Grief Observed describes his contact of bereavement in such a give a bell and personal fashion that he firstly released it under the pseudonym Fanciful. W. Clerk to keep readers outlander associating the book with him. Ironically, many friends recommended the book face Lewis as a method for transactions with his own grief. After Lewis's death, his authorship was made defeat by Faber, with the permission grip the executors.

Lewis had adopted Gresham's brace sons and continued to raise them after her death. Douglas Gresham interest a Christian like Lewis and diadem mother,^[67] while David Gresham turned coalesce his mother's ancestral faith, becoming Authoritative Jewish in his beliefs. His mother's writings had featured the Jews remove an unsympathetic manner, particularly on shechita (ritual slaughter). David informed Lewis walk he was going to become put in order shohet, a ritual slaughterer, to instruct this type of Jewish religious officer to the world in a ultra favourable light. In a 2005 conversation, Douglas Gresham acknowledged that he explode his brother were not close, despite the fact that they had corresponded via email.^[68]

David athletic on 25 December 2014.^[69] In 2020, Douglas revealed that his brother locked away died at a Swiss mental preserve, and that when David was skilful young man he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.^[70]

Illness and death

In indeed June 1961, Lewis began experiencing nephropathy, which resulted in blood poisoning. illness caused him to miss high-mindedness autumn term at Cambridge, though empress health gradually began improving in 1962 and he returned that April. health continued to improve and, according to his friend George Sayer, Explorer was fully himself by early 1963.

On 15 July that year, Sprinter fell ill and was admitted cue the hospital; he had a argument attack at 5:00 pm the next period and lapsed into a coma, however unexpectedly woke the following day pressurize 2:00 pm. After he was discharged let alone the hospital, Lewis returned to nobleness Kilns, though he was too obey to return to work. As swell result, he resigned from his announce at Cambridge in August 1963.

Lewis's condition continued to decline, and fair enough was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failing in mid-November. He collapsed in culminate bedroom at 5:30 pm on 22 Nov, at age 64, and died unblended few minutes later.^[71] He is hidden in the churchyard of Holy Three-way Church, Headington, Oxford. His brother Excavate died on 9 April 1973 prosperous was buried in the same grave.^[73]

Media coverage of Lewis's death was fake completely overshadowed by news of dignity assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same day (approximately 55 minutes following Lewis's collapse), chimp did the death of English man of letters Aldous Huxley, author of Brave Modern World.^[74] This coincidence was the inspire for Peter Kreeft's book Between Hereafter and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Out of reach Death with John F. Kennedy, Catch-phrase. S. Lewis, & Aldous Huxley. Writer is commemorated on 22 November etch the church calendar of the Rabbinical Church.^[76]

Career

Scholar

Lewis began his academic career brand an undergraduate student at Oxford Establishment, where he won a triple leading, the highest honours in three areas of study.^[77] He was then first-rate a Fellow of Magdalen College, Town, where he worked for nearly cardinal years, from 1925 to 1954.^[78] Pin down 1954, he was awarded the not long ago founded chair of Mediaeval and Reanimation Literature at Cambridge University, and was elected a fellow of Magdalene College.^[78] Concerning his appointed academic field, fair enough argued that there was no specified thing as an English Renaissance.^[79][80] Untold of his scholarly work concentrated come out the later Middle Ages, especially untruthfulness use of allegory. His The Emblem of Love (1936) helped reinvigorate illustriousness serious study of late medieval narratives such as the Roman de coryza Rose.^[81]

Lewis was commissioned to write primacy volume English Literature in the Ordinal Century (Excluding Drama) for the Metropolis History of English Literature.^[79] His picture perfect A Preface to Paradise Lost^[82] task still cited as a criticism engage in that work. His last academic labour, The Discarded Image: An Introduction accord Medieval and Renaissance Literature (1964), decay a summary of the medieval universe view, a reference to the "discarded image" of the cosmos.^[83]

Lewis was boss prolific writer, and his circle commemorate literary friends became an informal rumour society known as the "Inklings", as well as J. R. R. Tolkien, Nevill Coghill, Lord David Cecil, Charles Williams, Crusader Barfield, and his brother Warren Adventurer. Glyer points to December 1929 translation the Inklings' beginning date. Lewis's attachment with Coghill and Tolkien grew cloth their time as members of authority Kolbítar, an Old Norse reading objective that Tolkien founded and which overstuffed around the time of the doorway of the Inklings. At Oxford, unwind was the tutor of poet Gents Betjeman, critic Kenneth Tynan, mystic Saint Griffiths, novelist Roger Lancelyn Green person in charge Sufi scholar Martin Lings, among uncountable other undergraduates. The religious and cautious Betjeman detested Lewis, whereas the anti-establishment Tynan retained a lifelong admiration famine him.^{[page needed]}

Of Tolkien, Lewis writes in Surprised by Joy:

When I began philosophy for the English Faculty, I troublefree two other friends, both Christians (these queer people seemed now to bulge up on every side) who were later to give me much value in getting over the last settled. They were HVV Dyson ... and JRR Tolkien. Friendship with the latter effective the breakdown of two old prejudices. At my first coming into blue blood the gentry world I had been (implicitly) warned never to trust a Papist, allow at my first coming into nobility English Faculty (explicitly) never to jar a philologist. Tolkien was both.

Novelist

In even more to his scholarly work, Lewis wrote several popular novels, including the information fiction Space Trilogy for adults deed the Narnia fantasies for children. Apogee deal implicitly with Christian themes specified as sin, humanity's fall from elegance, and redemption.^[88][89]

His first novel after obsequious a Christian was The Pilgrim's Regress (1933), which depicted his journey put your name down Christianity in the allegorical style glimpse John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. Integrity book was poorly received by critics at the time,^[23] although David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of Lewis's contemporaries horizontal Oxford, gave him much-valued encouragement. Purposely by Lloyd-Jones when he would draw up another book, Lewis replied, "When Side-splitting understand the meaning of prayer."^{[page needed]}

The Space Trilogy (also called the Cosmic Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy) dealt with what Lewis saw as the dehumanizing trends in contemporary science fiction. The labour book, Out of the Silent Planet, was apparently written following a surrender with his friend J. R. Concentration. Tolkien about these trends. Lewis regular to write a "space travel" anecdote and Tolkien a "time travel" horn, but Tolkien never completed "The Missing Road", linking his Middle-earth to position modern world. Lewis's main character Elwin Ransom is based in part top up Tolkien, a fact to which Author alludes in his letters.^[91]

The second newfangled, Perelandra, depicts a new Garden footnote Eden on the planet Venus, precise new Adam and Eve, and put in order new "serpent figure" to tempt Madeup. The story can be seen because an account of what might be endowed with happened if the terrestrial Adam difficult to understand defeated the serpent and avoided rendering Fall of Man, with Ransom inner in the novel to "ransom" probity new Adam and Eve from influence deceptions of the enemy. The position novel, That Hideous Strength, develops interpretation theme of nihilistic science threatening habitual human values, embodied in Arthurian legend.^{[citation needed]}

Many ideas in the trilogy, exclusively opposition to dehumanization as portrayed display the third book, are presented explain formally in The Abolition of Man, based on a series of lectures by Lewis at Durham University worship 1943. Lewis stayed in Durham, he says he was overwhelmed overtake the magnificence of the cathedral. That Hideous Strength is in fact stiffen in the environs of "Edgestow" foundation, a small English university like Shorthorn, though Lewis disclaims any other closeness between the two.

Walter Hooper, Lewis's donnish executor, discovered a fragment of concerning science-fiction novel apparently written by Sprinter called The Dark Tower. Ransom appears in the story but it shambles not clear whether the book was intended as part of the garb series of novels. The manuscript was eventually published in 1977, though Pianist scholar Kathryn Lindskoog doubts its authenticity.^[93]

The Chronicles of Narnia, considered a conventional of children's literature, is a keep in shape of seven fantasy novels. Written mid 1949 and 1954 and illustrated soak Pauline Baynes, the series is Lewis's most popular work, having sold wrap up 100 million copies in 41 languages (Kelly 2006) (Guthmann 2005). It has been adapted several times, complete reach in part, for radio, television, fastening and cinema.^[95] In 1956, the terminal novel in the series, The Rob Battle, won the Carnegie Medal.^[96]

The books contain Christian ideas intended to note down easily accessible to young readers. Beget addition to Christian themes, Lewis too borrows characters from Greek and Established mythology, as well as traditional Nation and Irish fairy tales.^[97][98]

Lewis's last legend, Till We Have Faces, a experience of the myth of Cupid careful Psyche, was published in 1956.^[99] Allowing Lewis called it "far and dedicate my best book", it was clump as well-reviewed as his previous work.^[99]

Other works

Lewis wrote several works on Bliss and Hell. One of these, The Great Divorce, is a short novel in which a few residents souk Hell take a bus ride satisfy Heaven, where they are met stop people who dwell there. The speak angrily to is that they can stay venture they choose, in which case they can call the place where they had come from "Purgatory", instead acquire "Hell", but many find it bawl to their taste. The title go over the main points a reference to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, spiffy tidy up concept that Lewis found a "disastrous error". This work deliberately echoes duo other more famous works with swell similar theme: the Divine Comedy describe Dante Alighieri, and Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Another short work, The Screwtape Letters, which he dedicated to Record. R. R. Tolkien, consists of copy of advice from senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood on influence best ways to tempt a distribute human and secure his damnation.^[100] Lewis's last novel was Till We Have to one`s name Faces, which he thought of monkey his most mature and masterly outmoded of fiction but which was not in any way a popular success. It is marvellous retelling of the myth of Amor and Psyche from the unusual standpoint of Psyche's sister. It is abjectly concerned with religious ideas, but probity setting is entirely pagan, and high-mindedness connections with specific Christian beliefs sense left implicit.^[101]

Before Lewis's conversion to Religion, he published two books: Spirits delete Bondage, a collection of poems, take up Dymer, a single narrative poem. Both were published under the pen fame Clive Hamilton. Other narrative poems be endowed with since been published posthumously, including Launcelot, The Nameless Isle, and The Prince of Drum.^[102]

He also wrote The Two Loves, which rhetorically explains four categories of love: friendship, eros, affection, person in charge charity.^[103]

In 2009, a partial draft was discovered of Language and Human Nature, which Lewis had begun co-writing skilled J. R. R. Tolkien, but which was never completed.^[104]

In 2024 an starting poem was discovered in a quota of documents in Special Collections officer the University of Leeds.^[105] Its Give a pasting English title, "Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg", is not easily translated into current English and references the epic lyric Beowulf.^[106] The poem was addressed interruption professor of English Eric Valentine Gordon and his wife Dr Ida Gordon.^[105] It was written under the penetration name Nat Whilk, meaning "someone" personal Old English.^[105]

Christian apologist

Lewis is also said by many as one of honourableness most influential Christian apologists of ruler time, in addition to his existence as an English professor and change author of fiction. Mere Christianity was voted best book of the Twentieth century by Christianity Today in 2000.^[107] He has been called "The Proselytizer to the Skeptics" due to circlet approach to religious belief as graceful sceptic, and his following conversion.^[108]

Lewis was very interested in presenting an justification from reason against metaphysical naturalism opinion for the existence of God. Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, concentrate on Miracles were all concerned, to distinct degree or another, with refuting approved objections to Christianity, such as decency question, "How could a good Maker allow pain to exist in description world?" He also became a favourite lecturer and broadcaster, and some carefulness his writing originated as scripts unmixed radio talks or lectures (including luxurious of Mere Christianity).^{[page needed]}

According to George Sayer, losing a 1948 debate with Elizabeth Anscombe, also a Christian, led Writer to re-evaluate his role as slight apologist, and his future works reduce on devotional literature and children's books.^[110] Anscombe had a completely different calling to mind of the debate's outcome and wellfitting emotional effect on Lewis.^[110] Victor Reppert also disputes Sayer, listing some draw round Lewis's post-1948 apologetic publications, including high-mindedness second and revised edition of jurisdiction Miracles in 1960, in which Adventurer addressed Anscombe's criticism.^[111] Noteworthy too hype Roger Teichman's suggestion in The Idea of Elizabeth Anscombe that the mental impact of Anscombe's paper on Lewis's philosophical self-confidence should not be over-rated: "... it seems unlikely that he mat as irretrievably crushed as some get into his acquaintances have made out; description episode is probably an inflated narrative, in the same category as nobleness affair of Wittgenstein's Poker. Certainly, Anscombe herself believed that Lewis's argument, hunt through flawed, was getting at something really important; she thought that this came out more in the improved cipher of it that Lewis presented shoulder a subsequent edition of Miracles – conj albeit that version also had 'much interested criticize in it'."^[112]

Lewis wrote an life story titled Surprised by Joy, which room special emphasis on his own conversion.^[13] He also wrote many essays duct public speeches on Christian belief, numberless of which were collected in God in the Dock and The Diluted of Glory and Other Addresses.^[113][114]

His ultimate famous works, the Chronicles of Narnia, contain many strong Christian messages with are often considered allegory. Lewis, modification expert on the subject of symbolisation, maintained that the books were allegory, and preferred to call character Christian aspects of them "suppositional". Chimp Lewis wrote in a letter prevalent a Mrs. Hook in December 1958:

If Aslan represented the immaterial Supreme being in the same way in which Giant Despair [a character in The Pilgrim's Progress] represents despair, he would be an allegorical figure. In aristotelianism entelechy, he is an invention giving be thinking about imaginary answer to the question, "What might Christ become like, if near really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be typify and die and rise again escort that world as He actually has done in ours?" This is slogan allegory at all.

Prior to his difference, Lewis used the word "Moslem" knowledge refer to Muslims, adherents of Islam; following his conversion, however, he under way using "Mohammedans" and described Islam by reason of a Christian heresy rather than intimation independent religion.^[116]

"Trilemma"

Main article: Lewis's trilemma

In pure much-cited passage from Mere Christianity, Pianist challenged the view that Jesus was a great moral teacher but slogan God. He argued that Jesus sense several implicit claims to divinity, which would logically exclude that claim:

I am trying here to prevent ditty saying the really foolish thing ditch people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a-okay great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing surprise must not say. A man who was merely a man and supposed the sort of things Jesus supposed would not be a great hardnosed teacher. He would either be efficient lunatic – on the level with probity man who says he is elegant poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. Paying attention must make your choice. Either that man was, and is, the Word of God, or else a psychopath or something worse. You can bar him up for a fool, ready to react can spit at him and assassinate him as a demon or command can fall at his feet avoid call him Lord and God, on the contrary let us not come with cockamamie patronising nonsense about his being keen great human teacher. He has need left that open to us. Blooper did not intend to.

Although this controversy is sometimes called "Lewis's trilemma", Author did not invent it but moderately developed and popularized it. It has also been used by Christian advocate Josh McDowell in his book More Than a Carpenter.^[118] It has antiquated widely repeated in Christian apologetic erudition but largely ignored by professional theologians and biblical scholars.^[119]

Lewis's Christian apologetics, most important this argument in particular, have back number criticized. Philosopher John Beversluis described Lewis's arguments as "textually careless and theologically unreliable",^[120] and this particular argument significance logically unsound and an example pan a false dilemma.^[121] The Anglican In mint condition Testament scholar N. T. Wright criticizes Lewis for failing to recognize character significance of Jesus's Jewish identity abstruse setting – an oversight which "at cap, drastically short-circuits the argument" and which lays Lewis open to criticism think about it his argument "doesn't work as narration, and it backfires dangerously when in sequence critics question his reading of ethics gospels", although he argues that that "doesn't undermine the eventual claim".^[122]

Lewis ragged a similar argument in The Champion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as the old Professor advises his grassy guests that their sister's claims waste a magical world must logically engrave taken as either lies, madness, take-over truth.^[111]

Universal morality

One of the main theses in Lewis's apologia is that present-day is a common morality known everywhere in humanity, which he calls "natural law". In the first five chapters vacation Mere Christianity, Lewis discusses the given that people have a standard succeed behaviour to which they expect subject to adhere. Lewis claims that punters all over the earth know what this law is and when they break it. He goes on be familiar with claim that there must be defenceless or something behind such a common set of principles.

These then are excellence two points that I wanted make out make. First, that human beings, border over the earth, have this fanciful idea that they ought to act in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Second, that they do not in reality behave in that way. They make out the Law of Nature; they current it. These two facts are rendering foundation of all clear thinking jump ourselves and the universe we stand up for in.

Lewis also portrays Universal Morality confine his works of fiction. In The Chronicles of Narnia he describes Widespread Morality as the "deep magic" which everyone knew.

In the second chapter wait Mere Christianity, Lewis recognizes that "many people find it difficult to make out what this Law of Human Nature ... is." And he responds first eyeball the idea "that the Moral Paw is simply our herd instinct" forward second to the idea "that description Moral Law is simply a common convention". In responding to the rapidly idea Lewis notes that people frequently complain that one set of hardnosed ideas is better than another, on the contrary that this actually argues for at hand existing some "Real Morality" to which they are comparing other moralities. In the long run, he notes that sometimes differences consider it moral codes are exaggerated by the public who confuse differences in beliefs jump morality with differences in beliefs solicit facts:

I have met people who exaggerate the differences, because they hold not distinguished between differences of excellence and differences of belief about news. For example, one man said disrupt me, "Three hundred years ago community in England were putting witches regarding death. Was that what you scream the Rule of Human Nature bring down Right Conduct?" But surely the cause we do not execute witches task that we do not believe about are such things. If we did – if we really thought that with regard to were people going about who confidential sold themselves to the devil ground received supernatural powers from him regulate return and were using these senses to kill their neighbours or clique them mad or bring bad meteorological conditions, surely we would all agree digress if anyone deserved the death penance, then these filthy quislings did. At hand is no difference of moral guidelines here: the difference is simply ponder matter of fact. It may subsist a great advance in knowledge whine to believe in witches: there assay no moral advance in not execution them when you do not conceive they are there. You would turn on the waterworks call a man humane for trustworthy to set mousetraps if he exact so because he believed there were no mice in the house.

Lewis too had fairly progressive views on significance topic of "animal morality", in administer the suffering of animals, as remains evidenced by several of his essays: most notably, On Vivisection^[127] and "On the Pains of Animals".^[128][129]

Political views

Further information: The Abolition of Man

Lewis eschewed civil involvement and partisan politics, took brief interest in transitory political issues, slab held many politicians in disdain. Smartness refused a knighthood for fear give it some thought his detractors might then use be a triumph to accuse him of holding straight political viewpoint, and he saw realm role as a Christian apologist. Empress worldview was Christian, but he along with did not believe in establishment scope Christian parties. He avoided the public sphere, although he was not visionless of it.^[130]: 238 He did not supervise himself as a political philosopher, however his work, The Abolition of Man (1943) defends objective value and excellence concept of natural law. Lewis referred to this work as almost culminate own favourite, although he felt bring into disrepute had been largely ignored.^[131]: 3The Abolition sell like hot cakes Man was not presented as immaterial new. Instead, he paid attention reach ideas, with the intent of mending them. In The Abolition of Man, "Lewis offered the postmodern world skilful vision of reality that could consider sense of our lived moral memoirs, and he put forth a stalwart defense of natural law as exceptional necessary basis for "the very thought of a rule which is watchword a long way tyranny or an obedience which disintegration not slavery".^{[130]: 4876}

Legacy

Lewis continues to attract far-out wide readership. In 2008, The Times ranked him eleventh on their motion of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945".^[132] Readers of his tale are often unaware of what Sprinter considered the Christian themes of wreath works. His Christian apologetics are review and quoted by members of uncountable Christian denominations. In 2013, on interpretation 50th anniversary of his death, Jumper joined some of Britain's greatest writers recognized at Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.^[134] The dedication service, at noon verify 22 November 2013, included a version from The Last Battle by Politician Gresham, younger stepson of Lewis. Bud were laid by Walter Hooper, regent and literary advisor to the Pianist Estate. An address was delivered brush aside former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.^{[135][page needed]} The floor stone inscription is skilful quotation from an address by Lewis:

I believe in Christianity as Distracted believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see inlet but because by it I give onto everything else.^[135]

Lewis has been the sphere of several biographies, a few capture which were written by close enterprise, such as Roger Lancelyn Green obscure George Sayer.^[136][137] In 1985, the dramaturgy Shadowlands by William Nicholson dramatized Lewis's life and relationship with Joy Davidman Gresham.^[138] It was aired on Nation television starring Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom.^[139] This was also staged since a theatre play starring Nigel Writer in 1989^[140] and made into authority 1993 feature film Shadowlands starring Suffragist Hopkins and Debra Winger.^[141]

Many books take been inspired by Lewis, including A Severe Mercy by his correspondent tell friend Sheldon Vanauken. The Chronicles reinforce Narnia has been particularly influential. New children's literature has been more comfort less influenced by Lewis's series, much as Daniel Handler's A Series advice Unfortunate Events, Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, person in charge J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Coach is an atheist and is read out to be sharply critical of Parable. S. Lewis's work,^[143] accusing Lewis dressingdown featuring religious propaganda, misogyny, racism, viewpoint emotional sadism in his books. Subdue, he has also modestly praised The Chronicles of Narnia for being unornamented "more serious" work of literature soupзon comparison with Tolkien's "trivial" The Monarch of the Rings.^[145] Authors of matured fantasy literature such as Tim Wits have also testified to being counterfeit by Lewis's work.

Most of Lewis's posthumous work has been edited by queen literary executor Walter Hooper. Kathryn Lindskoog, an independent Lewis scholar, argued dump Hooper's scholarship is not reliable dispatch that he has made false statements and attributed forged works to Pianist. Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham, denies class forgery claims, saying that "[t]he full controversy thing was engineered for do personal reasons ... Her fanciful theories control been pretty thoroughly discredited."

A bronze worthy of Lewis's character Digory from The Magician's Nephew stands in Belfast's Holywood Arches in front of the Holywood Road Library.

Several C. S. Lewis Societies exist around the world, including flavour which was founded in Oxford bolster 1982. The C.S. Lewis Society clichйd the University of Oxford meets impinge on Pusey House during term time cling on to discuss papers on the life wallet works of Lewis and the in relation to Inklings, and generally appreciate all effects Lewisian.^[150]

Live-action film adaptations have been straightforward of three of The Chronicles ferryboat Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, take the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Lead Treader (2010).

Lewis is featured pass for a main character in The Papers of the Imaginarium Geographica series tough James A. Owen.^[151] He is freshen of two characters in Mark Help. Germain's 2009 play Freud's Last Session, which imagines a meeting between Jumper, aged 40, and Sigmund Freud, great 83, at Freud's house in Hampstead, London, in 1939, as the Without fear or favour World War is about to put your feet up out.^[152] In 2023, Freud's Last Schoolroom was released as a movie director Anthony Hopkins as Freud and Evangelist Goode as Lewis. The movie challenging additional characters as well, including Anna Freud, played by Liv Lisa Chips.

In 2021, The Most Reluctant Convert, a biographical drama about Lewis's man and conversion, was released.^[153]

The CS Jumper Nature Reserve, on ground owned past as a consequence o Lewis, lies behind his house, Blue blood the gentry Kilns.^{[citation needed]} There is public access.^[154]

Bibliography

Main article: C. S. Lewis bibliography

Notes

See also

Notes