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Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “God in the Dock”

Jonathon Svendsen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:14:50 +0000

Hey, everybody! Welcome back to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books buy and about CS Lewis and the land of Narnia. For today’s review we will be looking at “God in the Dock” by CS Lewis.

Title: God in the Dock

Author: CS Lewis

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1994)

ISBN-10: 0802808689

ISBN-13: 978-0802808684

Summary:

God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, is a collection of essays written by CS Lewis over the course of his life that examine a wide range of issues, ranging from the ethical issue of vivisection, to the importance of mythology, to the celebration of Christmas, to the reading of old books, to the still divisive issue of women as clergy.

Review

God in the Dock is another discussion worthy collection of essays penned by CS Lewis. Much like Christian reflections, God in the Dock, and Of Other Worlds, was published posthumously by the Lewis Estates, collecting several of his essays that he wrote through out his life-time.

This book’s title comes from the eponymous essay, “God in the Dock”. The term comes from the courtroom usage of a trail. The Bench is where the judge sits, while the witness or person accused sits in the dock. In the essay, Lewis argues that in our day in age, we find ourselves examining God in the same way, wondering how a God who is good, and wonderful, and loving and merciful and compassionate can allow things like war , famine, disease, and poverty to exist.

It is certainly question that bears asking and that is the very same subject that many of these essays tackle. From essays on pain, to prayer, to the deity of Christ, to the incarnation, Lewis not only examines God and Christianity and touch ethical issues like vivisection. This book also features and essay looking at the issue of Priestesses in the church, written back in 1948, an issue that still remains a hot-button item in many churches as they debate the role of women in the church.

Well some of the essays aren’t’ nearly s divisive, there are three that deal with the subject of Christmas and commercialism, and one on the importance of reading of old books, they all offer some food for thought. A few of the essays are even written in a dialogue style similar to the works of Aristotle and Plato where a “teacher” is having a discussion with a “student”. Another satirical essay, “Xmas and Christmas” is written like a lost chapter from a book by the historian Herodotus on the celebration of Christmas in England and brilliantly shows the juxtaposition or the “commercial” holiday versus the “true” holiday.

Two other unique essays in this book are the “short bits” which is a collection of essays Lewis started but never completed, and a reprint of a discussion Sherwood E. Wirt of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, that looks at the claims of Christ, the importance of coming to him, space travel, and the then emerging Evangelical movement in America. The Discussion with Mr. Wirt also briefly highlights a meeting between CS Lewis and the Reverend Billy Graham and Lewis’s impressions of him.

Their certainly are some areas of controversy with this book. Perhaps the most controversial is that he also argues that mythology can help provide a good starting point for those who do not know Christ in his essay “The Grand Myth” as the myths contain many symbols that can point to Christ. Also he warns in his essay, “ The Dangers of National Repentance” that national repentance may actually be dangerous, as individuals may neglect to repent of their own personal sins and focus only on the much larger societal ills. In his essay on women clergy he also speaks out against the issue of having them serve in such a position. These areas of controversy are certainly helpful s it can get us honestly talking about such things.

While to some there is certainly plenty of material in this book that is covered in some of Lewis’s other works, these essays are merely the framework for them. By reading this we get a much fuller picture of some of Lewis’ ideas. Once again, Lewis perfectly demonstrates in God in the Dock just why it is he is the undisputed “arm-chair theologian” of the 20^th century. His words in these essays are clear, concise, and still thought provoking and just as relevant today as they were when he first wrote them.

41/2 out of 5 shields.

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New “Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics” Edition of The Chronicles of Narnia to Be Released This Month!

Jonathon Svendsen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:54:12 +0000

We just recieved word today that CS Lewis’s beloved Chronicles of Narniawill soon receive their own “Leatherbound Classics Edition” from Barnes and Noble. This hardcover volume, will include all seven books in one, and is sure to be a treasured keepsake for every fan. There is no word on if the books will be featrued in their original publication order or their chronological order. As soon as we can get further information on the volume, we will let you know.

Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics have featured many notable collected works including those of Homer, Dante, Jules Verne, HG Welles, The Grimm Brothers, Hans Christen Andersen, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Lewis Caroll, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The volume looks like it will not only be high quality, but at a fairly reasonable price ( $19.98 USD) compared to the traditional hardcover volume of the complete Chronicles of Narnia ( $32.98 USD). The book will only be available for purchase from Barnes and Noble Bookstores and their website.

The book will be available on August 13th.

Further information on the volume can be found here:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Chronicles-of-Narnia/C-S-Lewis/e/9781435117150/?itm=13

C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce to be a Movie

Paul Martin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:32:45 +0000

Dr. Bob Beltz is a consultant for the owner of Walden Media. He’s now working on bringing another C.S. Lewis classic to the big screen with The Great Divorce. It has the potential to be a fantastic film. It’s got the solid foundation of C.S. Lewis behind it, and if done well, could be a film classic. Dr. Beltz wrote about it on his blog on Examiner.

The Great Divorce: Beloved Pictures is a new independent film company that is developing films that have positive, redemptive stories. They have acquired the rights to develop this C. S. Lewis’ classic. I’ve been brought on as an Executive Producer and creative consultant. If you are not familiar with the book, The Great Divorce is the story of a busload of people from the grey town (a kind of purgatory/hell) that are taken on a trip to heaven. When published in 1946 it was considered by some to be a sequel to Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. The principles at Beloved hope to have a director attached in the next couple of weeks. They currently are in the difficult process of finding investors who believe enough in this kind of film to fund the development and production of the project.

C.S. Lewis Southwest Regional Retreat: Oct 30 – Nov 2

Paul Martin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:55:28 +0000

This fall, come to the woodland retreat of Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, for a weekend of fellowship, worship, learning, and performances of music and dance!

From the 1930s to the 1940s, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their friends and fellow writers met to share good fellowship and their creative works-in-progress. Known as the “Inklings,” they produced some of the most beloved works of the 20th century.

C.S. Lewis Southwest Regional Retreat
The Company We Keep: Creativity & Community with C.S. Lewis & the Inklings
October 30 – November 1, 2009

Join Diana Pavlac Glyer, author of The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community, as she invites us to explore the Inkling’s friendship and the influence it had on their lives. She will encourage us to respond to God’s call to community and discover that we are refreshed and inspired as we connect with others.

Featuring:

Outstanding speakers and breakout session leaders – Diana Pavlac Glyer, Rev. Skip Ryan, George Musacchio, Andrew Lazo, Don Wood, and Rev. Scott Irwin
Inspirational music and dance performances – Kemper Crabb and Ad Deum Dance Company
Worship and fellowship with friends old and new
Outdoor recreation – horseback riding, canoeing, and skeet shooting
Children’s Track – “Sailing the Dawn Treader” (ages 7-12)
Bag End Cafe – evening readings and music by speakers and conferees

This retreat will renew your spirit, challenge your mind, and refresh your body. Don’t miss it!

Click here to find out more about the retreat, including information on the schedule, the full lineup of speakers, and the new Writers Workshop.

Click here to register!

And don’t miss the new series of blog posts about the program, speakers, and other reasons to attend this one of a kind retreat! Nan Rinella and Laura Sullivan will be updating you regularly on the Writers Workshop Blog and on the main CSLF Blog.

Writers Workshop Debuts at Southwest Regional Retreat

In the spirit of Lewis & Tolkien, they are also offering a special preconference Writers Workshop that will continue throughout the retreat at Camp Allen. Featuring author Joy Jordan-Lake, author Frank Ball, agent Steve Laube, editor Terry Glaspey, and web expert Thomas Umstattd, the workshop will center on the theme More Than a Hobby: Letting Community Take Your Creativity to a New Level.

To meet the needs of writers of varying areas of interest, there will be two tracks – one for fiction writers led by Joy Jordan-Lake, and one for nonfiction writers (focusing on devotionals, journals, memoirs, family histories, and church projects) led by Frank Ball.

Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “A Grief Observed”

Jonathon Svendsen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:14:01 +0000

Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed.

Title: A Grief Observed
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: HarperOne
ISBN-10: 0060652381
ISBN-13: 978-0060652388

Summary:

Written in the wake of the death of his wife Joy, CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed is a haunting, poignant and reverent recollection of one man’s journey through grief and recovery, and how his faith grew because of it. While the book has plenty of spiritual insights, it has many more insights into simply the human condition. Short, brief and to the point, this is not just the story of one man, but the story of humanity as it brilliantly captures grief every one goes through in the midst of a loss or separation of a loved one.

Reviews:

When this book was first published, CS Lewis submitted it under another Pen name, NW Clerk. The name itself comes from the old Anglo Saxon word meaning, “ I know not whom.” His reasons have well been documented. The book itself was essentially his journals he kept while grieving the death of his wife. He was concerned that readers would read the book and judge h him for his apparent lack of faith in the midst of a great personal crisis. Later, by the persuasion of his friends he published it under his own name.

One can certainly understand why he would not want to publish it under his own name at first. In A Grief Observed, we see CS Lewis asking difficult questions. We see him wonder why God would allow him to fall in love, only to loose his wife. We do not see him lay out brilliant theological insights or expounding on doctrinal truths, at least not right away. Here, we see CS Lewis, less as a Titan of the apologetic world, and more of a broken man, similar to the Biblical character of Job, crying out to God and seeking answers.

One of the most striking passages comes when CS Lewis addresses the idea of the consolations of religion. When he does they are very evident to the reader as the clever little aphorisms we toss around at funerals like ,” oh, don’t worry, you’ll see them again”, “ this too shall pass”, or “God has a plan.”

Lewis retorts with, “ Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.” To first time readers, they can be struck by this passage and ask, how could CS Lewis say that? Logically, he should take great comfort in knowing that.

Here however, and through out the book, we come to understand this is not Lewis the apologeticist. writing, this, is Lewis the man. A normal, ordinary human like all of us .When he says this, and everything else in the book, we find ourselves thinking where have I heard this before? It is in that moment we discover, thoughts, questions and even doubts no different then our own. We see Lewis, asking his readers as we ask those around us when we grieve to listen to us. We see him asking, not for answers but simply to be comforted.

We do see how God guides Lewis through his grief and come to terms with Joy’s death, though at the same time we still get the incredible sense that something has been lost that cannot be returned. This book, like many of Lewis’s other works draws you in immediately. However because this one is more autobiographical in nature it is considerably the most engrossing of his non-fiction works. His style, even when it is in the midst of grief is still clear and concise.

This is with out a doubt, the best of CS Lewis’s non-fiction works. Readers are encouraged to read it a first time before grief strikes them and then read it again while grieving. This is in the end not just a book, but a map through the road of grief, and a mirror into the human condition.

Five out of Five shields

Order the book from Amazon.com

Texas State Professor finds Lost Lewis Manuscript

Paul Martin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:51:26 +0000

In the last few years, we’ve had a lot of lost manuscripts begin to surface from the likes of C.S. Lewis’ friend J.R.R. Tolkien. From The Children of Hurin to The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, the wealth of literature from Tolkien has been expanded greatly, and it’s about time that something new from Lewis has been discovered. Communications Professor Steven Beebe of Texas State discovered a lost manuscript fragment in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library.

While there is no evidence that Tolkien ever started work on the project, the beginnings of a book that was to be a collaborative effort have been uncovered. According to a letter Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher in 1944, he had planned to write a book with Lewis called Language and Human Nature. The collaborative effort, with Lewis being the author of the Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien being the author of The Lord of the Rings, would have been a joy to read, I am sure, regardless of the subject matter.

“What is exciting is that the manuscript includes some of Lewis’s best and most precise statements about the nature of language and meaning,” Beebe said. “Both Lewis and Tolkien wrote separately about language, communication, and meaning, but they published nothing collaboratively.”

Beebe found the fragment in a small notebook Lewis used. In the notebook were early fragments of The Magician’s Nephew and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, along with several unpublished thoughts and ideas. Beebe discovered the fragment after turning the notebook upside down and reading from back to front.

“I was so surprised to find Lewis writing about language and meaning, using examples and illustrations not found in any of his published work,” Beebe said. “I knew I had discovered something interesting. But at the time, I didn’t know I had found something important.”

Beebe determined it was the start of the lost book after several years of additional research into Tolkien and Lewis. In the manuscript, Lewis consistently refers to multiple authors instead of writing in the singular.

The Lewis estate must give its permission for the work to be published. However, Beebe is confident permission will be given and the manuscript will add new insight about Lewis’s ideas about the nature of language.

The article Beebe wrote documenting his discovery, “Language and Human Nature Manuscript Fragment Found: C. S. Lewis On Language and Meaning,” will be published next year in the journal Seven: An Anglo-American Literary Review. The journal publishes scholarship that focuses on the work of seven prominent Twentieth Century British authors, including both Lewis and Tolkien.

This is very exciting, and I look forward to reading it someday. I hope whatever it is, finds a way into publication. In particular: the Narnia snippets. It’d be really interesting to read those and see what changed.

In addition, the Professor teaches a class on Lewis:

Beebe teaches a course about Lewis and communication called “C. S. Lewis: Chronicles of a Master Communicator,” both on the Texas State campus in San Marcos and in a special class that will be taught this July and August at Oxford University. When teaching the class in Oxford rather than meeting in a in a classroom, most sessions are taught at various sites throughout Oxford, including Lewis’s home, the Kilns; Magdalan College, the college where Lewis taught; as well as the room in the Eastgate Hotel where Lewis first met his wife, Joy Davidman. Their love story was the subject of the movie Shadowlands, in which Anthony Hopkins played Lewis and Debra Winger portrayed Joy.

“My goal in teaching the course in Oxford,” said Beebe, “is to bring Lewis to life and have students discover Lewis’ approach to communication. Discovering Lewis’ unpublished ideas about language and human nature adds depth to our discussion of his approach to communication,” said Beebe. (San Marcos Mercury)

Mark Sommer located the press release from Texas State. Pardon the duplicate material:

What if two of the most famous and widely read 20^th Century authors who have each individually sold millions of copies of their books had written a book together?

C. S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles and Screwtape Letters, and J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, had planned in the 1940s to write a book together about Language. According to a letter written by Tolkien in 1944 to his son Christopher, the collaborative book was to be called Language and Human Nature. A news release from their publisher announced that the book was scheduled for publication in 1950. It was, however, never published. Scholars have thought, until now, that it was never started.

Steven Beebe, Regents’ Professor and Chair of the Texas State Department of Communication Studies, discovered the opening pages of the unpublished manuscript in the Oxford University Bodleian Library and has recently documented that the manuscript was the beginning of the previously believed to be unwritten Lewis and Tolkien book.

Although C. S. Lewis started the book, there is no evidence that Tolkien began work on the project.

“What is exciting” said Beebe, “is that the manuscript includes some of Lewis’s best and most precise statements about the nature of language and meaning. Both Lewis and Tolkien wrote separately about language, communication, and meaning, but they published nothing collaboratively.”

The article Beebe wrote documenting his discovery, “Language and Human Nature Manuscript Fragment Found: C. S. Lewis On Language and Meaning,” will be published next year in the Journal Seven: An Anglo-American Literary Review. The journal Seven publishes scholarship that focuses on the work of seven prominent 20^th Century British authors including both Lewis and Tolkien.

The partial book manuscript Beebe found was in a small notebook on which Lewis had written the word “Scraps.” Included in the tattered notebook are early fragments of two Narnia Chronicles, The Magician’s Nephew and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader along with unpublished ideas about a variety of topics.

Beebe discovered the book fragment by turning the little notebook upside down and reading from back to front.

“I was so surprised to find Lewis writing about language and meaning, using examples and illustrations not found in any of his published work,” said Beebe. “I knew I had discovered something interesting.But at the time, I didn’t know I had found something important.”

It was several years after finding the manuscript after doing additional research about Lewis and Tolkien that Beebe concluded that the manuscript was the beginning of the lost book.

In Lewis’s own distinctive handwriting the opening sentence clearly indicates that Lewis was writing a book about the nature and origins of language—the topic of the planned Lewis and Tolkien book. Further evidence that the manuscript is the beginning of the coauthored book project is the fact that Lewis wrote about “our statements” and used the phrase “authors consider,” rather than writing in the first person singular as Lewis often did. Because the newly discovered manuscript is copyrighted, it is not yet available for publication.Permission must be granted by the Lewis estate, and that process is in progress. When it is published, Beebe believes the manuscript will add new insights about Lewis’s ideas into the nature of language, with a special emphasis on the oral aspects of language, and about how meaning occurs when humans communicate.

-via Texas State University

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Gollum to star in Focus on the Family’s “Screwtape Letters” Radio Drama

Jonathon Svendsen — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:35:10 +0000

This comes to us late, but NarniaFans learned today that Andy Serkis, best known for playing the duplicitous Gollum in the Lord of the Rings, will be voicing the diabolical Screwtape in Focus on the Family Radio Theater’s upcoming adaptation of CS Lewis’s classic, The Screwtape Letters.

Focus on the Family’s radio theater already garnered positive reviews for their productions of the Chronicles of Narnia series and Adventures in Odyssey. As is evident by the choice of Serkis as Gollum, they only choose top-notch performers for the roles ( notably Alan Young , Corey Burton and Hal Smith in Adventures in Odyssey) hearkening back to the old days of Orson Welles on the Mercury Theater of the Air.

Serkis recieved many accolades for his performance as Gollum in Lord of the Rings, and many fans even wanted him to receive the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in his role. Since then he has had many major film roles, including doing the motion capture for Kong in Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong. Chances are, he is going to give listeners another stellar performance as he gave in LOTR.

Along with Serkis, the cast for the production includes Geoffrey Palmer ( Tomorrow Never Dies), Laura Michelle Kelly ( Sweeney Todd), and Eileen Page ( The Secet Garden). The production is expected to release sometime in October.

Now one question remains. In light of this news, how are the filmakers for the oft talked about Screwtape Letters movie going to top this cast? They will certainly have their work cut out for them.

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Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: “Christian Reflections.”

Jonathon Svendsen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:34:58 +0000

Hi, everybody. Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books relating to CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia . For today’s review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’ Christian Reflections.

Title: Christian Reflections

Author: CS Lewis

Editor: Walter Hooper

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 1994)

ISBN-10: 0802808697

ISBN-13: 978-0802808691

Summary:

Here is a collection of the earliest short essay written by CS Lewis dealing with Christian doctrine, theology, and church traditions. Quick, concise, and to the point, they offer not only insights into many relevant topics, but show a glimpse at times of CS Lewis in his formative stages of his faith. We also get a rare glimpse of CS Lewis as a key writer of early sci-fi on the subject of space travel.

Review:

One thing that makes Christian reflections stand out so well, is the fact that largely many of the essays presented predate Lewis writing such notable works as Mere Christianity, Abolition of Man, and the rest of his works on theology and ethics . As such we see the ground work for many of his theological and ethical views.

This collection itself was put together after his death and is wonderfully complied. The essay

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