Over the past three posts, I have addressed the output, or legacy, of C.S. Lewis’ erudition. If a person is to be considered a plausible candidate for “Most Erudite Person in History” that person should not be some cloistered monk or reclusive desert mystic who hides from the world. “Erudition” of such high distinction calls for one to do something useful with all that knowledge.
This means writing profusely and producing works of erudition that have impact. It means espousing timeless wisdom and conceiving new ideas. It means having a profound influence upon the world. By any measure, C.S. Lewis did all these things, and more.
C.S. Lewis was not just a great man who had an enduring impact on the Christian world, his greatness also had an indelible impact upon me. I expect many of you can report the same experience. This post is about my personal experience with C.S. Lewis. And it is also about yours.
My Own Personal Experience with Lewis
I was first introduced to C.S. Lewis on Sunday, January 15, 1995, in a sermon by W. Frank Harrington, the Senior Pastor of Peachtree Presbyterian in Atlanta. That was the day my infant son Brandon was baptized. It was also the day I was introduced to the writings of C.S. Lewis. Prior to the sermon that morning, I did not know the difference between C.S. Lewis, and Sinclair. Now I do.
If it seems that I am a tad over-the-top about C.S. Lewis, there is good cause. I am an ardent fan of this wise man not just because of his books and ideas. I am an ardent fan of C.S. Lewis because of the role he has played in my life. Please allow me to explain:
- In reading Lewis broadly, I have grown in mental health. My ignorance about God and reality was diagnosed and cured.
- In reading Mere Christianity, I found a plausible case for belief based upon human experience.
- In reading The Problem of Pain I was convinced by the logic of his arguments.
- In reading The Great Divorce I wascaptivated by his amazing imagination.
- In reading The Abolition of Man I was disabused of the folly of philosophical fallacies.
- In reading Surprised by Joy I saw parallels between his faith journey and my own circuitous odyssey.
- · In reading “Transposition”, considered by Lewis experts to be his most profound contribution to Christian doctrine, I gained deep insights into who Jesus is.
- In reading “The Weight of Glory”, considered by Lewis aficionados everywhere to be his most eloquent and inspiring writing, I was directed to seek not my own glory, but that of family and friends.
- Most importantly, in studying his life, I have been led down the “rational road to the region of awe”.
Please do not misunderstand me, C.S. Lewis is not my savior, only Christ can do that. But Lewis, more than any other person in my life, has served as my spiritual mentor. Perhaps your story is similar.
For me, and perhaps for you as well, he edified me, and instructed me in how to think cogently and to communicate with clarity and conciseness. As C.S. Lewis once said of William T. Kirkpatrick, I now say of Lewis:
“My debt to him is very great, my reverence to this day undiminished.”
Knowing God: “Savoir” Versus “Connaitre”
Some years ago, Professor Peter Kreeft produced a wonderful audio that explained the difference between the two French words for “knowing.” The English language has only one such word, but the French have two. The first is “savoir”, which means “to know,” mostly in the sense of “to know about.” The second is “connaître,” which also means to know, but in the sense of “to know personally.”
Professor Kreeft’s point was that for Christians “connaitre” is what matters. Certainly, it is good “to know about” Jesus, but a great many people “know about” Him without “knowing Him” personally as their friend, their Redeemer, their God. “Savoir” is within the reach of spiritual rebels, “connaître” not so much.
Lewis didn’t find God, God found him. (To use his own words) Lewis willingly entered “into the region of awe”. While riding atop the bus, Lewis chose to take off his armor, to cross this transom. This act of submission was not to read library books “about God”, but to know Him personally.
For me, and perhaps for you as well, he diagnosed my condition and prescribed a cure. As C.S. Lewis once said of Edmund Spenser, I now say of Lewis:
“To read him is to grow in mental health.”
Michael Ward’s Insight Resonates with Me
Michael Ward, Oxford Chaplain and premier Narnia expert, has observed Lewis’ unique understanding of evangelism. Michael Ward wisely noted:
“In Lewis’s mind, the mainspring of evangelism should not be the importunate cry of ‘Come to Jesus’ but the generous, revelatory Impulse of ‘Jesus has come to you.’ . . . Rather than ‘This is why you must come to Jesus,’ Lewis is saying ‘This is what it is like when Jesus comes to you.’”
This struck a responsive chord with me. The difference seems at first subtle but is quite profound. I believe this suggests a line of reasoning to be taken with skeptics that is not only more interesting but also far more productive. Why “guilt-trip” someone we want to help into belief, when Lewis’ experiential approach is likely far more effective.
What Has C.S. Lewis Done for God?
On August 21, 1908, Albert Lewis conversed with Flora Hamilton Lewis and recorded some of her last words in his diary. As she lay dying, she counseled a sick room nurse . . .
“Find a good man who loves you and who loves God”
Then she suddenly asked . . .
“What have we done for Him?”
Lewis’ father wrote in his diary . . .
“May I never forget that.”
She died two days later.
I have no idea what Albert Lewis did about this. But this seemingly inconsequential note, discovered after his father’s death 21 years after his mother’s passing (around the time of his own conversion) apparently moved C.S. Lewis in ways he never anticipated. What is important is this: C.S. Lewis responded to the call. As Walter Hooper later said of him (echoing Pope John-Paul II):
“He knew his apostolate, and at great cost to himself, he did it.”
Walter Hooper’s Profound Observation
I have proposed that C.S. Lewis might just be the “most erudite person who ever lived.” I do not contend that I can prove my premise, for even if it happens to be true, it remains unprovable. Instead, my intent is to build a case for Lewis so strong that you will come to believe my premise is plausible.
Some years ago, I became aware of a comment Walter Hooper made back in 2001. It was more of an observation than a premise for debate, and like my premise is unprovable. But what Walter Hooper said is vastly more intriguing.
So, what did the estimable Mr. Hooper say? If you watch the accompanying video, you will find it at the very end.
I may be out on a limb here with my premise, and I may well be wrong. But as bold assertions go, I am in very good company.
Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
Erudition Series Index
