by Stylteralmaldo » May 2nd, 2005, 9:09 pm
Does anyone know what Lewis believed regarding salvation after death?
When I read the introduction of The Great Divorce, it clearly stated that the story was not necessarily to be taken as the way he viewed the afterlife.
Having said that however, I couldn't help but notice a connection with the character of Emeth in The Last Battle and Lewis's version of Purgatory in The Great Divorce.
Imagine if you will this "Great Divorce" scenario:
Emeth gets off of the bus having lived a good life and is approached by Aslan....the very God he had been taught all his life was evil.
According to the Last Battle, Emeth choses Aslan after he dies. A theological quandry....particularly since Tash was evil....and Aslan said that Emeth had followed Aslan although he was really following Tash. Emeth accepted Aslan at this point.
The many characters in The Great Divorce chose heaven....or chose hell after the fact as well.
Ant thoughts?
Did Lewis ever say how he felt the afterlife worked in other works by him? Did he believe that someone could chose God after they die?
...[God] uses material things like bread and wine to put new life into us. We may think that rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it. - CS Lewis...Mere Christianity