Lewis' Journey From Christianity to Atheism and Back

[Ginnygurl]

Hey everyone! :D

I am writing a research paper on Lewis' journey from Christianity to Atheism and back again for an end-of-the-year assignment. I thought that it would be a fairly simple subject to research, but the only source that is helping me right now seems to be Lewis' own "Surprised by Joy." Most of Lewis' biographers seem to only scratch the surface on the subject of his conversion. This might be eiither because they aren't Christians or because Lewis wrote about it himself. The problem is that my teacher wants multiple sources, including websites, books and if possible, newspaper and/or magazine articles. Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding several more resources? Thanks so much! :)

Julie

[Sven]

Welcome, Julie!

There were a lot of magazine and newspaper articles about it back in the months running up to the release of the movie back in December, but nearly all of them just used the material from Suprised by Joy. A tiny bit more material was included in the Fall 2005 edition of the magazine 'Christian History & Biography', most of which you can access .

We have a 'bio' tab at the top of this page, but again, what it has is basically what's in SBJ. Other websites won't have any more, and some have stuff that's flat wrong.

The only other resource that has a bit more information would be one of the collections of Lewis' letters, Letters of C. S. Lewis, edited by W. H. Lewis, or C. S. Lewis Collected Letters Volume 1 Family Letters 1905-1931, edited by Walter Hooper.

Hope this helps.

Selah,
Sven

[Stanley Anderson]

Lewis' The Pilgrim's Regress, though "fiction", is also pretty much about this very subject. Can it count? I also think it can be seen in a lot of his other fiction -- eg, Orual in Till We Have Faces and perhaps even Eustace's un-dragoning in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. But I think it is pretty safe to say that The Pilgrim's Regress can be seen as fairly autobiographical.

--Stanley

[Arwen]

If you go to www.time.com (Time Magazine's website) and search C.S. Lewis, there are some interesting articles on this subject.

[pup5]

Julie -
I was thinking the same as Sven came up with. The only thing that I might add for a resource, and it's only somewhat related to your topic, is "A Grief Observed".

If you haven't read it, CSL is overcome by the loss of his wife, Joy. He makes a log of what he's going through to pull himself out of it. And in it, he makes very blunt statements and questions to himself and to God about God's existence and his pain and how can God still be God?

The point may be made (MAYBE) that Joy's loss was a recalling his mother's death when he was seven or eight. Which, if I remember it right, moved him toward atheism. But, you would have to dig for that one to make you connection on paper. And there are some reviews for this book, too.

Not entirely on topic, but it may make an interesting paper. But, ask others' about this as I'm sitting here and writing off the top of my head pretty much.

[Leslie]

[Ginnygurl]

[Ginnygurl]

Oh sorry, I didn't read your question clearly Leslie. I went back and realised that I was mixed up. Forgive me. I did say: From Christianity to Atheism and back again. So I meant that he went from Christianity to atheism and then to Christianity. I know that after his conversion in 1931, he remained a Christian until his death. Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I should change the title. It may be too confusing :)

God Bless!
Julie

[Leslie]

[carol]

[pup5]

[carol]

[pup5]

Carol -

Yeah, I was the one who suggested to Ginnygurl she go to "A Grief Observed". And I didn't say that CSL was became an atheist again when he lost his wife.

Is that what you mean, or did you think that I was saying that CSL lost his faith then? It's you who are typing to me when you cut and pasted my post into your quote when you read it.

[carol]

[Ward]