The Intellectual World of C. S. Lewis

The 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death sees the work of this exceptional author as relevant today as ever, and his theological writings, which continue to have a wide and devoted following, remain immensely influential. Although not a professional theologian, Lewis’ work is widely accepted as having developed significant theological themes. The Intellectual World of C. S. Lewis, written by leading Christian thinker and bestselling author Alister McGrath, explores eight key aspects of Lewis’ intellectual development and importance. Based on new research, this fascinating volume uncovers some original and important insights relating to the major themes of his work. With a single authorial voice throughout, these essays bear the hallmark of McGrath’s widely respected scholarly, and yet accessible style. McGrath throws fresh light on each subject, and offers new connections as he addresses key themes at the centre of C. S. Lewis’ work, including his intellectual development, the uses of images in literature and theology, the place of myth in modern thought, the role of the imagination in making sense of the world, the celebrated ‘argument from desire’, and Lewis’ place as an Anglican thinker and a Christian theologian.

Acknowledgments vii A Brief Biography of C. S. Lewis ix Introduction 1 1. The Enigma of Autobiography: Critical Reflections on Surprised by Joy 7 2. The “New Look”: Lewis’s Philosophical Context at Oxford in the 1920s 31 3. A Gleam of Divine Truth: The Concept of Myth in Lewis’s Thought 55 4. The Privileging of Vision: Lewis’s Metaphors of Light, Sun, and Sight 83 5. Arrows of Joy: Lewis’s Argument from Desire 105 6. Reason, Experience, and Imagination: Lewis’s Apologetic Method 129 7. A “Mere Christian”: Anglicanism and Lewis’s Religious Identity 147 8. Outside the “Inner Ring”: Lewis as a Theologian 163 Works by Lewis Cited 185 Index 187

Alister E. McGrath is Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education, and the Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture at King’s College London, having previously been Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University, UK. He is one of the world’s leading theologians, and is in constant demand as a speaker at conferences throughout the world. McGrath is the author of some of the most widely used theology textbooks, including the bestselling Christian Theology: An Introduction, 5th edition (2010, Wiley–Blackwell), and author of books including Mere Theology: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind (2010), and C. S. Lewis: A Life (2013).

“There is more to be said about Lewis as apologist and theologian but McGrath has written what will long be regarded as the essential guide.”  ( The Church of England Newspaper , 23 June 2013) “McGrath is ingenious and persuasive in searching Lewis’s writings for clues to his private life … [A] devoted and meticulous biography.”   ( The Times Literary Supplement , 21 June 2013) “Alister McGrath′s biography of C.S. Lewis was an incredible exploration of one of the greatest minds in the history of Christian thought. I′ve always enjoyed reading Lewis because of the way he explains concepts in a way that is refreshing and inspiring. I found McGrath to have that kind of way with words in his exploration of Lewis′ life. He takes the exploration a step further in a new companion book to the Lewis biography, THE INTELLECTUAL WORLD OF C.S. LEWIS.”  ( Tom Farr Reviews , 1 June 2013)