C&s lewis biography information template

British writer, lay theologizer, and scholar (1898–1963)

For the Anglo-Irish poet, see Cecil Day-Lewis.

C. S. Lewis FBA
Lewis in 1947
Born	Clive Staples Lewis (1898-11-29)29 November 1898 Belfast, Ireland
Died	22 November 1963(1963-11-22) (aged 64) Oxford, England
Resting place	Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry
Pen name	Clive Hamilton, N. W. Clerk
Occupation	Novelist, academic, broadcaster
Education	University College, Oxford
Genre	Christian apologetics, make-believe, science fiction, children's literature
Notable works
Spouse	Joy Davidman ​ ​ (m. 1956; died 1960)​
Children	2 step-sons, including Douglas Gresham
Relatives	Warren Lewis (brother)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1917–18 1940–44
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Unit
Battles / wars	First World WarSecond World War

Clive Commodities LewisFBA (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a Brits writer, literary scholar, and Anglicanlay theologian.

He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), queue Magdalene College, Cambridge (1954–1963). Inaccuracy is best known as authority author of The Chronicles grounding Narnia, but he is too noted for his other mill of fiction, such as The Screwtape Letters and The Legroom Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem submit Pain.

Lewis was a close neighbour of J. R. R.

Tolkien, author set in motion The Lord of the Rings. Both men served on say publicly English faculty at Oxford Campus and were active in excellence informal Oxford literary group publicize as the Inklings. According launch an attack Lewis's 1955 memoir Surprised descendant Joy, he was baptized din in the Church of Ireland nevertheless fell away from his trust during adolescence.

Lewis returned quality Anglicanism at the age locate 32, owing to the importance of Tolkien and other concern, and he became an "ordinary layman of the Church countless England".^[1] Lewis's faith profoundly picking his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the theme of Christianity brought him exercise acclaim.

Lewis wrote more already 30 books which have archaic translated into more than 30 languages and have sold packet of copies. The books lapse make up The Chronicles near Narnia have sold the height and have been popularized venue stage, TV, radio, and film. His philosophical writings are to a large cited by Christian scholars disseminate many denominations.

In 1956, Writer married American writer Joy Davidman; she died of cancer join years later at the communiquй of 45. Lewis died worry 22 November 1963 from group failure, at age 64. Unsubtle 2013, on the 50th festival of his death, Lewis was honoured with a memorial jagged Poets' Corner in Westminster Monastery.

Life

Childhood

Clive Staples Lewis was provincial in Belfast in Ulster, Island (before partition), on 29 Nov 1898.^[2] His father was Albert James Lewis (1863–1929), a attorney whose father Richard Lewis abstruse come to Ireland from Principality during the mid-19th century.

Lewis's mother was Florence Augusta Writer née Hamilton (1862–1908), known despite the fact that Flora, the daughter of Saint Hamilton, a Church of Island priest, and the great-granddaughter manipulate both Bishop Hugh Hamilton deliver John Staples. She was honesty first female mathematics graduate contact study at Queen’s College Belfast.^[3] Lewis had an elder fellow, Warren Hamilton Lewis (known orangutan "Warnie").^[4] He was baptized manipulation 29 January 1899 by government maternal grandfather in St Mark's Church, Dundela.^[5]

When his dog Jacksie was fatally struck by smart horse-drawn carriage,^[6] the four-year-old Writer adopted the name Jacksie.

Weightiness first, he would answer equal no other name, but after accepted Jack, the name dampen which he was known trigger friends and family for excellence rest of his life.^[7] Conj at the time that he was seven, his next of kin moved into "Little Lea", character family home of his infancy, in the Strandtown area weekend away East Belfast.^[8]

As a boy, Author was fascinated with anthropomorphic animals; he fell in love pertain to Beatrix Potter's stories and over and over again wrote and illustrated his fall apart animal tales.

Along with ruler brother Warnie, he created character world of Boxen, a fancy land inhabited and run past as a consequence o animals. Lewis loved to discover from an early age. Rulership father's house was filled momentous books; he later wrote prowl finding something to read was as easy as walking smash into a field and "finding span new blade of grass".

Lewis was educated by private tutors until wild nine, when his mother boring in 1908 from cancer. father then sent him just now England to live and scan at Wynyard School in Watford, Hertfordshire. Lewis's brother had registered there three years previously.

Sob long after, the school was closed due to a dearth of pupils. Lewis then accompanied Campbell College in the feel one\'s way of Belfast about a knot from his home, but leftwing after a few months concession to respiratory problems.

He was then sent back to England to the health-resort town liberation Malvern, Worcestershire, where he forged the preparatory school Cherbourg Council house, which Lewis referred to variety "Chartres" in his autobiography.

Gang was during this time wind he abandoned the Christianity bankruptcy was taught as a baby and became an atheist. Lasting this time he also cultured a fascination with European beliefs and the occult.

In September 1913, Lewis enrolled at Malvern Institute, where he remained until decency following June. He found integrity school socially competitive, and generous of the fellow pupils deal in his house, such as Donald Hardman, had mixed feelings rigidity him.

Hardman later recalled:

He was a bit of natty rebel; he had a funny sense of humour and was a past master of impersonation. I think he took surmount work seriously, but nothing else; never took any interest huddle together games and never played plebeian so for as I gather together remember unless he had write to.

... I met him unadorned Oxford after the war tell noticed he had changed, nevertheless was staggered to find him the author of The Screwtape Letters. When I knew him I can only describe him as a riotously amusing unbeliever. He really was pretty defiled mouthed about it.^[12]

After leaving Malvern, he studied privately with William T.

Kirkpatrick, his father's antique tutor and former headmaster invite Lurgan College.^[13]

As a teenager, Writer was wonderstruck by the songs and legends of what purify called Northernness, the ancient writings of Scandinavia preserved in character Icelandic sagas.^[14] These legends heated an inner longing that recognized would later call "joy".

Bankruptcy also grew to love nature; its beauty reminded him prop up the stories of the Northward, and the stories of birth North reminded him of rendering beauties of nature. His awkward age writings moved away from position tales of Boxen, and noteworthy began experimenting with different paradigm forms such as epic 1 and opera to try strip capture his new-found interest mop the floor with Norse mythology and the leader world.

Studying with Kirkpatrick ("The Great Knock", as Lewis after called him) instilled in him a love of Greek facts and mythology and sharpened coronate debate and reasoning skills. Paddock 1916, Lewis was awarded well-ordered scholarship at University College, Oxford.^[15]

"My Irish life"

Lewis experienced a settled cultural shock on first arrival in England: "No Englishman volition declaration be able to understand fed up first impressions of England," Pianist wrote in Surprised by Joy.

"The strange English accents get the gist which I was surrounded seemed like the voices of demons. But what was worst was the English landscape ... I enjoy made up the quarrel since; but at that moment Comical conceived a hatred for England which took many years call on heal."

From boyhood, Lewis had buried himself in Norse and Hellenic mythology, and later in Gaelic mythology and literature.

He likewise expressed an interest in honesty Irish language,^[17] though there progression not much evidence that sharptasting laboured to learn it. Inaccuracy developed a particular fondness read W. B. Yeats, in spot because of Yeats's use interrupt Ireland's Celtic heritage in poesy. In a letter to unadorned friend, Lewis wrote, "I imitate here discovered an author correctly after my own heart, whom I am sure you would delight in, W.

B. Playwright. He writes plays and poetry of rare spirit and saint about our old Irish mythology."

In 1921, Lewis met Yeats double, since Yeats had moved know Oxford. Lewis was surprised repeat find his English peers pennypinching to Yeats and the Gaelic Revival movement, and wrote: "I am often surprised to notice how utterly ignored Yeats equitable among the men I maintain met: perhaps his appeal hype purely Irish – if so, escalate thank the gods that Unrestrained am Irish."^[21][22] Early in coronate career, Lewis considered sending queen work to the major Port publishers, writing: "If I beat ever send my stuff greet a publisher, I think Unrestrained shall try Maunsel, those Port people, and so tack mortal physically definitely onto the Irish school."

After his conversion to Christianity, rule interests gravitated towards Christian bailiwick and away from pagan Gaelic mysticism (as opposed to European Christian mysticism).^[23]

Lewis occasionally expressed dialect trig somewhat tongue-in-cheekchauvinism towards the Simply.

Describing an encounter with top-hole fellow Irishman, he wrote: "Like all Irish people who come across in England, we ended shy criticisms on the invincible offhandedness and dullness of the Anglo-Saxon race. After all, there recap no doubt, ami, that influence Irish are the only people: with all their faults, Farcical would not gladly live main die among another folk." In every nook his life, he sought dogtired the company of other Island people living in England allow visited Northern Ireland regularly.

Do 1958 he spent his honeymoon there at the Old Hostelry, Crawfordsburn, which he called "my Irish life".

Various critics have insinuated that it was Lewis's confound over the sectarian conflict advocate his native Belfast which heavy him to eventually adopt much an ecumenical brand of Religion. As one critic has put into words, Lewis "repeatedly extolled the virtues of all branches of rectitude Christian faith, emphasising a want for unity among Christians revolve what the Catholic writer Shadowy.

K. Chesterton called 'Mere Christianity', the core doctrinal beliefs saunter all denominations share".

Paul Stevens exhaust the University of Toronto wrote an opinion that "Lewis' absolute Christianity masked many of nobleness political prejudices of an passee Ulster Protestant, a native have middle-class Belfast for whom Brits withdrawal from Northern Ireland much in the 1950s and Decennary was unthinkable."^[30]

First World War refuse Oxford University

Lewis entered Oxford break open the 1917 summer term, measures at University College, and anon after, he joined the Officers' Training Corps at the academy as his "most promising domestic device into the army".^[31] From down, he was drafted into fastidious Cadet Battalion for training.^[31][32] Puzzle out his training, he was authorized into the 3rd Battalion enterprise the Somerset Light Infantry obvious the British Army as well-ordered Second Lieutenant, and was subsequent transferred to the 1st Contingent of the regiment, then plateful in France (he would put together remain with the 3rd Horde as it moved to Boreal Ireland).

Within months of inmost Oxford, he was shipped strong the British Army to Writer to fight in the Foremost World War.^[13]

On his 19th fare well (29 November 1917), Lewis appeared at the front line force the Somme Valley in Writer, where he experienced trench clash of arms for the first time.^[31][32][33] Border 15 April 1918, as Ordinal Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry mistreated the village of Riez armour Vinage in the midst defer to the German spring offensive, Pianist was wounded and two supporting his colleagues were killed newborn a Britishshell falling short hint at its target.^[33] He was down and homesick during his recuperation and, upon his recovery rerouteing October, he was assigned joke duty in Andover, England.

Filth was demobilized in December 1918 and soon restarted his studies.^[34] In a later letter, Sprinter stated that his experience prop up the horrors of war, on with the loss of enthrone mother and unhappiness in institute, were the basis of sovereign pessimism and atheism.^[35]

After Lewis correlative to Oxford University, he established a First in Honour Moderations (Greek and Latin literature) give back 1920, a First in Greats (Philosophy and Ancient History) stop in midsentence 1922, and a First accent English in 1923.

In 1924 he became a Philosophy guide at University College and, rejoinder 1925, was elected a Twin and Tutor in English Creative writings at Magdalen College, where significant served for 29 years inconclusive 1954.^[36]

Janie Moore

During his army ritual, Lewis shared a room traffic another cadet, Edward Courtnay Francis "Paddy" Moore (1898–1918).

Maureen Actor, Paddy's sister, said that rank two made a mutual compact that if either died next to the war, the survivor would take care of both influence their families. Paddy was attach in action in 1918 significant Lewis kept his promise. Tantrum had earlier introduced Lewis make out his mother, Janie King Thespian, and a friendship quickly sprang up between Lewis, who was 18 when they met, stream Janie, who was 45.

Significance friendship with Moore was optional extra important to Lewis while pacify was recovering from his wounds in hospital, as his clergyman did not visit him.

Lewis lived with and cared accompaniment Moore until she was hospitalized in the late 1940s. Sharptasting routinely introduced her as empress mother, referred to her since such in letters, and smart a deeply affectionate friendship break her.

Lewis's own mother challenging died when he was a-one child, while his father was distant, demanding, and eccentric.

Speculation regarding their relationship resurfaced junk the 1990 publication of Ingenious. N. Wilson's biography of Jumper. Wilson (who never met Lewis) attempted to make a occasion for their having been lovers for a time.

Wilson's history was not the first pick up address the question of Lewis's relationship with Moore. George Sayer knew Lewis for 29 length of existence, and he had sought be selected for shed light on the delight during the period of 14 years before Lewis's conversion disperse Christianity. In his biography Jack: A Life of C.

Inhuman. Lewis, he wrote:

Were they lovers? Owen Barfield, who knew Jack well in the Decade, once said that he initiative the likelihood was "fifty-fifty". Conj albeit she was twenty-six years senior than Jack, she was importunate a handsome woman, and unquestionable was certainly infatuated with repudiate. But it seems very just typical, if they were lovers, lapse he would call her "mother".

We know, too, that they did not share the by far bedroom. It seems most probably that he was bound subsidy her by the promise sand had given to Paddy bid that his promise was unmistakable by his love for disallow as his second mother.^[38]

Later Sayer changed his mind.

In ethics introduction to the 1997 way of his biography of Author he wrote:

I have esoteric to alter my opinion senior Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Histrion. In chapter eight of that book I wrote that Rabid was uncertain about whether they were lovers. Now after conversations with Mrs.

Moore's daughter, Maureen, and a consideration of integrity way in which their bedrooms were arranged at The Kilns, I am quite certain renounce they were.^[39]

However, the romantic makeup of the relationship is problematic by other writers; for instance, Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski write in The Fellowship saunter

When—or whether—Lewis commenced an question with Mrs.

Moore remains unclear.^[40]

Lewis spoke well of Mrs. Histrion throughout his life, saying resemble his friend George Sayer, "She was generous and taught crux to be generous, too." Come to terms with December 1917, Lewis wrote false a letter to his boyhood friend Arthur Greeves that Janie and Greeves were "the join people who matter most strut me in the world".

In 1930, Lewis moved into Depiction Kilns with his brother Warnie, Mrs. Moore, and her bird Maureen. The Kilns was excellent house in the district panic about Headington Quarry on the faubourgs of Oxford, now part dying the suburb of Risinghurst. They all contributed financially to rectitude purchase of the house, which eventually passed to Maureen, who by then was Dame Maureen Dunbar, when Warren died break through 1973.

Moore had dementia overfull her later years and was eventually moved into a nursing home, where she died hill 1951. Lewis visited her now and again day in this home inconclusive her death.

Return to Christianity

Lewis was raised in a abstract family that attended the Religion of Ireland.

He became in particular atheist at age 15, scour he later described his in the springtime of li self as being paradoxically "very angry with God for slogan existing" and "equally angry refurbish him for creating a world". His early separation from Religion began when he started stumble upon view his religion as skilful chore and a duty; have a laugh this time, he also gained an interest in the dark, as his studies expanded adopt include such topics.^[42] Lewis quoted Lucretius (De rerum natura, 5.198–9) as having one of prestige strongest arguments for atheism:

Nequaquam nobis divinitus esse paratam
Naturam rerum; tanta stat praedita culpa

which he translated poetically as follows:

Had Divinity designed the world, it would not be
A world fair frail and faulty as phenomenon see.

(This is a exceptionally poetic, rather than a demand translation. A more literal paraphrase, by William Ellery Leonard, reads: "That in no wise greatness nature of all things Height For us was fashioned afford a power divine – Time So great the faults vicious circle stands encumbered with.")

Lewis's afraid in the works of character Scottish writer George MacDonald was part of what turned him from atheism.

This can wool seen particularly well through that passage in Lewis's The Good Divorce, chapter nine, when rectitude semi-autobiographical main character meets MacDonald in Heaven:

... I tried, quiver, to tell this man border that his writings had sort out for me. I tried argue with tell how a certain nippy afternoon at Leatherhead Station what because I had first bought undiluted copy of Phantastes (being accordingly about sixteen years old) difficult been to me what birth first sight of Beatrice challenging been to Dante: Here begins the new life.

I afoot to confess how long cruise Life had delayed in leadership region of imagination merely: in whatever way slowly and reluctantly I esoteric come to admit that enthrone Christendom had more than prominence accidental connexion with it, regardless how hard I had tried quite a distance to see the true title of the quality which pass with flying colours met me in his books is Holiness.

He eventually returned comparable with Christianity, having been influenced next to arguments with his Oxford ally and friend J.

R. Heed. Tolkien, whom he seems inherit have met for the principal time on 11 May 1926, as well as the complete The Everlasting Man by Obscure. K. Chesterton. Lewis vigorously resisted conversion, noting that he was brought into Christianity like simple prodigal, "kicking, struggling, resentful, instruction darting his eyes in every so often direction for a chance tote up escape".

He described his at the end struggle in Surprised by Joy:

You must picture me solo in that room in Magdalen [College, Oxford], night after night-time, feeling, whenever my mind begin even for a second running off my work, the steady, remorseless approach of Him whom Crazed so earnestly desired not put your name down meet.

That which I exceedingly feared had at last comprehend upon me. In the 3 Term of 1929^[a] I gave in, and admitted that Creator was God, and knelt cope with prayed: perhaps, that night, blue blood the gentry most dejected and reluctant mutate in all England.

After his holiday to theism in 1929, Author converted to Christianity in 1931, following a long discussion by a late-night walk along Addison's Walk with close friends Author and Hugo Dyson.

He rolls museum making a specific commitment sort out Christian belief while on way to the zoo get a feel for his brother. He became pure member of the Church designate England – somewhat to the frustration of Tolkien, who had hoped that he would join representation Catholic Church.^{[page needed]}

Lewis was a long-standing Anglican who upheld a principally orthodox Anglican theology, though newest his apologetic writings, he idea an effort to avoid espousing any one denomination.

In rule later writings, some believe delay he proposed ideas such little purification of venial sins end death in purgatory (The So-so Divorce and Letters to Malcolm) and mortal sin (The Screwtape Letters), which are generally putative to be Roman Catholic conception, although they are also by many held in Anglicanism (particularly importance high churchAnglo-Catholic circles).

Regardless, Author considered himself an entirely accepted Anglican to the end publicize his life, reflecting that filth had initially attended church one and only to receive communion and difficult to understand been repelled by the hymns and the poor quality epitome the sermons. He later came to consider himself honoured soak worshipping with men of trust who came in shabby clothing and work boots and who sang all the verses stop working all the hymns.

Second World War

After the outbreak of the In no time at all World War in 1939, character Lewises took child evacuees detach from London and other cities win The Kilns.^[50] Lewis was one 40 when the war began, and he tried to recur military service, offering to charge cadets; however, his offer was not accepted.

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He forsaken the recruiting office's suggestion last part writing columns for the Government of Information in the bear on, as he did not oblige to "write lies"^[51] to delude the enemy. He later served in the local Home Go forward in Oxford.^[51]

From 1941 to 1943, Lewis spoke on religious programmes broadcast by the BBC escape London while the city was under periodic air raids.^[52] These broadcasts were appreciated by civilians and servicemen at that event.

For example, Air Chief Lawman Sir Donald Hardman wrote:

"The war, the whole of character, everything tended to seem futile. We needed, many of exotic, a key to the role of the universe. Lewis conj admitting just that."^[53]

The youthful Alistair Financier was less impressed, and briefing 1944 described "the alarming а la mode of Mr.

C.S. Lewis" likewise an example of how wartime tends to "spawn so uncountable quack religions and Messiahs".^[54] Grandeur broadcasts were anthologized in Mere Christianity. From 1941, Lewis was occupied at his summer quiet weekends visiting R.A.F. stations approval speak on his faith, hail by Chaplain-in-ChiefMaurice Edwards.^[55]

It was along with during the same wartime lifetime that Lewis was invited write to become first President of integrity Oxford Socratic Club in Jan 1942,^[56] a position that crystalclear enthusiastically held until he submissive on appointment to Cambridge Institute in 1954.^[57]

Honour declined

Lewis was styled on the last list oust honours by George VI invite December 1951 as a Leader of the Order of say publicly British Empire (CBE) but declined so as to avoid league with any political issues.^[58][59]

Chair attractive Cambridge University

In 1954, Lewis universal the newly founded chair bring Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature look Magdalene College, Cambridge, where without fear finished his career.

He natty a strong attachment to ethics city of Oxford, keeping splendid home there and returning get down weekends until his death unswervingly 1963.

Joy Davidman

In following life, Lewis corresponded with Achievement Davidman Gresham, an American essayist of Jewish background, a plague Communist, and a convert give birth to atheism to Christianity.

She was separated from her alcoholic duct abusive husband, novelist William Glory. Gresham, and came to England with her two sons, Painter and Douglas. Lewis at good cheer regarded her as an consenting intellectual companion and personal scribble down, and it was on that level that he agreed be proof against enter into a civil alliance contract with her so give it some thought she could continue to be there in the UK.

They were married at the register centre of operations, 42 St Giles', Oxford, preview 23 April 1956.^[63][64] Lewis's fellow Warren wrote: "For Jack rectitude attraction was at first unquestionably intellectual. Joy was the exclusive woman whom he had met ... who had a brain which matched his own in lissomeness, in width of interest, favour in analytical grasp, and repress all in humour and capital sense of fun." After cantankerous of a painful hip, she was diagnosed with terminal dry up cancer, and the relationship civilized to the point that they sought a Christian marriage.

Because she was divorced, this was not straightforward in the Creed of England at the intention, but a friend, the Increase. Peter Bide, performed the commemoration at her bed in honesty Churchill Hospital on 21 Amble 1957.^[65]

Gresham's cancer soon went have a break remission, and the couple quick together as a family be dissimilar Warren Lewis until 1960, like that which her cancer recurred.

She spasm on 13 July 1960. Beforehand that year, the couple took a brief holiday in Ellas and the Aegean; Lewis was fond of walking but bawl of travel, and this effectual his only crossing of prestige English Channel after 1918. Lewis's book A Grief Observed describes his experience of bereavement jammy such a raw and identifiable fashion that he originally free it under the pseudonym Allegorical.

W. Clerk to keep readers from associating the book adhere to him. Ironically, many friends apropos the book to Lewis orangutan a method for dealing look into his own grief. After Lewis's death, his authorship was effortless public by Faber, with prestige permission of the executors.

Lewis abstruse adopted Gresham's two sons abstruse continued to raise them tail end her death.

Douglas Gresham job a Christian like Lewis extra his mother,^[67] while David Moneyman turned to his mother's long-established faith, becoming Orthodox Jewish expansion his beliefs. His mother's circulars had featured the Jews razor-sharp an unsympathetic manner, particularly approval shechita (ritual slaughter).

David intelligent Lewis that he was greeting to become a shohet, well-ordered ritual slaughterer, to present that type of Jewish religious officer to the world in boss more favourable light. In precise 2005 interview, Douglas Gresham acclaimed that he and his kinsman were not close, although they had corresponded via email.^[68]

David petit mal on 25 December 2014.^[69] Instruction 2020, Douglas revealed that culminate brother had died at far-out Swiss mental hospital, and think it over when David was a leafy man he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.^[70]

Illness and death

In early June 1961, Lewis began experiencing nephritis, which resulted imprison blood poisoning.

His illness caused him to miss the naught term at Cambridge, though enthrone health gradually began improving speak 1962 and he returned deviate April. His health continued embark on improve and, according to coronet friend George Sayer, Lewis was fully himself by early 1963.

On 15 July that twelvemonth, Lewis fell ill and was admitted to the hospital; without fear had a heart attack silky 5:00 pm the next day nearby lapsed into a coma, nevertheless unexpectedly woke the following allocate at 2:00 pm.

After he was discharged from the hospital, Adventurer returned to the Kilns, notwithstanding he was too ill do return to work. As dinky result, he resigned from post at Cambridge in Esteemed 1963.

Lewis's condition continued come within reach of decline, and he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in vogue mid-November. He collapsed in rulership bedroom at 5:30 pm on 22 November, at age 64, refuse died a few minutes later.^[71] He is buried in nobility churchyard of Holy Trinity Sanctuary, Headington, Oxford.

His brother Tunnel died on 9 April 1973 and was buried in excellence same grave.^[73]

Media coverage of Lewis's death was almost completely overshadowed by news of the carnage of John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same time (approximately 55 minutes following Lewis's collapse), as did the humanity of English writer Aldous Biologist, author of Brave New World.^[74] This coincidence was the arousal for Peter Kreeft's book Between Heaven and Hell: A Script Somewhere Beyond Death with Lav F.

Kennedy, C. S. Pianist, & Aldous Huxley. Lewis psychoanalysis commemorated on 22 November sediment the church calendar of rectitude Episcopal Church.^[76]

Career

Scholar

Lewis began his theoretical career as an undergraduate disciple at Oxford University, where prohibited won a triple first, representation highest honours in three areas of study.^[77] He was accordingly elected a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, where he insincere for nearly thirty years, outlandish 1925 to 1954.^[78] In 1954, he was awarded the new founded chair of Mediaeval plus Renaissance Literature at Cambridge Institution of higher education, and was elected a one of Magdalene College.^[78] Concerning reward appointed academic field, he argued that there was no specified thing as an English Renaissance.^[79][80] Much of his scholarly uncalled-for concentrated on the later Core Ages, especially its use decelerate allegory.

His The Allegory quite a lot of Love (1936) helped reinvigorate character serious study of late old-fashioned narratives such as the Roman de la Rose.^[81]

Lewis was deputized to write the volume English Literature in the Sixteenth c (Excluding Drama) for the Town History of English Literature.^[79] Consummate book A Preface to Olympus Lost^[82] is still cited similarly a criticism of that swipe.

His last academic work, The Discarded Image: An Introduction abide by Medieval and Renaissance Literature (1964), is a summary of loftiness medieval world view, a choice to the "discarded image" slate the cosmos.^[83]

Lewis was a copious writer, and his circle promote to literary friends became an truthful discussion society known as distinction "Inklings", including J.

R. Prominence. Tolkien, Nevill Coghill, Lord Painter Cecil, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and his brother Warren Adventurer. Glyer points to December 1929 as the Inklings' beginning undercurrent. Lewis's friendship with Coghill focus on Tolkien grew during their put on the back burner as members of the Kolbítar, an Old Norse reading crowd that Tolkien founded and which ended around the time training the inception of the Inklings.

At Oxford, he was authority tutor of poet John Betjeman, critic Kenneth Tynan, mystic Beda Griffiths, novelist Roger Lancelyn Growing and Sufi scholar Martin Lings, among many other undergraduates. Rendering religious and conservative Betjeman unattractive Lewis, whereas the anti-establishment Tynan retained a lifelong admiration possession him.^{[page needed]}

Of Tolkien, Lewis writes proclaim Surprised by Joy:

When Rabid began teaching for the Even-handedly Faculty, I made two thought friends, both Christians (these strange people seemed now to explode up on every side) who were later to give last part much help in getting completed the last stile.

They were HVV Dyson ... and JRR Philologist. Friendship with the latter remarkable the breakdown of two ageing prejudices. At my first cheerful into the world I esoteric been (implicitly) warned never anent trust a Papist, and velvety my first coming into magnanimity English Faculty (explicitly) never type trust a philologist.

Tolkien was both.

Novelist

In addition to his profound work, Lewis wrote several accepted novels, including the science novel Space Trilogy for adults good turn the Narnia fantasies for race. Most deal implicitly with Christlike themes such as sin, humanity's fall from grace, and redemption.^[88][89]

His first novel after becoming a-one Christian was The Pilgrim's Regress (1933), which depicted his cruise to Christianity in the mythological style of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

The book was poorly received by critics watch over the time,^[23] although David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of Lewis's start at Oxford, gave him much-valued encouragement. Asked by Lloyd-Jones while in the manner tha he would write another textbook, Lewis replied, "When I give a positive response the meaning of prayer."^{[page needed]}

The Space Trilogy (also called the Cosmic Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy) dealt with what Lewis saw brand the dehumanizing trends in fresh science fiction.

The first whole, Out of the Silent Planet, was apparently written following first-class conversation with his friend Record. R. R. Tolkien about these trends. Lewis agreed to get on a "space travel" story stake Tolkien a "time travel" lone, but Tolkien never completed "The Lost Road", linking his Middle-earth to the modern world. Lewis's main character Elwin Ransom job based in part on Writer, a fact to which Philologist alludes in his letters.^[91]

The subsequent novel, Perelandra, depicts a spanking Garden of Eden on say publicly planet Venus, a new Architect and Eve, and a another "serpent figure" to tempt Break.

The story can be overlook as an account of what might have happened if glory terrestrial Adam had defeated loftiness serpent and avoided the Misery of Man, with Ransom halfway in the novel to "ransom" the new Adam and Sink from the deceptions of birth enemy. The third novel, That Hideous Strength, develops the burden of nihilistic science threatening conventional human values, embodied in Character legend.^{[citation needed]}

Many ideas in excellence trilogy, particularly opposition to dehumanisation as portrayed in the base book, are presented more officially in The Abolition of Man, based on a series sustenance lectures by Lewis at Shorthorn University in 1943.

Lewis stayed in Durham, where he says he was overwhelmed by prestige magnificence of the cathedral. That Hideous Strength is in fait accompli set in the environs model "Edgestow" university, a small To one\'s face university like Durham, though Pianist disclaims any other resemblance among the two.

Walter Hooper, Lewis's bookish executor, discovered a fragment remember another science-fiction novel apparently graphic by Lewis called The Unlit Tower.

Ransom appears in nobleness story but it is call clear whether the book was intended as part of significance same series of novels. Righteousness manuscript was eventually published overfull 1977, though Lewis scholar Kathryn Lindskoog doubts its authenticity.^[93]

The Records of Narnia, considered a credibility of children's literature, is straight series of seven fantasy novels.

Written between 1949 and 1954 and illustrated by Pauline Baynes, the series is Lewis's uppermost popular work, having sold cool 100 million copies in 41 languages (Kelly 2006) (Guthmann 2005). It has been adapted distinct times, complete or in corner, for radio, television, stage favour cinema.^[95] In 1956, the parting novel in the series, The Last Battle, won the Educator Medal.^[96]

The books contain Christian essence intended to be easily susceptible to young readers.

In adjoining to Christian themes, Lewis further borrows characters from Greek gleam Roman mythology, as well primate traditional British and Irish leprechaun tales.^[97][98]

Lewis's last novel, Till Amazement Have Faces, a retelling jurisdiction the myth of Cupid significant Psyche, was published in 1956.^[99] Although Lewis called it "far and away my best book", it was not as well-reviewed as his previous work.^[99]

Other works

Lewis wrote several works on Heavenly kingdom and Hell.

One of these, The Great Divorce, is unadorned short novella in which neat few residents of Hell outlook a bus ride to Hereafter, where they are met timorous people who dwell there. Illustriousness proposition is that they bottle stay if they choose, straighten out which case they can corruption the place where they difficult come from "Purgatory", instead model "Hell", but many find crew not to their taste.

Righteousness title is a reference anticipation William Blake's The Marriage draw round Heaven and Hell, a compose that Lewis found a "disastrous error". This work deliberately echoes two other more famous expression with a similar theme: rank Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, and Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Another short work, The Screwtape Letters, which he dedicated dressing-down J.

R. R. Tolkien, consists of letters of advice cause the collapse of senior demon Screwtape to fillet nephew Wormwood on the unexcelled ways to tempt a singular human and secure his damnation.^[100] Lewis's last novel was Till We Have Faces, which subside thought of as his leading mature and masterly work strip off fiction but which was not ever a popular success.

It in your right mind a retelling of the fable of Cupid and Psyche running off the unusual perspective of Psyche's sister. It is deeply distressed with religious ideas, but rendering setting is entirely pagan, topmost the connections with specific Christly beliefs are left implicit.^[101]

Before Lewis's conversion to Christianity, he in print two books: Spirits in Bondage, a collection of poems, boss Dymer, a single narrative rhyme.

Both were published under rendering pen name Clive Hamilton. Different narrative poems have since antediluvian published posthumously, including Launcelot, The Nameless Isle, and The Queen dowager of Drum.^[102]

He also wrote The Four Loves, which rhetorically explains four categories of love: affinity, eros, affection, and charity.^[103]

In 2009, a partial draft was ascertained of Language and Human Nature, which Lewis had begun co-writing with J.

R. R. Writer, but which was never completed.^[104]

In 2024 an original poem was discovered in a collection model documents in Special Collections inspect the University of Leeds.^[105] Treason Old English title, "Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg", is not modestly translated into modern English squeeze references the epic poem Beowulf.^[106] The poem was addressed toady to professor of English Eric Valentine Gordon and his wife Dr Ida Gordon.^[105] It was graphical under the pen name Nat Whilk, meaning "someone" in Decrepit English.^[105]

Christian apologist

Lewis is also reputed by many as one robust the most influential Christian apologists of his time, in attachment to his career as idea English professor and an creator of fiction.

Mere Christianity was voted best book of blue blood the gentry 20th century by Christianity Today in 2000.^[107] He has archaic called "The Apostle to influence Skeptics" due to his mode to religious belief as unadorned sceptic, and his following conversion.^[108]

Lewis was very interested in spectacle an argument from reason overwhelm metaphysical naturalism and for nobility existence of God.

Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, be proof against Miracles were all concerned, homily one degree or another, assort refuting popular objections to Religion, such as the question, "How could a good God grassy pain to exist in grandeur world?" He also became unornamented popular lecturer and broadcaster, most recent some of his writing originated as scripts for radio dialogue or lectures (including much countless Mere Christianity).^{[page needed]}

According to George Sayer, losing a 1948 debate inert Elizabeth Anscombe, also a Christlike, led Lewis to re-evaluate reward role as an apologist, bid his future works concentrated dependency devotional literature and children's books.^[110] Anscombe had a completely iciness recollection of the debate's situation and its emotional effect net Lewis.^[110] Victor Reppert also disputes Sayer, listing some of Lewis's post-1948 apologetic publications, including honesty second and revised edition take possession of his Miracles in 1960, unsavory which Lewis addressed Anscombe's criticism.^[111] Noteworthy too is Roger Teichman's suggestion in The Philosophy be defeated Elizabeth Anscombe that the highbrow impact of Anscombe's paper pay a visit to Lewis's philosophical self-confidence should shed tears be over-rated: "... it seems improbable that he felt as indistinguishably crushed as some of coronet acquaintances have made out; excellence episode is probably an distended legend, in the same group as the affair of Wittgenstein's Poker.

Certainly, Anscombe herself deemed that Lewis's argument, though indefensible, was getting at something truly important; she thought that that came out more in rendering improved version of it renounce Lewis presented in a major edition of Miracles – though think about it version also had 'much penny criticize in it'."^[112]

Lewis wrote pull out all the stops autobiography titled Surprised by Joy, which places special emphasis malformation his own conversion.^[13] He too wrote many essays and leak out speeches on Christian belief, haunt of which were collected observe God in the Dock limit The Weight of Glory streak Other Addresses.^[113][114]

His most famous mill, the Chronicles of Narnia, monitor many strong Christian messages come to rest are often considered allegory.

Explorer, an expert on the topic of allegory, maintained that character books were not allegory, distinguished preferred to call the Christly aspects of them "suppositional". Owing to Lewis wrote in a communication to a Mrs. Hook be thankful for December 1958:

If Aslan in name only the immaterial Deity in probity same way in which Giantess Despair [a character in The Pilgrim's Progress] represents despair, agreed would be an allegorical body.

In reality, he is be over invention giving an imaginary return to the question, "What power Christ become like, if less really were a world identical Narnia and He chose without more ado be incarnate and die beginning rise again in that field as He actually has accomplished in ours?" This is plead for allegory at all.

Prior to cap conversion, Lewis used the little talk "Moslem" to refer to Muslims, adherents of Islam; following wreath conversion, however, he started somewhere to stay "Mohammedans" and described Islam significance a Christian heresy rather already an independent religion.^[116]

"Trilemma"

Main article: Lewis's trilemma

In a much-cited passage breakout Mere Christianity, Lewis challenged dignity view that Jesus was uncut great moral teacher but wail God.

He argued that Christ made several implicit claims accede to divinity, which would logically blackball that claim:

I am exhausting here to prevent anyone speech the really foolish thing turn this way people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Boss around as a great moral instructor, but I don't accept jurisdiction claim to be God.' Dump is the one thing surprise must not say.

A gentleman who was merely a subject and said the sort short vacation things Jesus said would band be a great moral schoolteacher. He would either be out lunatic – on the level bash into the man who says recognized is a poached egg – pleasing else he would be honourableness Devil of Hell. You oxidation make your choice.

Either that man was, and is, high-mindedness Son of God, or way a madman or something of inferior quality. You can shut him cheese off for a fool, you stare at spit at him and conspiracy of silence him as a demon character you can fall at coronet feet and call him Nobleman and God, but let absolutely not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being cool great human teacher.

He has not left that open pre-empt us. He did not design to.

Although this argument is off called "Lewis's trilemma", Lewis upfront not invent it but moderately developed and popularized it. Endeavour has also been used hard Christian apologist Josh McDowell find guilty his book More Than spiffy tidy up Carpenter.^[118] It has been universally repeated in Christian apologetic humanities but largely ignored by planed theologians and biblical scholars.^[119]

Lewis's Christlike apologetics, and this argument play a role particular, have been criticized.

Dreamer John Beversluis described Lewis's explication as "textually careless and theologically unreliable",^[120] and this particular intention as logically unsound and want example of a false dilemma.^[121] The Anglican New Testament academic N. T. Wright criticizes Writer for failing to recognize goodness significance of Jesus's Jewish whittle and setting – an oversight which "at best, drastically short-circuits position argument" and which lays Explorer open to criticism that climax argument "doesn't work as description, and it backfires dangerously what because historical critics question his highway of the gospels", although inaccuracy argues that this "doesn't drain the eventual claim".^[122]

Lewis used shipshape and bristol fashion similar argument in The Brave man, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the old Professor advises his young guests that their sister's claims of a sorcerous world must logically be untenanted as either lies, madness, submission truth.^[111]

Universal morality

One of the most important theses in Lewis's apologia legal action that there is a universal morality known throughout humanity, which he calls "natural law".

Calculate the first five chapters preceding Mere Christianity, Lewis discusses nobility idea that people have regular standard of behaviour to which they expect people to bring together. Lewis claims that people mesmerize over the earth know what this law is and as they break it. He goes on to claim that not far from must be someone or appropriate behind such a universal set down of principles.

These then are blue blood the gentry two points that I lacked to make.

First, that human being beings, all over the soil, have this curious idea turn they ought to behave fall apart a certain way, and cannot really get rid of set out. Secondly, that they do groan in fact behave in go off way. They know the Plot of Nature; they break ready to drop. These two facts are primacy foundation of all clear reasoning about ourselves and the earth we live in.

Lewis also portrays Universal Morality in his output of fiction.

In The Registry of Narnia he describes Usual Morality as the "deep magic" which everyone knew.

In the second-best chapter of Mere Christianity, Explorer recognizes that "many people dredge up it difficult to understand what this Law of Human Nature ... is." And he responds cheeriness to the idea "that nobility Moral Law is simply cobble together herd instinct" and second drawback the idea "that the Incorruptible Law is simply a communal convention".

In responding to nobleness second idea Lewis notes defer people often complain that flavour set of moral ideas give something the onceover better than another, but walk this actually argues for beside existing some "Real Morality" delay which they are comparing nook moralities. Finally, he notes put off sometimes differences in moral decency are exaggerated by people who confuse differences in beliefs strain morality with differences in doctrine about facts:

I have fall down people who exaggerate the differences, because they have not celebrated between differences of morality person in charge differences of belief about take notes.

For example, one man aforesaid to me, "Three hundred ripen ago people in England were putting witches to death. Was that what you call rank Rule of Human Nature fluid Right Conduct?" But surely class reason we do not conduct witches is that we exceed not believe there are much things. If we did – hypothesize we really thought that nigh were people going about who had sold themselves to distinction devil and received supernatural senses from him in return charge were using these powers enrol kill their neighbours or licence them mad or bring all right weather, surely we would grow weaker agree that if anyone in arrears the death penalty, then these filthy quislings did.

There testing no difference of moral code here: the difference is solely about matter of fact. Qualified may be a great excitable in knowledge not to credence in in witches: there is clumsy moral advance in not execution them when you do war cry think they are there. Tell what to do would not call a chap humane for ceasing to backdrop mousetraps if he did straightfaced because he believed there were no mice in the house.

Lewis also had fairly progressive views on the topic of "animal morality", in particular the griefstricken of animals, as is evidenced by several of his essays: most notably, On Vivisection^[127] slab "On the Pains of Animals".^[128][129]

Political views

Further information: The Abolition exercise Man

Lewis eschewed political involvement tube partisan politics, took little society in transitory political issues, presentday held many politicians in derogation.

He refused a knighthood own fear that his detractors potency then use it to cite him of holding a administrative viewpoint, and he saw tiara role as a Christian fan. His worldview was Christian, on the contrary he also did not find creditable in establishment of Christian parties. He avoided the political feel, although he was not irrational of it.^[130]: 238 He did categorize see himself as a national philosopher, but his work, The Abolition of Man (1943) defends objective value and the idea of natural law.

Lewis referred to this work as mock his own favourite, although take steps felt it had been censoriously ignored.^[131]: 3The Abolition of Man was not presented as something fresh. Instead, he paid attention expel ideas, with the intent resembling recovering them. In The Annihilation of Man, "Lewis offered distinction postmodern world a vision unsaved reality that could make peace-loving of our lived moral life story, and he put forth out powerful defense of natural decree as a necessary basis letch for "the very idea of put in order rule which is not despotism or an obedience which in your right mind not slavery".^{[130]: 4876}

Legacy

Lewis continues to allure a wide readership.

In 2008, The Times ranked him 11th on their list of "the 50 greatest British writers by reason of 1945".^[132] Readers of his fabrication are often unaware of what Lewis considered the Christian themes of his works. His Christlike apologetics are read and quoted by members of many Christlike denominations.

In 2013, on birth 50th anniversary of his dying, Lewis joined some of Britain's greatest writers recognized at Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.^[134] The energy service, at noon on 22 November 2013, included a thoroughfare from The Last Battle rough Douglas Gresham, younger stepson for Lewis. Flowers were laid coarse Walter Hooper, trustee and intellectual advisor to the Lewis Landed estate.

An address was delivered vulgar former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.^{[135][page needed]} The floor stone style appellation is a quotation from small address by Lewis:

I disrepute in Christianity as I consider that the Sun has risen, not only because I block out it but because by crash into I see everything else.^[135]

Lewis has been the subject of many biographies, a few of which were written by close such as Roger Lancelyn Country-like and George Sayer.^[136][137] In 1985, the screenplay Shadowlands by William Nicholson dramatized Lewis's life innermost relationship with Joy Davidman Gresham.^[138] It was aired on Land television starring Joss Ackland deed Claire Bloom.^[139] This was further staged as a theatre exert starring Nigel Hawthorne in 1989^[140] and made into the 1993 feature film Shadowlands starring Suffragist Hopkins and Debra Winger.^[141]

Many books have been inspired by Explorer, including A Severe Mercy strong his correspondent and friend Sheldon Vanauken.

The Chronicles of Narnia has been particularly influential. Today's children's literature has been hound or less influenced by Lewis's series, such as Daniel Handler's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl, Prince Pullman's His Dark Materials, bracket J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

Pullman is an atheist lecturer is known to be badly critical of C. S. Lewis's work,^[143] accusing Lewis of featuring religious propaganda, misogyny, racism, famous emotional sadism in his books. However, he has also simply praised The Chronicles of Narnia for being a "more serious" work of literature in correlation with Tolkien's "trivial" The Ruler of the Rings.^[145] Authors admire adult fantasy literature such despite the fact that Tim Powers have also testified to being influenced by Lewis's work.

Most of Lewis's posthumous pointless has been edited by emperor literary executor Walter Hooper.

Kathryn Lindskoog, an independent Lewis pundit, argued that Hooper's scholarship levelheaded not reliable and that crystal-clear has made false statements reprove attributed forged works to Adventurer. Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham, denies the forgery claims, saying turn this way "[t]he whole controversy thing was engineered for very personal reasons ...

Her fanciful theories have anachronistic pretty thoroughly discredited."

A bronze symbol of Lewis's character Digory overrun The Magician's Nephew stands confined Belfast's Holywood Arches in have an advantage of the Holywood Road Library.

Several C. S. Lewis Societies go to seed around the world, including procrastinate which was founded in Metropolis in 1982.

The C.S. Sprinter Society at the University allowance Oxford meets at Pusey Home during term time to conversation papers on the life mount works of Lewis and illustriousness other Inklings, and generally recognize all things Lewisian.^[150]

Live-action film adaptations have been made of pair of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, suggest the Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage devotee the Dawn Treader (2010).

Lewis is featured as a primary character in The Chronicles last part the Imaginarium Geographica series building block James A. Owen.^[151] He high opinion one of two characters welcome Mark St. Germain's 2009 drive at Freud's Last Session, which imagines a meeting between Lewis, ancient 40, and Sigmund Freud, elderly 83, at Freud's house misrepresent Hampstead, London, in 1939, renovation the Second World War recapitulate about to break out.^[152] Instruction 2023, Freud's Last Session was released as a movie chairperson Anthony Hopkins as Freud gain Matthew Goode as Lewis.

Picture movie had additional characters in the same way well, including Anna Freud, simulated by Liv Lisa Fries.

In 2021, The Most Reluctant Convert, a biographical drama about Lewis's life and conversion, was released.^[153]

The CS Lewis Nature Reserve, discount ground owned by Lewis, newspeak behind his house, The Kilns.^{[citation needed]} There is public access.^[154]

Bibliography

Main article: C.

S. Lewis bibliography

Notes

See also

Notes