The Life of C.S. Lewis

Some Eastern Christians, especially converts, tend to ignore or scorn Western Christian thinkers, but C.S. Lewis seems to be an exception, especially for those Orthodox coming out of an Anglican or evangelical background where, in some cases, Lewis reigned almost supreme.

Alister McGrath last month published a new biography of Lewis, C. S. Lewis - A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Tyndale, 2013), 448pp.

About this book we are told:

Fifty years after his death, C. S. Lewis continues to inspire and fascinate millions. His legacy remains varied and vast. He was a towering intellectual figure, a popular fiction author who inspired a global movie franchise around the world of Narnia, and an atheist-turned-Christian thinker.

In C.S. Lewis—A Life, Alister McGrath, prolific author and respected professor at King’s College of London, paints a definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis. After thoroughly examining recently published Lewis correspondence, Alister challenges some of the previously held beliefs about the exact timing of Lewis’s shift from atheism to theism and then to Christianity. He paints a portrait of an eccentric thinker who became an inspiring, though reluctant, prophet for our times.

You won’t want to miss this fascinating portrait of a creative genius who inspired generations.

McGrath is a busy fellow with a strong interest in Lewis because next month he also has coming out what looks to be a more academic work: The Intellectual World of C. S. Lewis (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 208

About this book the publisher tells us:

Marking the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death, The Intellectual World of C. S. Lewis sees leading Christian thinker Alister McGrath offering a fresh approach to understanding the key themes at the centre of Lewis’ theological work and intellectual development.

• Brings together a collection of original essays exploring important themes within Lewis’ work, offering new connections and insights into his theology
• Throws new light on subjects including Lewis’ intellectual development, the uses of images in literature and theology, the place of myth in modern thought, the role of the imagination in making sense of the world, the celebrated 'argument from desire', and Lewis’ place as an Anglican thinker and a Christian theologian
• Written by Alister McGrath, one of the world’s leading Christian thinkers and authors; this exceptional pairing of McGrath and Lewis brings together the work of two outstanding theologians in one volume