Growing With My Garden

  In “Christian Apologetics” Lewis, speaking to an assembly of ecclesiastics, offers them much sage advice on how they should keep their thinking is harmony with orthodox Christian doctrine.  He stresses at the outset that they be faithful to the Christianity “preached b the Apostles, attested by the Martyrs, embodied in the Creeds, expounded by the Fathers.”    A person may well have his opinions, but they must not be offered as part of Christian apologetics.  Those doctrines which he may find disagreeable must be confronted honestly and seriously, and the trends in contemporary thought must be judged by this age-old standard.  Statements beginning “Science has now proved. . . “ must be understood in terms of the reality that science is constantly changing.” Interestingly, Lewis feels that contemporary people tend to distrust history and ancient texts, lack a sense of sin, and lack a proper understanding of the terms of Christian theology.  He g...

  In “Answers to Questions on Christianity” Lewis responds helpfully to a range of practical concerns.  Among the things that interest me about Lewis’s writings is that he very seldom quotes Scripture or makes reference to the need for repentance and personal commitment to Jesus Christ.  This is certainly not to cast any aspersion on his faith–far be it from me to do so–but it is to observe that he does not stand in the Evangelical strain. Lewis does, however, affirm that experiencing truth is more important then seeing it abstractly; he puts the impact of personal perception over reason, and he does it very convincingly in what to me is the most important essay he wrote, “Myth Became Fact.”  Speaking of what happens when we encounter myth, he makes an interesting distinction between truth and reality: What flows into you is not truth but reality (truth is always about something, but reality is that about which truth is. And in Christianity the myth of the dyin...

  In the first essay “Good and Evil” Lewis faces the very basic question of the relation of good and evil in the world.  According to the appearances of things as one contemplates the world, they may seem to be of equal power, with evil very often having the upper hand.   This essay is first because rightly understanding the answer is essential to one’s thinking about all the other issues of life, many of which Lewis will face in subsequent essays. Lewis refers to Ormuzd and Ahriman.  They are the gods of good and evil in  Zoroastrianism, a dualistic religion developed by Zoroaster in Persia in the 7th century, and having an on-going effect on the thinking of many. In “Miracles” Lewis faces the widespread denial in our materialistic world that miracles do not exist.  Anything claiming to be a miracle can be seen to be an hallucination or explained away in one way or another.  But Lewis points out that miracles are divine processes made inst...

  God in the Dock is a collection of essays that C. S. Lewis wrote in which he addresses various aspects of the Christian faith. Among  the fascinating aspects of Lewis’s thought are the range of issues that he deals with, their pertinence to the Christian life, and the convincing tone with which he examines them.  Thinking Christians have faced the topics he addresses at some time or other and have been perplexed by them, sometimes even to the extent of questioning the validity of their faith.  Lewis masterfully puts all doubts to rest. Our reading schedule will be as follows: March 12: Evil and God Miracles Dogma and the Universe March 19: Answers to Questions on Christianity  Myth Became Fact ‘Horrid Red Things’ March 26: Religion and Science The Laws of Nature The Grand Miracle April 2: Christian Apologetics Work and Prayer Man or Rabbit? April 9:  On the Transmission of Christianity ‘Miserable Offenders’ The Founding of the Oxford Socratic Club Apr...

Taking charge of the castle, Actura  has the secret area deep within completely renovated and rebuilt. Lord Morven returns, is amazed to find the area cleaned and fresh.  He has moments of confusion, on the one hand questioning in his mind whether he had really murdered anybody and on the other being seized with deep regret for his sinful past.  He meets with Actura and, receiving her complete forgiveness, is reconciled to her. DO YOU FIND  THIS SCENE IN CHAPTER 57 SATISFYING, OR DOES IT STRIKE YOU AS UNREAL?  Donal confronts the earl and, defying his supposed authority, tells him he is an intruder in the castle and should leave, but then, seeing he is becoming seriously ill, helps him to bed and ministers to his needs.  Donal keeps trying to get him to repent, telling him he will have no peace until he begins  “ . . . to look like the image in which you were made.” There is much of GMD’s theology here.  By repentance and faith we awaken th...