C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil: An Investigation of a Pervasive Theme
Overview
C.S. Lewis was concerned about an aspect of the problem of evil he called subjectivism: the tendency of one’s perspective to move towards self-referentialism and utilitarianism. In C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil, Jerry Root provides a holistic reading of Lewis by walking the reader through all of Lewis’ published work as he argues Lewis’ case against subjectivism. Root also reveals that Lewis consistently employed fiction to make his case, as virtually all of his villains are portrayed as subjectivists. More than an exposition of Lewis, Root shows how the Oxford don’s writings were prophetic, and this book is a timely investigation into the problem of evil today.
Want more on C.S. Lewis theology? Check out the Studies on C.S. Lewis Collection (22 vols.).
Key Features
- Provides a holistic reading of Lewis by walking the reader through all of Lewis’ published work
- Argues Lewis’ case against subjectivism
- Investigates the problem of evil today
Contents
- Objectivity and Evil
- The Problem of Pain
- Lewis’s Literary Criticism and a Problem of Evil
- The Rhetorical Aim of Lewis’s Fiction in Light of a Problem of Evil
- Literary Analysis
- Conclusions
Top Highlights
“Third, Lewis believed that an understanding of the truth of an object is more fully grasped when one possesses the skill to use the object for its intended purposes.” (Page 9)
“First, in the pursuit of truth, subjectivism is undesirable; this occurs when the subject no longer surrenders to the object, choosing, rather, to believe arbitrarily whatever he will about the object, without sense of obligation that his thoughts ought to conform to the object as it is. Second, a misunderstanding of the function, purpose or ends for which a thing exists can radically minimize what truth is known about it, making less substantive any judgments that might be made concerning it. Finally, lack of firsthand familiarity with the object may prove to be an obstacle standing in the way of understanding practical truth about it.” (Page 9)
“Subjectivism, on the other hand, is a point of view isolated from, and unresponsive to, objective reality.” (Page xvii)
“Fourth, to say what a thing is does not imply that one has spoken the last word about that object.” (Page 9)
“First, Lewis believed in the objectivity of truth—thought must conform to its object” (Page 8)
Praise for the Print Edition
Few people know Lewis as well as Jerry Root, and few ideas were more central to Lewis’ thought than his critique of subjectivism.
—Alan Jacobs, author, The Narnian: the Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis
Few people in the world have a richer knowledge of C.S. Lewis’ works or a more energetic intellectual curiosity than Jerry Root.
—Wayne Martindale, author, Beyond the Shadowlands: C.S. Lewis on Heaven and Hell
Anyone with a serious interest in Lewis or the problem of evil will be fascinated by this major contribution to Lewis studies.
—Lyle W. Dorsett, author, Seeking the Secret Place: The Spiritual Formation of C.S. Lewis
- Title: C. S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil: An Investigation of a Pervasive Theme
- Author: Jerry Root
- Series: Princeton Theological Monograph Series
- Volume: 96
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2009
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Pages: 308
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963 › Philosophy; Metaphysics in literature; Good and evil
- ISBNs: 9781556357206, 1556357206
- Resource ID: LLS:CSLWSPRPRVSVTHM
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:02:47Z
Dr. Jerry Root is a graduate of Whittier College (BA) and Talbot Graduate School of Theology at Biola University (MDiv). He received his PhD from The Open University. Dr. Root is a professor of evangelism and leadership at Wheaton College, where he teaches at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He serves as the director of the Evangelism Initiative and is a Faculty/Scholar Practitioner at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, both at Wheaton. In addition, Dr. Root has been a visiting professor at Talbot Graduate School of Theology and Biola University from 1990 to the present, and he has lectured on C.S. Lewis at seventy colleges and universities in eight different countries.
Dr. Root is the author of C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil: An Investigation of a Pervasive Theme; the coauthor of The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis: An Introduction, The Sacrament of Evangelism, and The Quotable C.S. Lewis; and the coauthor and coeditor of The Soul of C.S. Lewis: A Meditative Journey through Twenty-Six of His Best Loved Writings. He has contributed to many other edited works about C.S. Lewis and has published numerous articles about Lewis, evangelism, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
In addition to all things Lewis, Dr. Root enjoys traveling, wine-making, American football, bungee jumping, and rich conversation with everyone he meets.