C.S. Lewis

I have noticed that many here revere C.S Lewis as a great Christian author. I admit, until college I had rarely ever heard of C.S Lewis except among a few of my "fantasy" friends who were fan of Dungeons and Dragons and role playing games. When i was in college we spent a whole semester in a English class studying his works, so I am pretty well versed in his writings and personal whims and logic.

I was a new Christian when I was in college and although the teacher called him a great Christian writer his recorded views on the Bible and the basic fundamentals of essential Christian doctrine troubled me.


I have the deepest respect for Pagan myths, still more for myths in the Holy Scriptures" ("The Problem of Pain", p.71).



His contention that some pagans may "belong to Christ without knowing it" is a destructive heresy (Mere Christianity, pp. 176-177)

, as was his statement that "Christ fulfils both Paganism and Judaism ..."
(Reflections on the Psalms, p. 129).

Lewis believed that we're to become "gods," an apparent affirmation of theistic evolution.

He also believed the Book of Job is "unhistorical" (Reflections on the Psalms, pp. 110)

that the Bible contained "error" (pp. 110, 112)

and is not divinely inspired (The Inklings, p. 175).

Lewis never believed in a literal wordydirtywordydirtywordydirtywordydirty, but instead believed wordydirtywordydirtywordydirtywordydirty is a state of mind one chooses to possess and become -- he wrote, "... every shutting-up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind is, in the end, wordydirtywordydirtywordydirtywordydirty" (The Great Divorce, p. 65).

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it ... For example a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ's birth may have been in this position" ("Mere Christianity", pp. 176-177)




How could a man have the witness of Christ in his heart and say the following things???



"The facts, then, are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so."
The World's Last Night (1960), found in The Essential C.S. Lewis, p. 385


[God] said (in the Bible) that we were “gods” and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him—for we can prevent Him, if we choose—He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine.
C. S. Lewis,
Beyond Personality (London: The Centenary Press, 1945), 48.
Also contained in Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Company, 1952), 174-175.

Reflections on the Psalms on page 129, C.S. Lewis said“…as I believe, Christ…fulfilled both paganism and Judaism.”







Having read ALL but one of C.S. lewis books and reading his views on Christianity his faith doesnt line up with the teachings of the Bible.

Imagne if I come on here and claimed to be a Christian but told you that the BIble was mostly myth, Christ was ignorant, and the virgin birth was fake???

What if I told you that We will all become Gods when we die, that Buddhists and hindus and Muslims will be in Heaven and that the BIble wasnt divinely inspired???

Would you take me serious as a Christian?? Would I have a testimony that you could relate to?? Would our spirits bear witness with one another??

Just something to think about.

Interesting indeed, thanks for the research on this. It makes any christian thankful that they trust in the love/mercy of God and the finished work of the cross, and not 'trust in man'.

Only Heaven knows if Lewis's name is written in the Lambs Book of Life...

FX Jenkins said:

Only Heaven knows if Lewis's name is written in the Lambs Book of Life...

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No doubt about that vut his personal testimony and writings shed light itno what he believed and thought about God and salvation. I , and many other Christians find it very disturbing,

a while back several schools were trying to get his books banded.ive read most of his books,if found them very well written for fantasy works.but thats as far as i care to probe into his beliefs.

Tn_Extreme said:

No doubt about that vut his personal testimony and writings shed light itno what he believed and thought about God and salvation. I , and many other Christians find it very disturbing,

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Are telling us C.S. Lewis went to "the burning place"?

Lewis was one of the most devote and intellectual Christians where ever was on earth. He looked at how Christianity developed noting its faults as well as its successes. The "Born again" fad started during his later years and he was no fan of it, nor its buzz phrases.

jason4445 said:

The "Born again" fad started during his later years and he was no fan of it, nor its buzz phrases.

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Sorry but CHRIST started the "Born again fad" when he said , "Ye Must be Born Again".

Lewis claimed Christ wa signorant and wasnt virgin born....In essence he didnt believe Christ was who he said he was.

Tn_Extreme said:

Sorry but CHRIST started the "Born again fad" when he said , "Ye Must be Born Again".

Lewis claimed Christ wa signorant and wasnt virgin born....In essence he didnt believe Christ was who he said he was.

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So good sir does that mean that if he believed that Christ was God’s son and he died for our sins, is he going to wordydirtywordydirtywordydirtywordydirty just because he believed that Mary was not a virgin? Just asking what you think?

Maybe, Maybe not...but what does it say about a man who doesnt have enough fath to believe Gods word??

According to the Bible if Jesus wasnt virgin born he could not have been THE CHRIST, OUR SAVIOUR.

So Yes, I guess it does make a difference.

Lewis believed as I do, the Bible is a book, and a good one I will grant, that was written by men, copied by men, edited by men, published and printed by men and sold for much profit by men. God created man, but man created religion in how to worship God. The Bible is man's word about God.

jason4445 said:

Lewis believed as I do, the Bible is a book, and a good one I will grant, that was written by men, copied by men, edited by men, published and printed by men and sold for much profit by men. God created man, but man created religion in how to worship God. The Bible is man's word about God.

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I'll make this short & sweet w a point...

take the complexity of the human eye, think about that for a moment. Consider what it takes for the incredible beauty of creation, whether you see it in the Grand Canyon, or on a fishing trip this Saturday, to be brought to your mind with all the light and color through those eyes of yours. Stop and think... don't you suppose that such intelligence in creating such wonders might just guard His very message of love to you (the scriptures) through His own power?

And isn't it the greatest compliment to His fallen creation, that once a heart is truly His, God Himself is able to entrust this message to those who bear His image, and know His heart?

I've given you one example of dynamic intelligence with the human eye. I'm sure you are just as astounded at the intelligence (and LOVE) required do the rest.

Things to think about. A prayer or two of "thanksgiving" to this wonderful creator wouldn't be a bad thing, either.

jason4445 said:

Lewis believed as I do, the Bible is a book, and a good one I will grant, that was written by men, copied by men, edited by men, published and printed by men and sold for much profit by men. God created man, but man created religion in how to worship God. The Bible is man's word about God.

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The Bible is not man's word, it's God's word.

Gaswamp said:

Tn extreme, the quotes in your first post about Lewis' beliefs were from?

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The quotes were from his own writings...His own words from his own books.
The info on what books, what page,etc, etc is listed directly after the quotes.

Lewis's views are not of those who are still children in the faith. For him, an adult believer, the christian was one who lived , "God with us." and not "God read thus".

He spoke "God" as living spirit within himself and the believers as opposed to a "God" who's spirit was apart of the believer. God the myth maker meets the myth sort of thing. The myth maker is active, the myth passive etc.....

A man who went to the bathroom like anybody else, but o what a soul!

King David we are told fed his troops with forbidden (sacred offering) food. Like Noa before him David did not "live" God in the box of scripture or religious culture. They like Jesus and Lewis prefered to toss about rigid faith to feed men and women the Holy Spirit for all time.


To say that in Jesus Christ (a man) God dared to become a man may seem blasphamy to some, but it is just the reverse of saying man dares to become close to God. It is all about relationship and how much scope we give the word "myth" and the limits we place on the faithful. Lewis like Jesus is easy to crucify.

C. S. Lewis

gordon 2 said:

"Lewis's views are not of those who are still children in the faith. For him, an adult believer, the christian was one who lived , "God with us." and not "God read thus".

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Friend Gordon: Upon reading your post, I was reminded of the Apostle John's Revelation concerning the Church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-5):

2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

As I understand your post, you seem to be saying that C. S. Lewis had grown beyond his earler experiences as a believer and as a writer was living in a dimension of his own.

Seems to me that to do so in effect is a departure from one's first love. I would define "first love" as being that warm experience that is often described as the "peace that passeth all understanding" or "that joy unspeakable" when the Holy Spirit first takes up his abode in the life of a believer.

Would like to have the benefit of your response.

Perhaps you are right Vernon, but it is not my view of the man or the meaning of these verses. My view is that Lewis never left his first love who was ever with him to become a man in faith. He grew in faith yes beyond his first experiences in faith, but not beyond the first love.

The "peace that passeth all undertanding" is it not emotional? as it should be. And from it's waters we grow intelectually and socially. From it we are born again to creation? And again, and again... Like Lewis proves.

That joy unspeakable is not unique to christians Vernon. All faiths have this experience.

Jesus was a man. He had an emotional life, an intellectual life, a social life, a personal life, a spiritual life and a physical life. All of these together grew and changed. From his days @ synagoge, through his pious family, his days with the Baptist, his days in the desert...he never left his first love, but he tossed convention on its ear with all the faculties of a man, who we know as "God with us".

My take Vernon. Just my take.

gordon 2 said:

Lewis's views are not of those who are still children in the faith. For him, an adult believer, the christian was one who lived , "God with us." and not "God read thus".

He spoke "God" as living spirit within himself and the believers as opposed to a "God" who's spirit was apart of the believer. God the myth maker meets the myth sort of thing. The myth maker is active, the myth passive etc.....

A man who went to the bathroom like anybody else, but o what a soul!

King David we are told fed his troops with forbidden (sacred offering) food. Like Noa before him David did not "live" God in the box of scripture or religious culture. They like Jesus and Lewis prefered to toss about rigid faith to feed men and women the Holy Spirit for all time.


To say that in Jesus Christ (a man) God dared to become a man may seem blasphamy to some, but it is just the reverse of saying man dares to become close to God. It is all about relationship and how much scope we give the word "myth" and the limits we place on the faithful. Lewis like Jesus is easy to crucify.

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Gordon, that was a great post... very deep! And I'm afraid not many are going to appreciate what you're saying... but I just wanted to say that I do!

And yes TN I would count you a christian if you believed as C.S. Lewis. And I would count you as christian if you did not, for the difficulty you have with his views. All I can say is you are on good shoulders. And remember this C.S. Lewis is an artist. We value artist for breaking away from the tried and true. The houses need a good cleaning once in a while.... Expression, debate, ideas a little off the beaten path will often lead to fortune. Done by an expert artist, and especially a christian one, it can get to very Spiritual Art.

Perhaps a good comparison is think of christians of the hum-drum old time religion kind or say a very conservative catholic, and have them or him come upon a charismatic revival where folks fall on the floor, shout and chant in giberish, cry and hurry to your head to pray on you while drooling or their nose mucus flowing from their nostrils, tears in their eyes. Some look to be in pain, some happy, some look to be in orgasmic state, extacy etc. Some are crushed, immovable.

Some "christians" would sweat here, thinking it not christian behavior or even blasphamy or the behavior of drunks or the emotionally ill, yet they would be in a christian church and every member a christain! Some christians sweat C.S. Lewis...for the same reasons.

If C. S. Lewis was a wildlife artist he would not paint by number, but with his unique style and grace and the Kingdom would be his studio. In my view it was.

Gordon...I think you are a little off base here. We are'nt talking about a paint by number painting..We are speaking of the Holy Bible and the salvation Doctrine and essential doctrines of the Bible.

Lewis mocked and dismissed the essential "ingredients" of the "one and only signed original" created by God. While Lewis may have taken "artistic liberties" with Gods word that doesnt make him an "artist". According to Gods word he isnt saved, he "had a form of Godliness but denied the power thereof". His "unique style" isnt the "style" Christ said would enter the gates of Heaven.

We can believe that people can worship God as they see fit...But when they deny the very basics f the faith we shouldnt accept their form of worship as "Christian".