Jan/Feb - Piddle Valley Community Website

News from the Vicarage ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Man Who Created Narnia
The year 2013 marks the 50 th anniversary of the death of C S Lewis. He was one
of the intellectual giants of the 20 th century and arguably the most influential
Christian writer of his day. Among the events to mark this anniversary will be
the dedication of a memorial in Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey on the 22 nd
November, the 50 th anniversary itself.
Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898. It was while he was at school at Malvern
College that, at the age of 15, he renounced the Christian faith of his upbringing
and became an atheist with a particular interest in mythology and the occult. He
won a scholarship to Oxford University but he interrupted his studies to volunteer
for the Army during the First World War in which he was wounded at the Battle
of Arras. Following his discharge from the Army, Lewis went back to complete
his studies, and then to teach, at Oxford. While there he reconverted to the
Christian faith under the influence of his friend, J R R Tolkein. He describes how
he fought against his conversion but eventually gave in like a prodigal ‘kicking,
struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to
escape.’
Lewis’ life was of course the subject of the 1993 film Shadowlands, starring
Anthony Hopkins as Lewis. A major part of the film deals with Lewis’ marriage
to the American, Joy Davidman, with whom he entered a marriage of
convenience in a civil ceremony so that she could remain in this country. At the
time, they were mere friends but the relationship deepened and, after she had
been diagnosed with cancer, they went through a Christian wedding ceremony
(which was not that straightforward at the time since Joy was divorced) at her
hospital bed. She died three years later and he three years after that at the age
of 64.
C S Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience,
and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. In 2008,
The Times ranked him eleventh on their list of ‘the 50 greatest British writers
since 1945’. Readers of his fiction are often unaware of what Lewis considered
the Christian themes of his works. His most popular works include The
Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape
Letters, and Mere Christianity.
A couple of quotes from Mere Christianity may give us something to reflect upon
at the start of a new year :
“The world does not consist of 100 % Christians and 100 % non-Christians.
There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians
but who still call themselves by that name: some of them are clergymen. There
are other people who are slowly becoming Christians though they do not yet call
themselves so. ”
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