The Neglected C S Lewis by Mark Neal and Jerry Root

I thought I was familiar with the works of C. S. Lewis. I'd read all his fiction and a few of his popular nonfiction books, like Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain. I now realize I was familiar with only a portion of Lewis's works. Lewis was a fellow at Oxford University and later Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University. He wrote a number of academic books, often bringing attention to neglected works of others he felt were of significance. He felt the knowledge gained from reading historical works was important and prevented what he called “chronological snobbery.”

Lewis's academic works are hard going and I wondered if they were worth pursuing. Neal and Root go through eight of the fifteen academic works Lewis wrote, highlighting major ideas. In An Experiment in Criticism, Lewis wrote about readers. He distinguished the few who totally immerse themselves in the literary experience. They need little detail because of a fertile imagination. On the other hand are the many. They require lots of action and are not changed by what they read. The concepts in the chapter on this book convinced me reading hard books is worthwhile.

Here are some highlights from the other Lewis books reviewed in this one. Lewis gave an example of an academic dialogue without rancor in The Personal Heresy. Another chapter includes Lewis's thoughts on poetry as well as interesting comments on Bible translations. Yet another includes Lewis on imagination and its use in comprehending reality. The chapter on The Allegory of Love, reveals the development of passionate love. Yet another chapter deals with how language changes over time.

Lewis drew the attention of his contemporaries to important works he felt were valuable but being neglected. Neal and Root have done the same for Lewis here. Whether one ultimately decides to read these obscure works of Lewis or not, reading this book will help gain insight into Lewis's ideas that formed the basis for much of his works with which we are familiar, such as his fiction.

I like how these authors glean lessons out of Lewis' more obscure books. They assure us that Lewis's writing, though academic, still holds readers' interest because of his writing style and humor. Reading the academic works of Lewis will give us windows onto a greater world, the authors say. Our perspective will be broadened.

I recommend reading this book to get a greater understanding of the writings of Lewis. It might be hard going for the general lay person but it is worth the effort to understand Lewis better and be introduced to concepts in his academic works.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Mark Neal has lectured, taught and published internationally on Lewis for the last ten years. He is the co-author of The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis. He works as the VP of a Chicago-area marketing firm. He is married with two children.

Jerry Root is a Professor at Wheaton College and visiting Professor at Biola University. He has a MDiv from Talbot Graduate School of Theology and a PhD through the Open University at the Oxford Center for Mission Studies. He has been studying C S Lewis for 50 years and teaching about him for 40 years. He has lectured on Lewis in various universities world wide.

Paraclete Press, 196 pages. This book releases June 18.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Jerry Root and Mark Neal

I had no idea how essential imagination is to our lives. Reading this book, even though it is an investigation of Lewis' use of imagination, made me aware of how we all use imagination.

This book could be considered an introduction to C. S. Lewis through exploring his use of imagination. The authors identify many different styles and uses of imagination. There is realizing imagination, shared imagination, penetrating imagination, material imagination, primary imagination, generous imagination, just imagination, transforming imagination, and many more. The use or function of each kind of imagination is identified and then how it has been used in Lewis' writings.

I was surprised by several aspects of this investigation into imagination. Spiritual growth requires imagination as we must imagine the stages beyond where we are. Imagination helps us understand the complex world we live in, a world more complex than our capacity to understand. Imagination allows us to view an issue from many viewpoints, like looking at something from a variety of angles, helping us understand it better. Imagination helps us sort out sensory data, making sense of experience. We can use imagination in an attempt to shape reality, seeing the world as it should be. And those are just a few aspects of the exploration of investigation.

I was amazed at the importance and power of imagination in Lewis' writings. He was a master at helping us develop a deeper grasp of something through imagination. That imagination can give us fresh insight toward understanding a complex or illusive idea. Imagination can be used for evil just as powerfully as for good, as he clearly showed.

I was impressed with this book for two reasons. The first reason is the fresh understanding I received about the importance of imagination. I use my imagination when I plan my garden for next year or plan a dinner for this weekend. Imagination helps me make sense of change, having a fresh application of old ideas to new challenges. My church board uses imagination when they contemplate a new ministry and how it will meet the needs of the church members or the surrounding community. I've come to the conclusion that we use imagine much more than I had ever thought.

The second reason I like this book is because if gave me a new appreciation for Lewis and his writing. He was very effective in his use of imagination to communicate a concept. There are scenes from The Great Divorce that have stuck with me since I read the book decades ago.

This is a good introduction to the writings of Lewis. People who want to understand why Lewis wrote the fiction and nonfiction he did would do well to read this book. The book would also be of good use in a literature class as it helps us understand the use of imagination in fiction and nonfiction too. The authors have included an extensive bibliography for those who would like to study further.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jerry Root is associate professor of evangelism and leadership at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. He also teaches in the Christian Formation and Ministry department and is the director of the Wheaton Evangelism Initiative, Billy Graham Center for Evangelism.

Mark Neal is the vice president of digital marketing at a Chicago-based marketing firm. He is an independent C. S. Lewis scholar, writing and publishing on Lewis and other topics. You can find out more about him at http://www.markneal.org/.

Abingdon Press, 280 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Handlebar for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

The A - Z of C. S. Lewis by Colin Duriez

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death. Lewis was a prolific writer. I've read his Narnia books, his space trilogy, and many of his nonfiction books.

While I've read much of him, I was not familiar with all Lewis wrote. This complete guide covers everything Lewis wrote, from literary essays to his science fiction and fantasy. It integrates the fiction and nonfiction so we can get an idea of Lewis' understanding of reality. It also covers his life and thought.

Included in this book are entries describing his major lectures at Cambridge, synopsis of his essays, noted pupils of Lewis, characters and places and themes in his novels, people in his extended family, people he worked with and people who influenced him, books and poems he wrote, books about him, and his beliefs on a number of subjects such as angels, the Bible, and his theology of romance. Included in some entries are suggestions for further reading. At the end of the book is an extensive bibliography.

The writings of Lewis have certainly impacted Christianity in my lifetime. He had a direct influence on how and what we believe as well as how we view the world. This book provides a tremendous amount of information on this prolific author. If you would like to know more about Lewis and his work, this provides a great reference tool for you. You'll be turning to it again and again.

This is an updated edition of The C. S. Lewis Handbook from two decades ago and the original book of this title from over ten years ago.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

Colin Duriez was for many years a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK. He has written books on Lewis. Tolkien and the Inklings and has contributed to several reference works relating to Tolkien. You can find out more about him at http://colinduriez.macmate.me/inwriting/Home.html

Kregel Publications, 240 pages. You can purchase the book here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group for the purpose of this honest review.