The Christian World of C. S. Lewis

by Clyde S. Kilby

This study provides a perceptive and illuminating guide to C.S. Lewis's writings. Kilby examines Lewis's Christian works one by one, compares them with each other and with books by other authors, and elucidates the themes that recur throughout the main body of Lewis's writings.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Religion, Literary Criticism

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This holds much of the same analysis to be found in other books about Lewis, but this was ahead of its time -- published in 1964 by Eerdmans, just one year after Lewis's death. You can tell Kilby was seeped in Lewis's work when he wrote this. He even references his own personal interactions with Lewis and several letters Lewis wrote to him.

I liked that Kilby covers all Lewis's major works, but I think a little too much of the book is devoted to summaries of those major works. I wanted more analysis, less summary. There's a long biographical section at the beginning. But generally the book doesn't explore how Lewis's personal life affected his writing. (Which is fine--there's plenty of other books to do that.)

Instead, similar to Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C. S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia, Kilby explores major themes across Lewis's fiction and nonfiction. Some topics include the nature of mankind, God's work in shaping the Christian life, earthly morality, Lewis's thoughts on heaven and hell, the historicity of the Scriptures, his criticism of modernism, and his conception of myth.

I liked the fact that Kilby wasn't afraid to point out weaknesses in Lewis's writing, while at the same time he corrected others who pointed out perceived faults. Overall, I wish the book were a little more organized.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Some parts are just really jaw-dropping. It consists of sections of his other books so you get a preview of other things he wrote. Enjoyed it.

[Philip Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this, though would recommend actually reading Lewis' stuff first. As someone who hasn't read The Space Trilogy and Till We Have Faces, the chapters where he explained their plots in detail were pretty tedious. Aside from that, a really good introduction to Lewis' thought which ties together the themes across the corpus well. I was pleased to find Kilby agrees with my high rating of The Magician's Nephew.

[Estera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written shortly after C. S. Lewis’s death, 'The Christian World of C. S. Lewis' surprises by the depth of its analysis of Lewis’s work. Kilby addresses three distinct audiences, as he notes in the preface: those new to Lewis’s world, those who have not yet fully understood his writings, and those seeking an evaluation of the overall breadth and depth of his works. The book is a good example of the work of an author who profoundly understood Lewis’s vision and who aptly explained it after having discovered “something bottomless” that touched his mind as well as his heart.
I'm very grateful to Stuart Horner, the Director of the C.S. Lewis Institute Belfast, and the whole team, for giving me a first edition. I encourage everyone to check out the good work they’re doing.

[Wendy Holliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy C.S. Lewis. Narnia is a benchmark of quality childrens fantasy literature. I've gotten partway through the space trilogy, with every intention of finishing it.

"The Problem of Pain" is by far one of the best attempts by anyone to explain the whole notion of 'If there really was a God, why does he allow so much pain and suffering in the world?'. Not everyone will get what I got out of that book, but he does a great job nonetheless.

Back to this book...I skipped through parts of it, as it is really just a medium length synopsis of each work of Lewis. Some books deal with the immense symbolism Lewis infused into his writing. This book dealt with that a little, but there are better books for that.

What this book does do is help me get quicker to the point of some of his non-fiction works. 'Cause I'll be honest: I secretly wish I was more intelligent to understand everything he writes. He's very academic, and I know there is so much truth to what he writes. But dang it all, sometimes his historical references and run on sentences with 3-4 clauses each are just too much for me to chew.

[Galicius · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short biography section is valuable part of the book as I was mostly unfamiliar with Lewis. The rest of the book is literary criticism of his writings. It soon becomes apparent that it behooves to read the originals before delving into these commentaries. That is why I left this aside and started reading Lewis.

[Jacob Ballard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This writing, which covers the breadth of Lewis’s work, is a fine starting or ending point to understand how Lewis’s thoughts play into one another. The book is fine but not splendid and I read it out of a deep appreciation and love for Lewis rather than as a testament to the authors own great writing.

[Doris Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LIKE THIS BOOK.

[Jeremy Rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're new to Lewis's world and thoughts, this is a solid introduction/overview. Kilby's earlier chapters (the one on Pilgrim's Regress in particular) were quite good. Later chapters, especially the one on Narnia, fell short. Overall, the book does a fine job of arranging many of Lewis's thoughts and big ideas in an accessible manner. The reader should beware, however, that Kilby is writing right after Lewis's death, and we've learned a great deal more about Lewis and his writing since then. Hence, there are a few gaps in the analysis, but nothing that would make the book not worth reading if you are interested in getting a big picture overview of Lewis's work.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful critique and overview of Lewis's many books.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written shortly after Lewis' death, this is a good beginning to Lewis' major themes, and a set of good capsule summaries to his fiction and nonfiction.

[Joel Zartman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic

[pianogal]

This book is like a long book report about Lewis's other books. No criticisms, just basic plot recap. Sorry, but if I wanted to read the book, I would have read it. Maybe skip this one and just read the originals.