C.S. Lewis: An Apologist for Education

Giants in the History of Education

by Louis A. Markos

C. S. Lewis is widely recognized as one of the great apologists and writers of the twentieth century. He is known for remarkable books such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. Lewis also wrote two fiction series that have enjoyed an enduring popularity: The Chronicles of Narnia and The Space Trilogy. In addition to all this, Lewis was a prescient observer of education and a thoughtful critic of modern educational theory and practice. In this brief book, Lewis scholar Dr. Louis Markos surveys Lewis's thought on education as represented in books such as The Abolition of Man, An Experiment in Criticism, The Discarded Image, Collected Letters, and numerous other essays and publications. What emerges is a timely call to renew a radical liberal arts education that assumes a meaningful, purposeful cosmos and that will awaken students from the slumber of cold vulgarity and cultivate their affections for truth, goodness, and beauty.

Genres: Education, Christianity, Nonfiction, Cs Lewis, Religion, Philosophy

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Dr. Markos earned his B.A. in English and History from Colgate University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, he specialized in British Romantic Poetry, Literary Theory, and the Classics.

He has taught at Houston Baptist University since 1991, where he is Professor in English and holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities.

Reviews

[Jessica]

Quick, helpful jumping off point. Includes a great bibliography.

[Samuel G. Parkison]

Great stuff here.

[Rachel]

Really short, really accessible book on Lewis and his education thoughts. Opens with a brief biography on Lewis which I enjoyed.

[Crystal Hurd]

A nice introduction about Lewis's education from scholar Louis Markos. This book is targeted to home schooling students. I suspect that it would be a nice addition to any Christian home education curriculum.

[Amy Meyers]

Very helpful overview, emphasizing important educational truths taught by Lewis. I really like this series—only read two so far, but they’re concise yet thorough and accessible. Annotated bibliography in the back helps you know what Lewis writings to read from here if you want more from Lewis on education.

[Sara Larson]

Very brief biography of Lewis and some of his educational philosophy. If I had never read anything about him, this would be a very helpful resource! It’s always encouraging to have a picture of someone’s life.

[Will Dole]

It’s alright. Probably four stars if you’ve never read Lewis and need an intro to his ideas on education. But nothing super insightful or new if you are familiar with Lewis already.

[Bridget Mcgahen]

Short but mighty. I wrote more quotes from this book in my common place journal than the past 2 (much longer) homeschooling books I read combined. A must read for homeschoolers, educators, & parents.

[Marcas]

Markos shows how Lewis serves as a bridge to the great books of antiquity and the middle ages. Both Markos and Lewis offer a more humane Christian pedagogy than the secularist models which focus unhealthily on gender, race, etc and on serving the market and the state as ends.

[Steve]

A simple introduction.