Since we’re beginning a new season and a new book, we thought it would be wise to introduce new listeners to the life of C.S. Lewis. To this end, we invited onto the show James Como, a founding member of the New York C. S. Lewis Society, to talk about his latest book, C.S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction.
S3E02: “After Hours” with James Como (Download)
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Time Stamps
00:00:00 – Entering “The Eagle & Child”…
00:00:11 – Welcome
00:01:00 – Introducing James Como
00:02:56 – Quote-of-the-week
00:03:22 – Drink-of-the-week
00:04:05 – Introduction to Lewis
00:09:56 – New York C.S. Lewis Society
00:14:48 – Lewis overview
00:24:26 – New Lewis readers
00:28:37 – Lewis Misconceptions
00:36:19 – James’ book
00:50:45 – Till We Have Faces
00:55:18 – The Screwtape Letters
01:03:28 – Contact information
01:06:26 – “Last Call” Bell and Closing Remarks
YouTube Version
After Show Skype Session
No Skype Session today!
Show Notes
Opening
- I introduced Professor Como:
Professor James Como holds the Ph.D. in Language, Literature and Rhetoric from Columbia University and now is Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric and Public Communication at York College (CUNY). He was a founding member of the New York C. S. Lewis Society in 1969. He has written four books about C.S. Lewis which include:
Biographical information about James Como
Remembering C.S. Lewis
Why I Believe in Narnia
Branches to Heaven
…and the book which we’ll speak most about today, C. S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction VSI).
These books, along with his many journal articles on Lewis and on-air commentary for five biographical documentaries have established Professor Como as one of the most highly-regarded Lewis scholars in the world and we’re honoured to welcome him here today….
- In the introduction, I mentioned Professor Como’s “on-air commentary for five biographical documentaries”. You can see them here:
- Although we didn’t talk about it i the episode, I’d encourage listeners to check out a recent interview Professor Como gave on The Eric Metaxas Show:
- Today’s episode began by explaining how my path crossed Professor Como’s about a year ago. I had watched the documentary Narnia’s Lost Poet where A.N. Wilson made the claim that Lewis failed his driving test seventeen times. This claim seemed to me more than a little far-fetched, so I asked around on Facebook to see if anyone knew of evidence to support this claim. Someone (I think it was actually co-host Andrew Lazo) suggested I reach out to Professor Como to see if you knew anything about it.
- Since Dr. Como wrote a “Very Short Introduction” to C.S. Lewis, I chose an appropriate quote-of-the-week:
In the very process of eliminating from your matter all that is technical, learned, or allusive, you will discover, perhaps for the first time, the true value of learned language: namely, brevity.
C.S. Lewis, Before We Can Communicate
- For the drink-of-the-week, I was drinking Vat 69 and James was drinking an Aperol Spritz. With these drinks we toasted our latest Gold-level supporter, Sam M:
“May neighbors respect you, Trouble neglect you, The angels protect you, And heaven accept you.”
Toast to Patreon supporter, Sam M
History with Lewis
- I asked James how he was first introduced to Lewis. His first book was An Experiment In Criticism. Next he read The Great Divorce. Five years later, while sick in bed he read the Narnian Chronicles.
- Professor Como explained that he was one of the founding members of the New York C.S. Lewis Society in 1969. When he spoke about meeting other Lewis fans on the subway, he alludes to a line from The Four Loves:
The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.”
C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves (Chapter 4)
Lewis’ Life
- Since we may have new listeners at the beginning of this Season, I asked James to give us a thumbnail sketch of Lewis’ life and work. During his presentation, he quotes Bob Jones when he was asked about C.S. Lewis:
“That man smokes a pipe, and that man drinks liquor – but I do believe he is a Christian!”
Bob Jones on C.S. Lewis
- Professor Como mentioned Lewis’ correspondence with Catholic Saint, Giovanni Calabria. Their correspondence can be in The Latin Letters.
- Several times in the interview, James alludes to Lewis’ poem, The Apologist’s Evening Prayer:
From all my lame defeats and oh! much more
C.S. Lewis, The Apologist’s Evening Prayer
From all the victories that I seemed to score;
From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf
At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;
From all my proofs of Thy divinity,
Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.
Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead
Of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head.
From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee,
O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.
Lord of the narrow gate and the needle’s eye,
Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.
Books and Misconceptions
- Over the course of the interview, James mentions several books:
- Into the Region of Awe by David Downing
- Jack by George Sayers
- Reading with the heart: The way into Narnia by Peter J Schakel
- Apostle to the Skeptics by Chad Walsh
- C.S. Lewis: A Biography by Roger Lancelyn Green
- Communication ability The Rhetoric of Certitude by Tandy.
- When asked about Lewis misconceptions, Professor Como reminded us that Lewis is a complicated chap. He also suggested that the dispute with Elizabeth Anscombe was overblown. He also recommended that readers pay close attention to Lewis’ poetry, and mentioned Jerry Root’s upcoming book, Splendor In The Dark.
A very short introduction
- We then changed gears and talked about Professor Como’s latest book C. S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction. I explained that I had the book on pre-order, but gave it away during a talk before I had a chance to read it! I bought the audio book instead (and commented later that the voice actor mispronounced “Magdalen College”).
- I asked Professor Como how he came to write the VSI. He explained that he had enjoyed the series before and contacted the publisher. A year later he got a response from the editor!
- One reviewer said that the “thousand point of light” line from George Bush did not come from The Magician’s Nephew. However…
One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out—single stars, constellations, and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world.
C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew (Chapter 8)
- James admitted to making a mistake in his book when he said Shift dressed up as a lion in The Last Battle, when it was actually the donkey, Puzzle.
- We discussed the anecdote about Lewis giving money and his companion complaining that the man would just spend it on beer.
Till We Have Faces and The Screwtape Letters
- Last season we read Till We Have Faces . I had heard Professor Como was a fan so I asked him about it.
- He pointed out that the Fox’s name, Lysias, was also the name of a Greek Orator who gave a speech against Thirty Tyrants.
- James told the story of how Andrew beat him in a Till-We-Have-Faces-off).
- He pointed out how talk eventually comes to the end:
Only words, words; to be led out to battle against other words
C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces (Part II, Chapter 4)
- I asked Andrew for his advice to readers of The Screwtape Letters. He encouraged us to patient and to take our time. He also pointed out a few variations he saw in the written manuscript of the book:
- “Celestial Woman”
- Spelling of “rivet”
Ending with Scripture
- Professor Como ended the interview by offering a few of Scriptural quotations:
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz′edek.
Hebrews 6:19-20
Find Out More…
- To find out more about Professor Como, please see his website. He also has several videos on his YouTube channel and his books are available on Amazon.
