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If I Had Lunch With C. S. Lewis: Exploring The Ideas Of C. S. Lewis On The Meaning Of Life (2014)

by Alister E. McGrath(Favorite Author)

3.91 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1414383789 (ISBN13: 9781414383781)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Tyndale House Publishers

review 1: This is a good introduction to Lewis for someone just dipping into his works and life, almost like a supplement to a Lewis biography. But for someone who already knows Lewis it's rather repetitive and over-simplified.McGrath likes to repeat himself a lot, throwing in the typical Lewis quotes several times. Considering the highly academic and excellently complicated way McGrath can write, this prose was actually dumbed down a lot. There were several spots that could have been smoothed out, expanded, or enriched. Though I suppose McGrath is writing to a different audience here, so he needs to take a more unschooled approach.Despite the premise that this is a "discussion" with Lewis in real time, this is not the approach McGrath takes. Instead he condenses some of Lewis's bel... moreiefs about certain subjects and summarizes Lewis's books, while bringing in quotes and paraphrases. Only very rarely, like once in every chapter, does he actually let Lewis appear within the prose, giving him action or dialogic remarks. It's not at all like a conversation, because there's no "back-and-forth" feel to the writing, letting us ask questions and Lewis answer.But once you get past the misnomer that is the title of this piece, there is valuable information in it. I learned a few new things, but mostly sped through the re-hashings of Lewis's beliefs McGrath serves up for us.
review 2: This book is a derivative work based on C.S. Lewis’ various writings as well as compilations from the author’s own biographic research project based on CSL’s work and life. It adds a thumbnail sketch to several of CSL’s canonical works such as the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, interspersing with the author’s own commentary. The sketch is efficiently and economically drawn, the commentary often insightful if not always original, with the minor fault of writerly awkwardness of inserting himself in the texts. The structure of the book is based on fictional lunches with CSL, yet the writing is essentially the same as commentarial essays on specific topics from friendship to suffering and hope. Thankfully there is no imaginary conversations contrived to make these “lunches”. CSL’s “Mere Christianity” is his most important work in Christian apologetics. Its enduring appeal is largely based on CSL’s own past of being a staunch, intelligent, thoughtful atheist. Hence his point-by-point argument from rational reasoning toward a “clue to the meaning”, instead of preaching directly from Scripture. CSL’s apologetics appeal to “fit” one’s morality, aesthetics, and desire into the grand narrative through “sense making”. This “sense making” is more effective in actual stories instead of essays. Narnia stories have the enchantment of magic and wonder as well as the joy of creature comforts (who can forget Mrs. Beaver’s cooking?), yet it gives the stories a higher arch of the grand narratives. Instead of capturing the throne, defeating the enemy, the emphases are on understanding the higher level of good vs. evil, honorable bravery vs. reckless aggression, discerning friendship vs. blind chumminess. The treasure of CSL’s work comes through his ability to give poetic imagination to religious principles. Through his generous and warm voice, his rich enjoyment of life’s many wonders, his gift to give words vivid images and piercing emotions, his work has stood in the changing tide of modernism to remind us “a many-islanded sea of poetry and myth”, giving us glimpses beyond the ‘glib and shallow rationalism’, and may I add, commercialized notion of worldly successes. McGarth’s small notes on CSL’s major work is a worthy read for those who have already some familiarity to CSL’s Narnia and apologetics. less

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