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Would Lewis like us?

The man. The myth.

re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 19th, 2006, 1:12 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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Re: re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Esther » March 21st, 2006, 3:07 am

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 21st, 2006, 3:01 pm

Maybe not angered by the attention but by in some cases having his theology attached to ideas that he might not have cared for.

I wonder if he genuinely did believe that his books would not outlive him though? He presumably realised that the Narnia books, at least, would live on.

I suspect that might might be surprised that he is much more popular outside of the UK and Ireland than he is in them though :)
"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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Re: re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Esther » March 21st, 2006, 11:33 pm

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Re: re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Messenger_of_Eden » March 22nd, 2006, 6:38 am

"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."--St. Augustine of Hippo
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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 22nd, 2006, 11:26 am

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Josh » March 23rd, 2006, 6:39 pm

I don't think Lewis would be angry about the esteem to which he is held, though he might be a bit embarassed by it and he might have some difficulty understanding it. He set out to write in such a way as to unite the Christian faith under a common flag, and inasmuch as Christians of denominations ranging from Roman Catholic to conservative Presbyterian claim Lewis as their own, he accomplished his mission. He'd probably be very happy about that.

But, I think he would be very disappointed that a successor has not arisen in his wake, someone who is influenced by him as he was influenced by Chesterton and MacDonald. Many good Christian writers today quote Lewis like he's going out of style (from Piper, a reformed baptist, to Kreeft, a Roman Catholic, and all along the spectrum), and some even try to emulate his style, but no one has picked up the banner (of Christ, not of Lewis--everyone seems to want to carry forward the banner of Lewis) and carried it forward to the challenges facing intellectual Christianity today (which are different from the challenges confronted by Lewis in the first half of the 20th century).

I also think Lewis would feel that he is quoted (directly) way too much. Modern writers should come up with their own ideas, whether those ideas are influenced by Lewis or not. Lewis said that he fancied that he had never written anything without subconsciously quoting MacDonald, and yet you rarely find a direct quote from anyone in any of Lewis's works.
ecclesia semper reformata, semper reformanda.

--John Calvin
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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Messenger_of_Eden » March 25th, 2006, 3:58 am

A man can hardly help it if he is proficient at coining witty one-liners with a great spiritual bang. :lol:

One of my favorites goes something like: "If I look on ham and eggs to lust after them, I have committed breakfast in my heart already". Not a direct quote--I don't remember where it is from, but I adore that one.

(I know you are talking about more important quotes...but one of the amazing things about C.S. Lewis is his ability to speak both the profound and the cute. You don't see that sense of humor in most of the "great" minds of history.
"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."--St. Augustine of Hippo
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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 25th, 2006, 7:38 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 25th, 2006, 7:38 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby Sven » March 25th, 2006, 8:30 pm

Rat! he found breath to whisper, shaking. Are you afraid?
Afraid? murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love.
Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet -- and yet -- O, Mole, I am afraid!
Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.
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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 25th, 2006, 8:49 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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Re: re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby kbrowne » March 25th, 2006, 9:50 pm

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby jo » March 25th, 2006, 9:58 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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re: Would Lewis like us?

Postby rusmeister » March 26th, 2006, 2:58 am

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