Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God (Theologians on the Christian Life)
Overview
C. S. Lewis excelled at plumbing the depths of the human heart, both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the corrupt. From science fiction and fantasy to essays, letters, and works of apologetics, Lewis has offered a wealth of insight into how to live the Christian life.
In this book, Rigney explores the center of Lewis’s vision for the Christian life—the personal encounter between the human self and the living God. In prayer, in the church, in the imagination, in our natural loves, in our pleasures and our sorrows, God brings us into his presence so that we can become fully human: alive, free, and whole, transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
- Focuses on the theme of dualisms as the structure to unpack Lewis
- Explores the personal encounter between the human self and the living God
- Examines the themes of Lewis’s teaching, books, essays, and letters
- The Choice: The Unavoidable Either–Or
- The Gospel: God Came Down
- Theology: A Map to Ultimate Reality
- The Gospel Applied: Good Infection and Good Pretending
- The Devil: The Proud and Bent Spirit
- The Church: Worshiping with Christ’s Body
- Prayer: Practicing the Presence of God
- A Grand Mystery: Divine Providence and Human Freedom
- Pride and Humility: Enjoying and Contemplating Ourselves
- Christian Hedonics: Beams of Glory and the Quest for Joy
- Reason and Imagination: Truth, Meaning, and the Life of Faith
- Healthy Introspection: The Precarious Path to Self-Knowledge
- The Natural Loves: Affection, Friendship, and Eros
- Divine Love: Putting the Natural Loves in Their Place
- Hell: The Outer Darkness
- Heaven: Further Up and Further In
- Orual’s Choice: Discovering Her True Face
Top Highlights
“Most of us are prepared to deal with hardship in life. But we are angered (or at least annoyed) by hardship conceived as injury. And what qualifies as injury depends on the claims we make on life. We make claims about our time, our relationships, and our plans; when hardship comes in any of those areas, we feel that something has been stolen from us. The more claims we make, the more injured we feel. The more injured we feel, the more peevish we become, the more that we find ourselves saying ‘All I want …’” (Page 92)
“the infinitesimal point where the past meets the future” (Page 26)
“When they play, children often pretend to be grown-ups. In this case, ‘the pretense leads up to the real thing.’4 They are pretending their way into reality. The same is true when we act friendlier than we feel and find ourselves becoming friendlier. As the demon Screwtape observes, ‘All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be.’” (Pages 70–71)
“And so the Choice confronts you: receive God, or cling to yourself and try to be God. Surrender and become a son of God, or set up on your own and try to replace him. Be happy with his happiness, or turn inward to the broken cisterns in your own soul.” (Page 33)
“Keep me from mere sentimentality that substitutes good intentions for wise and considered actions.” (Page 115)
A thoughtful, lucid, and beautiful exposition of a magnificent writer. Whether you are relatively new to C. S. Lewis or have read all his books, Joe Rigney will show you ideas and connections that are easily missed, and increase your appreciation for Lewis’s insights on the Christian life.
—Andrew Wilson, Pastor, Kings Church London; author, The Life We Never Expected and Unbreakable
C. S. Lewis gets to the heart of the human condition, and Joe Rigney gets to the heart of C. S. Lewis. Here is a much-needed book that offers a clear and concise overview of Lewis’s vision for the Christian life. Rigney’s take on Lewis is appreciative where deserved, critical where necessary, and always insightful in its application.
—Trevin Wax, Director for Bibles and Reference, LifeWay Christian Resources; author, This Is Our Time; Eschatological Discipleship; and Gospel-Centered Teaching
C. S. Lewis’s theology is a mix of faithfulness to the creeds, brilliant analogies, rare good sense, and, unfortunately, a few areas of doctrinal weakness. Joe Rigney’s book Lewis on the Christian Life accurately reports Lewis’s theology as it relates to practical Christian living. He does an excellent job of bringing out the good sense and carrying on a respectful but critical conversation with Lewis about those shortcomings. The end result is a book that will help you understand Lewis and practice the Christian life. This is a book I’m glad I read and one that you will want to read. I recommend it with enthusiasm.
—Donald T. Williams, R. A. Forrest Scholar, Toccoa Falls College; author, Deeper Magic: The Theology Behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis
- Title: Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God
- Author: Joe Rigney
- Series: Theologians on the Christian Life
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2018
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Christian life; Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963 › Religion; Christianity in literature
- ISBNs: 9781433550553, 9781433550584, 9781433550560, 9781433550577, 1433550555, 143355058X, 1433550563, 1433550571
- Resource ID: LLS:LWSCHRSTNPRSNGD
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:26:36Z