Reverend Brian McGreevy continues his series, Not as Unwise but as Wise: Reflections from C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man and That Hideous Strength on Living Christianly in a Post-Christian World. This is available as a podcast on iTunes.
Episode 12: Not as Unwise but as Wise: Reflections from C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man and That Hideous Strength
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 2, “DINNER WITH THE SUB-WARDEN” Adapted from scholar Rudolf Rentzel
“After the meeting, Mark goes to dine at the house of Curry, the sub-Warden of Bracton, with Lord Feverstone and James Busby, the Bursar, joining in the dinner party. Mark begins to warm to Feverstone. The discussion turns to the NICE (National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments). Busby thinks the NICE is “the first attempt to take applied science seriously from a national point of view.” Curry thinks the NICE “marks the beginning of a new era – the really scientific era.” Both Curry and Busby have to leave the dinner party for other commitments, leaving Feverstone and Mark alone.
“As soon as they leave, Feverstone bursts out laughing, soon joined by Mark. Feverstone, who works in the NICE, makes it clear that he thinks Curry and Busby are not very intelligent, but useful, since they usually carry out at Bracton what is suggested to them. Thus they led the charge to bring the NICE to Edgestow, as was suggested to them, without knowing what it was. However, Feverstone congratulates Mark for understanding the point of the NICE at once, and invites him to come with him to visit the organization to be interviewed as a possible member. Feverstone expresses disdain for Bracton, and says Mark would be wasted there. Mark, who felt he joined one inner circle when appointed at Bracton, and who now feels he entered another inner circle as part of the Progressive Elements – now feels part of another inner circle with Feverstone, understanding he can be part of a further inner circle with the NICE.
“Feverstone presents the NICE as on the side of Order – the opportunity to take control of our destiny – the chance to take over the human race and recondition it – to make man a really efficient animal, if only “Science is really given a free hand.”
Feverstone presents three problems: first the interplanetary problem (readers of the trilogy will understand this as the battles presented in the first two parts of the trilogy, where the battle took place on Mars and Venus – Dick Divine had been part of the battle on Mars). He refers to the murder of Weston (his partner in crime on Mars, who later tried to corrupt Venus, and killed by Ransom, whom we will meet later in the story). The second problem Feverstone presents is life itself. There is far too much of it of every-kind on the planet and it needs to cleaned up (to promote order). “The third problem is Man himself. At first this means sterilization of the unfit, liquidating the backward races, and then selective breeding (eugenics). Eventually it means a real education by stages which eventually leads to the direct manipulation of the brain – which leads to a new type of man.
“Feverstone says they want Mark because he can write in such a manner as to camouflage their purpose for now (propaganda) until they can say it openly. Mark, eager to enter another inner circle, agrees to go with Feverstone and visit John Wither at the NICE for the weekend.
“When Mark finally arrives home, Jane surprises him with an overwhelming, teary embrace, after suffering much anxiety about her dream since she returned from the Dimbles. The next day, Jane was angry at herself for being the fluttering, tearful “little woman.” This anger spilled over as anger against Mark, who announced he was leaving for a couple days to visit the NICE at Belbury with Lord Feverstone who first visited them before whisking Mark away in his sports car. After they left, Jane thought Feverstone had a “loud, unnatural laugh and the mouth of a shark, and no manners.” She thought him a perfect fool, shifty, and distrusted his face. She worried he would make a fool of Mark, who could be so easily taken in. However, she worried about spending days and nights alone. She eventually decides to see Miss Ironwood at St. Anne’s as the Dimbles recommended. As this chapter ends, we see Mark and Jane going in different directions – an analogy of their marriage. Mark rides with Lord Feverstone in his sports car, at wild speeds, towards the NICE in Belbury (lowlands). Jane rides in a steady train in the opposite direction towards St. Anne’s (on a hill with a prominent view of the surrounding countryside) to meet with Miss Ironwood as the Dimbles recommended.”
NOTES AND THEMES
–Pride and Gossip and the Inner Circle
The conversation between Mark and Feverstone is all about putting others down, condescending, and touting their own superiority. There is gossip and “two-faced” behavior, as Feverstone’s behavior is markedly different when Busby and Curry are not there.
–Using People and Abusing Power
Both Busby and Curry are only pawns in Feverstone’s game; he is using them and laughing at them behind their backs. They are not being treated as Men made in the image of God, but as mere cogs in the accomplishment of Feverstone’s goals.
–Corruption of Language
Feverstone congratulates Mark on understanding what the NICE is all about, whereas in fact Mark has no idea what it is about and is too afraid of being classed with Busby and Curry to admit his ignorance or to ask any questions. Mark is to serve as a writer of propaganda to “camouflage” what the NICE is really doing (i.e., his job is to write lies)
–Taking Control: Masters of the Universe
Feverstone and his party want to take over the world—to create a New World Order where Man is in charge of his own destiny.
–Atheistic Utilitarian View of Man
Men without chests—merely cogs in a machine of efficiency—a new breed of Man who is an efficient animal.
–Wariness of Dependence in Marriage and Vulnerability in General
Jane deeply regrets her “weakness” and vulnerability in that one evening with Mark and seeks to regain her cold independence of equality.
Practices of Hope and of Wisdom
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.—Philippians 4:8-9
1.Avoid gossip and putting others down. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Eph. 4:29 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Eph. 4:15
2. Respect the dignity and freedom of others as made in the image of God and treat them with kindness and respect. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them Gen 1:26-27. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Cor.3:16 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10
3. Strive to be a clear and empathic communicator, using your words carefully and being clear what you mean.Resist passive aggressive language and innuendo and half-truths. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Mt 5:37 In view of what he has made us then, dear brothers, let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper. For man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness. James 1:19 JBP Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of oneanother. Ephesians 4:31
4. Embrace the fullness of what it means to be made in the image of God as a human being, the summit of God’s creation, and resist ideas and practices that seek to treat humans as animals or cogs in a machine. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.—Psalm 8
“Two points of view about being human: “…one believes that men are going to live for ever, that they were created by God and so built that they can find their true and lasting happiness only by being united to God, that they have gone badly off the rails, and that obedient faith in Christ is the only way back. The other believes that men are an accidental result of the blind workings of matter, that they started as mere animals and have more or less steadily improved, that they are going to live for about seventy years, that their happiness is fully attainable by good social services and political organisations, and that everything else (e.g., vivisection, birth-control, the judicial system, education) is to be judged to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ simply in so far as it helps or hinders that kind of ‘happiness’.” –Lewis, “Man or Rabbit?”
5. Seek the Lordship of Christ in your own life and pray for His Will to be done in the world, rejecting the idea that there is any wisdom or plan superior to that of the Lord.For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Col. 1:16 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
6. Practice vulnerability in key relationships, learning to share your burdens and to bear those of the ones you love.Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:2 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor. 12:9
My life flows on in endless songAbove earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What though my joys and comforts die
The Lord my Savior liveth
What though the darkness gather round
Songs in the night He giveth
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth
How can I keep from singing?
I lift mine eyes the cloud grows thin
I see the blue above it
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love t
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart
A fountain ever springing
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing? Rev. Robert Lowry, 1868
