Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I feel so inadequate to review this book. It has done what few books do which is put me in my place. Not in a bad way, in a very good reminder way. C.S. Lewis was one of the foremost Christian Apologists of the 20th Century. He was not always a Christian, converting to Christianity in his early 30's. He was a gifted writer and noted intellect. He is widely known for the Chronicles of Narnia (which I confess is the only books of his I have read prior to this).
The premise of The Screwtape Letters is this: A senior demon writes letters advising his nephew (a junior demon in the ranks) as to how to avert his human (called the Patient) away from his new found faith in Christ. Of course being written in the reverse takes a little getting used to, but reading through the lines are valuable lessons for myself in my own walk with Christ. I can see the ways in which I falter, the sins which I am succeptable to. I know the only way back is to focus on my Creator. I am so glad I picked this book up (it was on a whim as I glanced through the church library last Sunday). It is one that I should buy and add to my collection. I can see myself re-reading this in part and in whole as time goes on. I would like to read more of his writing. I'm pretty sure that Lewis' Mere Christianity is somewhere in my husband's collection so maybe that will be my next Lewis destination.

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