Andrew interviews Dr. Michael J. Christensen about his book, C.S. Lewis on Scripture.
S6E15: “C.S. Lewis on Scripture” (Download)
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Show Notes
Introduction
Drop-In
Quote-of-the-week
“I go to the past to broaden my mind, not to confirm my homebred opinions.”
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm (Unpublished chapter)
Biographical Information
Dr. Michael J Christensen is an historical theologian by training (M.A. Yale Divinity School; Ph.D. Drew University) and a practical theologian by choice and temperament, who taught spirituality and the practice of ministry at Drew for over 20 years.
A noted Lewis scholar and expert on the spiritual teachings of Henri Nouwen, his books include: C. S. Lewis on Scripture, City Streets, City People, The Samaritan’s Imperative, Equipping the Saints, Partakers of the Divine Nature, The Children of Chernobyl, contributor to the C.S. Lewis Study Bible; and edited volumes on The Heart of Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Formation, and Discernment by Henri Nouwen.
He is the founding Academic Dean and Professor of Theology at Northwind Seminary where he directs the doctoral program in Romantic Theology (in which Andrew is a humble student :).
The Rev’d Dr. Michael Christensen is a bit of a polymath – a minister, an accomplished academic, a scholar of particular enthusiasm and broad delight, and the founder of Northwind seminary. His work dives deeply into C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, and many others. He is a generous mentor and colleague.
Guest Biographical Information
Chit-Chat
- While Dr. Chistensen was at The Wade Center, Andrew as at The Mere Anglicanism Conference. Dr. Christensen saw Mary Anne Phemister who was co-editor with Andrew on the book Mere Christians. Dr. Christensen heard Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau give the following presentation:
- The was a formal “Trial of C.S. Lewis” at Wheaton College in 1967!
- Ballet 5:8 will soon be performing their adaptation of Till We Have Faces.
- Former guest-of-the-show, Dr. Diana Glyer will be hosting the Northwind students and faculty a tour of their Inklings treasures at Azusa Pacific University and also hosting How to read and write like an Inkling.
- Billy Graham
Nor am I greatly moved by jocular enquiries such as ‘Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’ — a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if the worst came to the worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
Toast
- Dr. Christensen was drinking Ugandan coffee.
- Andrew is drinking peppermint tea and a little bit of Caol Ila 12.
- They toasted Clyde S. Kilby.
Discussion
1. “Book Origin”
Q. Would you tell us about your book, C.S. Lewis on Scripture?
2. “Debate extremes and the middle road”
Q. Can you speak to the extremes in this debate and Lewis’ position in it?
3. “Biblical Literary Criticism”
Q. What is Biblical Literary Criticism?
–
4. “Treasure in earthen vessels”
Q. Would you mind telling us about the final chapter of your book, “Treasure in earthen vessels”? How should we read Scripture today?
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7
Thus something originally merely natural—the kind of myth that is found among most nations—will have been raised by God above itself, qualified by Him and compelled by Him to serve purposes which of itself it would not have served. Generalising this, I take it that the whole Old Testament consists of the same sort of material as any other literature—chronicle (some of it obviously pretty accurate), poems, moral and political diatribes, romances, and what not; but all taken into the service of God’s word.
C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (Chapter 6)
- Lewis wrote the essay called Modern Translations of the Bible in 1947 which was the introduction to New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Philips
5. “The lost letter to Malcom”
Q. What can you tell us about this lost letter to Malcolm?
- Letter 12A
- Dr. Charlie W. Starr
- Lewis seems to deny Sola Scriptura
“[Lewis] once described himself as a man ‘hungry for rational opposition'”
– John Lawlor, Patterns of Love and Courtesy: Essays in Memory of C.S. Lewis (Preface)
- The lost letter is found in VII, Volume 34
- Dr. Christensen will be updating his book with a new chapter accordingly!
- The Lesser Known Lewis podcast
