He Came Down from Heaven and the Forgiveness of Sins

by Charles Williams

These two long essays make up, with The Descent of the Dove, Charles Williams' principal theological writing. With these books and with The Figure of Beatrice the reader is as fully equipped as possible for studying the religious thought of this brilliant poet, novelist, essayist and historian. Charles Williams was one of the finest-not to mention one of the most unusual-theologians of the twentieth century. His mysticism is palpable-the unseen world interpenetrates ours at every point, and spiritual exchange occurs all the time, unseen and largely unlooked for. His novels are legend, and as a member of the Inklings, he contributed to the mythopoetic revival in contemporary culture.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Charles Williams


Charles Walter Stansby Williams is probably best known, to those who have heard of him, as a leading member (albeit for a short time) of the Oxford literary group, the "Inklings", whose chief figures were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He was, however, a figure of enormous interest in his own right: a prolific author of plays, fantasy novels (strikingly different in kind from those of his friends), poetry, theology, biography and criticism. — the Charles Williams Society website

Reviews

[Ben McFarland · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two works are good Charles Williams non-fiction, which is to say, erudite but readable, provocative but fundamentally orthodox, and peppered with Dante, Shakespeare, and Biblical references that are poetic in their own right. Even the fragments that Williams drops in to the conversation, possibly without thinking, are slightly unusual. These were most helpful in thinking about Original Sin. There's a striking discussion of how the Germans should be forgiven, written by a Brit in 1942. And occasional digressions of less value, such as an attempt to interpret the Temptation of Christ with Christ as forgiveness, which I don't think quite works. Still, if you want to make progress thinking your own way through the Big Questions, the non-fiction of Charles Williams is more valuable than the writings of any of the other Inklings. You have to be an active reader, but he is an original and profound thinker who points the way to ideas that we're still catching up to, and yet at the same time points to orthodoxy.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

CW'S writings have heen described as flashes of lightening in a fog. This is an apt description of his writings on theology. The Forgiveness of Sins turns out to he a treatise on why Hitler should be forgiven. I can't imagine how those caught in London during the Blitz would have received this book. As a Christian one knows forgiveness is essential. And to his credit CW makes that belief come alive with his new and even bizarre usage of words. We are made to pay new attention to a belief that we don't think much about as we've heard the doctrine so many times in the same way. That CW writes in that rich foggy way he does makes the reader struggle again with the doctrine. That's the good of this book. The less than good is that his writing seems a rather disorganized ramble. The first sentence of his paragraphs don't necessarily indicate where he's taking us- and that is trying at best. We study Willaims works line by line on the moderated Yahoo group. There wasn't much comment during the past study of this book. For myself, I couldn't get through the fog.

[Elizabeth Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

These small but deep books are worthy of re-reading many a time. After several years of noticing a subtle connection in Williams' other writings between forgiveness/atonement and epistemology, or how one knows, I was surprised and pleased to see that in these two works he addresses the topic directly. I was especially struck by his definition of the Fall not as "knowing good and evil," but knowing good AS evil, and the only remedy being to know evil as good, that is, to recognize all brokenness as "an occasion of love," in imitation of Christ, the Person of Forgiveness. A very high vision of what is possible for a human life.

[Christopher Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight point five out of ten.

Beautiful, aphoristic, apophatic. His doctrine of exchange provides a strangely compelling defence of PSA in the final chapters of "He Came Down from Heaven." "The Forgiveness of Sins" is a banger too. Convicting. The chapter on forgiveness in Shakespeare is really neat, and so is the (pre-Frygian) exposition of Blake. The concluding chapter on forgiving the Nazis is intriguing.

[Paul Dinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first encounterd Charles Williams in College class "Occult themes in Literature" where I read "All Hallows Eve" a very bizarre, highly Christian work that I knew I had to read more of. I first read part of this book during my post grad attempts at being a teacher. However, my apartment did catch on fire and destroyed this book before I could finish it. I attempted to find it again, and finally I did. This is a book about how romantic love and Christainity fit togather. It illuminates a lot of things about both. Particularily in the doctrine of subsitution. This isn't something often taught in churchs. The reason is I think is because it sounds so wonderful in thought, but falls apart in real world practice. I have to admit here that I have tried denying myself in relationships, and it really never does work out. I have to remember that Williams, as A. N. Wilson pointed out in his wonderful biography of C. S. Lewis, was very much a celibate shut in who didn't involve himself with others. Yet, in this book as well as Descent into Hell, Williams writes about Romantic love in ways that would infuriate celibates the world over. That salvation means loving with a denial of self. I did something with this book I haven't done in a while, I entered into a dialoge with it. Though I did find his ideas lacking, I still enjoyed and recommend this book. It will make you see the experience of falling in love in a wholly other way.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish it were possible to give this book more than five stars. It deals with the relationship between Christianity and romantic love, and features Williams' unique voice on this subject. I was surprised how contemporary many of his insights were, given that the book is well over 50 years old. Highly recommended.