C S Lewis Centenary Group
Number 9, February 1998
The great Christian writer, C S Lewis, was born in Belfast on 29th November 1898. The C S Lewis Centenary Group formed in 1994, so that Lewis’s native land might suitably celebrate his Centenary in 1998.
MICROSOFT SPONSORS NARNIA
The huge computer software company, Microsoft, is sponsoring a competion commemorating the C. S. Lewis Centenary.
Each school in the UK is invited to take part in a children’s competition to design greeting cards representing C. S. Lewis’s ‘Chronicles of Narnia’. The competition marks the start of the centenary year of C. S. Lewis’s birth, and the cards will be sold at Christmas 1998 to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
The children designing the winning entries will win large cash prizes for themselves;and computers (with software) for their schools. The London Toy and Model Museum will display the winning designs at its WORLD OF NARNIA Exhibition (see EVENTS below).
For a school pack telephone 0171 825 2637. A web site http://www.narnia.com should shortly be on line.
EVENTS
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM February 21 Joe Christopher writes; Add one Lewis meeting to your list. It's a Symposium entitled "C. S. Lewis for the Twenty-first Century," to be held at Oklahoma City University on Saturday, 21 February.. The person in charge is Dr. Salwa Khoddam, English Department, Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City OK 73106. The Fax number is 405-521-5447; the Phone number is 405-521-5058.
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST, SEMINAR February 24 Mr Ronald Bresland is giving a seminar 'In My Father's House: The Family Life of C. S. Lewis' in the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University, Belfast, on Tuesday 24 February at 4 pm.
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE March 18-20 A stage production adapted by Glynn Robbins, presented by Strode College Performing Arts (by kind permission of Samuel French Ltd), at Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset, Wed 18th -Friday 20th March 1998 at 7.30 pm. Tickets £3.50 (£2.50 concession), special arrangements for parties. Box Office Tel: (01458) 442486, email Sheila Martin on palden@globalnet.co.uk .
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE June 19-21. "The C. S. Lewis
Legacy for the Twenty-First Century."
Dr John West writes: This event will explore how Lewis's ideas can help us meet the challenges of the next century. Special attention will be paid to Lewis's defense of objective morality, his critique of scientific materialism, his championing of "Mere Christianity", and his example of a sanctified imagination.
Confirmed speakers include PETER KREEFT (author of *Heaven: The Heart's Deepest Longing*, *C. S. Lewis for the Third Millenium*, and other books); THOMAS HOWARD (author of such books as *Christ the Tiger*, *The Achievement of C. S. Lewis*, and *Evangelical is Not Enough*; PHILLIP JOHNSON (author of *Darwin on Trial* and *Reason in the Balance*); EARL PALMER (Senior Pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle and author of *Salvation by Surprise*; and RICHARD PURTILL (author of many works of criticism, philosophy, and fiction, including *C. S. Lewis' Case for Christianity*).
The conference includes an English banquet on Saturday, June 20 and concludes with an ecumenical celebration service on Sunday, June 21st. For the added enjoyment of conference attendees, there will be a special staging of Dorothy Sayers' mystery play, "Busman's Honeymoon."
For registration information, contact-Dr. John G. West, Jr., Assistant Professor of Political Science, Seattle Pacific University, Department of Political Science, 3307 Third Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119-1997
Tel: 206-281-2162 E-mail <jwest@spu.edu>
CATHEDRALS July & August George Bayley reports two further organ recitals containing music to celebrate the C. S. Lewis Centenary, to be performed in St Paul's Cathedral, London, and Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.
These recitals augment the two recitals whose details are published in the 'C S Lewis Centenary Programme of Events'. Mr Bayley's full programme is;
17 July 1998 CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN 1.15 pm.
17 July 1998 HOLYWOOD PARISH CHURCH, CO DOWN. 7.30 pm
23 July 1998 ST ANNE'S CATHEDRAL, BELFAST. 7.30 pm
2 August 1998 ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, LONDON
WORLD OF NARNIA EXHIBITION October 24 onwards The London Toy and Model Museum hosts a 'World of Narnia Exhibition' from 24th Oct 1998 to 28th February 1999. More information from; Matthew O'Reilly, London Toy and Model Museum, 21/23 Craven Hill, London W2 3EN Tel: (0171) 706 8000 Fax: (0171) 706 8823
TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY The BBC Northern Ireland television documentary on Lewis will reflect the continuing interest in Lewis's work on both sides of the Atlantic. Filming will take place this summer, for broadcast in the autumn.
LECTURE November 8 The C. S. Lewis Centenary Group will provide a speaker for a Lecture in the Ulster Museum, Belfast on Sunday 8th November 1988 at 3 pm.
EXHIBITION The Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra, near Holywood, Co Down, plans a major exhibition on Lewis this autumn.
LIBRARY Belfast Area Board Library plans to hold a least two Lewis exhibitions in November 1998. The first will be static, at Belfast Central Library. The second will tour the Area’s 20 branches. The branches will hold an associated programme of readings and talks.
AUSTRALIA Dr Cath Filmer-Davies of the University of Queensland - one of the leading Lewis scholars in Australia - writes that events are planned in Brisbane later this year to commemorate the Lewis Centenary.
E-mail <C.Filmerdavies@mailbox.uq.oz.au>.
THE WRITTEN WORD
CAUSEWAY Ronald Bresland, C. S. Lewis Centenary Research Fellow, has written a 4-page article, entitled ‘CS Lewis: a Belfast childhood’, for the Winter 1997 issue of the magazine CAUSEWAY (Belfast).
NEW CHRISTIAN HERALD Michael Apichella (formerly in charge of The Kilns) wrote a series of articles on Lewis for the weekly NEW CHRISTIAN HERALD (London). The last appeared in the January 21 issue.
IRISH GENESIS Rt Hon David Bleakley has announced that he is writing a book to be called ‘C. S. Lewis: Irish Genesis’.
LEWIS'S FAVOURITES Mrs Kathryn Lindskoog writes on the Internet message board MERELEWIS;
Lewis's favorite psalm was Psalm 19. In REFLECTIONS ON THE PSALMS C. S. Lewis said of Psalm 19, "I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world."
In my opinion this three-part psalm perfectly encapsulates Lewis's three-part experience of Joy. Just a few days ago I noticed for the first time that Psalm 19 is related to Lewis's description of space in the fifth chapter of OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET. That passage begins with "He had read of space..." and ends with "the heavens which declared the glory...".
In 1992 I published a full-sized 1993 C. S. Lewis calendar for readers of
THE LEWIS LEGACY, and for June I included "The Ten Books That Influenced
C.S. Lewis the Most," composed by Lewis in 1962 for a delightful series in
THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY.
The ten books that influenced C.S. Lewis the most are:
PHANTASTES by George MacDonald
THE EVERLASTING MAN by G. K. Chesterton
THE AENEID by Virgil
THE TEMPLE by George Herbert
THE PRELUDE by William Wordsworth
THE IDEA OF THE HOLY by Rudolph Otto
THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY by Boethius
THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON by James Boswell
DESCENT INTO HELL by Charles Williams
THEISM AND HUMANISM by Arthur James Balfour
Here's a response I received then from Perry Bramlett (founder of "C. S. Lewis for the Local Church" ministry): "In your calendar, I noticed with relish the section that listed "the ten most influential books" read by Lewis. I have taken displays of books that CSL read to several churches, and have had surprisingly good response. How's this for a 'second ten' (including books he liked the best for 'reading pleasure'): S. Alexander's
‘Space, Time, and Deity’ (which I can't find anywhere); Sydney's ‘Arcadia:’ Tolstoy's ‘War and Peace’; Lindsay's ‘Voyage to Arcturus’; Bevan's ‘Symbolism and Belief’; Trollope's ‘The Warden’; Dante's ‘The Inferno’; Malory's ‘Morte d'Arthur’; Eddison's ‘The Worm Ouroboros’; and Barfield's ‘Poetic Diction’."
RESEARCH
PHOTOGRAPHS The 3 glass negatives found by Mrs Primrose Henderson (see January ‘CSL News’) portray
WALKS Mr Tony Wilson has researched the walks around ‘Little Lea’ loved by CSL. Mr Wilson concludes;
CSL would often walk along Cairnburn Road, past ‘Glenmachan’ and then possibly
IRISH VISITS
DAVID SPENCE Mr David Spence visited Belfast and area on 23-24 January, with a view to bringing an American party to Belfast in August. The party's Guide will be Mrs Joan Murphy, whose father was a first cousin of CSL's. David Spence’s speakers on the English segment of the tour will be REV JOHN STOTT (London) and REV EARL PALMER (Seattle). More information from Mr David Spence, First Century Voyages, 1525 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill NC 27514, USA. Tel: 919 933 7674, Fax: 919 933 9899.
LIBRARIANS During January and February, the British Council (Belfast) entertained a visiting group of senior American Librarians. The Council distributed copies of both the ‘Trail’ brochure and the ‘Centenary Programme’ to their visitors.
IN BRIEF
OWEN BARFIELD The ‘Times ‘ (London) carried an obituary of Owen Barfield on Tuesday 13 January 1998. 'The Australian' reprinted the 'Times'obituary on 21 January.
ONE MAN SHOW Anthony Lawton is an actor from Philadelphia, USA. He has recently adapted Lewis’s ‘The Great Divorce’ into a one-man show for the stage. If you might be interested in having this performed, email Anthony Lawton on <Tarquinfin@aol.com>.
CORRECTIONS Two errors appeared in the e-mail version of the January newsletter;
2. LYNCHBURG WEEKEND Ed Hopkins' correct e-mail address is <inklings@lynchburg.net>.
MOST-ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT C S LEWIS
Rev Perry Bramlett has been conducting seminars, retreats, and book studies on Lewis and his influence for about eight years.
Rev Bramlett writes-During this time, after over 600 hours of teaching, I have been asked many questions about Lewis from laypeople and pastors from nine different denominations. The following is a list of some of the most frequently asked Questions;
MOST ASKED QUESTIONS What happened to the boys (Douglas and David) after Joy's death? How did Jack support the boys? Were they included in his will? Were they close?
2) What are the best books, especially biographies, about Lewis?
3) What did Lewis actually do at Oxford/Cambridge? Did he teach religion? How is Oxford/Cambridge different from American universities? How did he get along with students?
4) Which of his books were Lewis's own favorites? Least favorites?
5) What was the real relationship between Lewis and Mrs. Moore? What happened to her?
6) What did Lewis believe about the Bible? What was his theology?
7) What were Lewis's relations with his parents? Did they train him in the Christian faith? Did he go to church as a child?
8) What did you think of SHADOWLANDS? Was it accurate? Why is only one boy in the film?
9) Did Jack and Joy have "normal" marital relations? What did Lewis think about homosexuality?
10) How did you get started doing this ministry?
11) Why has Lewis remained so popular?
12) Did Lewis ever visit America? Did he like Americans?
13) Is Lewis's home still standing? Has it been lived in since Lewis's death? Who owns it now?
14) What do the British people (today) think of Lewis? Do his books sell as well in the British Isles as in the U.S.?
15) What is your favorite of Lewis's books?
16) How could Lewis have written the Narnian stories when he didn't have children of his own?
More questions from Perry Bramlett next month and (maybe) some answers.
BOOK REVIEWS BY REV PERRY BRAMLETT
Lindvall, Terry, SURPRISED BY LAUGHTER: THE COMIC WORLD OF C. S. LEWIS (Thomas Nelson, 1996) - A book on C. S. Lewis's sense of humor and wit has long been needed, and Dr. Lindvall is to be congratulated for this work, which is written in a lively and entertaining style. He categorizes Lewis's use of humor, both in his writings and in his personal life, under the headings of "Joy", "Fun", "The Joke Proper", and "Satire and Flippancy." These categories are taken from chapter eleven of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, where "Uncle Screwtape" lists the origins of laughter to "Nephew Wormwood."
Dr. Lindvall gives many, many, examples of Lewis's jovial personality and sense of fun in his book, and thus reveals the joyous and and happy side of a Christian who has too often been portrayed (especially in films) as "reserved" and "controlled." As the publisher's blurb indicates, Lewis "was a man of laughter and surprises, humor and humility, and gravity and levity." Dr. Lindvall has done a very good job of locating and classifying Lewis's humor in essays titled "Laughter as Thanksgiving", "Wit and Wordplay", "The Fun of Reading", "Lewis's Theory of Laughter" and others, and he quotes many of the funniest things Lewis ever said and wrote. He covers virtually all of Lewis's works (thankfully including poetry), from the broad satire in the Narnian tales to the biting sarcasm of THE PILGIM'S REGRESS to the subtle "ethical humor" of THE GREAT DIVORCE.
This book does have its weaknesses, and they detract from an otherwise delightful work.. Dr. Lindvall overviews, lists, and quotes rather than analyzes. He does not attempt to help the reader understand the rationale and intent behind Lewis's use of humor; he merely quotes and quotes. Dr. Lindvall does show how Lewis was indebted to G. K. Chesterton, and mentions Chaucer, Rabelais and Sterne as writers who "infected Lewis with their humor", and who "brought him low, even to the floor, with laughter." Another major problem is that this big book (over 400 pages) does not have an index, which would have been very helpful! The book's bibliography lists over 160 sources (primary Lewis, Chersterton,secondary) that are scattered everywhere, and it is a nightmare trying to find any particular quote or book or author. It is hoped that a revision will correct this.
Still, I am grateful that this book was written, and Dr. Lindvall has done Lewis readers everywhere a service. As mentioned, a book like this was badly needed, and any serious reader can greatly profit (and laugh) from its reading. Dr. Lindvall obviously loves and appreciates Lewis, and his work will hopefully be the first of several written on this area of Lewis's life and thought.
Glaspey, Terry W., NOT A TAME LION: THE SPIRITUAL LEGACY OF C. S. LEWIS (Highland Books, 1996) - This work was written for the person not
familiar with the life and works of Lewis, and also for the Lewis reader who needs a "refresher course." It contains 60(!) small chapters (really short essays or sketches) of three or four pages each, and is divided into three sections that deal with Lewis's life, thought, and legacy. This little book is really a combination biography and introduction to the the key themes in Lewis's thought. While nothing new is discussed, Mr. Glaspey writes with grace and skill and this work is a perfect fit for its intended audiences. I especially appreciated Mr. Glaspey's sketch of Lewis's sense of humor (neglected in most popular works about Lewis), and his treatment of Lewis's effectiveness ("The Lewis Phenomenon"). Two small caveats: in his annotated bibliography, Mr. Glaspey includes R. J. Reilly's ROMANTIC RELIGION and William L. White's THE IMAGE OF MAN IN C. S.LEWIS, both excellent works, but both out of print and very difficult to find, even in libraries. And he leaves out Kathryn Lindskoog's C. S. LEWIS: MERE CHRISTIAN, in print and easily the best introduction to Lewis's thought, especially for the beginning Lewis reader.
Wellman, Sam, C. S. LEWIS (Barbour Books, 1997) - This book is a "standard" biography of Lewis written from a conservative evangelical viewpoint. It is part of the "Heroes of the Faith" series; others include Wesley, Spurgeon, Billy Graham, Luther, and Corrie ten Boom. It shows the influence of William Griffin's older biography (C. S. LEWIS: A DRAMATIC LIFE, Harper, 1986, from which Mr. Wellman quotes), by having Lewis, family members, and colleagues carry on conversations. This is entertaining, but not referenced and often misleading. Mr. Wellman at one point has Lewis say, after the Anscombe debate at the Socratic Club, "Lord, how will one ever communicate right and wrong, much less the glory of Christ, with the modern philosophers and their unfortunate disciples?" Is there any evidence at all that Lewis actually said this? And instead of mentioning that Miss Anscombe was (is) a committed Roman Catholic Christian, Mr. Wellman follows the unkind lead of others in labeling her only as a "logical postivist", a "large and beefy" woman "who wore pants and smoked cigars."
There are other inaccuracies and misleading statements. TILL WE HAVE FACES is "far too complicated for any ordinary reader to understand." THE ABOLITION OF MAN "missed the mark" and was "too detached, too scholarly." Warren Lewis is pictured most often as a person who drank too much (always on "binges"), and criticized Mrs. Moore, not as a dedicated Christian and very kind man who was much loved by all who knew him. After Lewis turned 50 (1948), Mr. Wellman has "life turn sour for him" because: "Tolkien was peevish and diasgreeable", "he couldn't change the fact that Williams was dead", and "the Oxford he saw every day was more and more hostile."
This is a pretty good biography of Lewis, but certainly not outstanding. Mr. Wellman obviously likes Lewis, and writes with flourish. But I would advise the beginning Lewis reader to consult the standard works of Roger Lancelyn Green & Walter Hooper, George Sayer, and Humphrey Carpenter. Beatrice Gormley's brand-new biography, C. S. LEWIS: CHRISTIAN AND STORYTELLER (Eerdmans, 1998) was written for young and beginning Lewis readers, and is a model of clear, concise writing and balanced scholarship.
MORE BOOK REVIEWS FROM PERRY BRAMLETT NEXT MONTH.
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