Integration Essay

C.S. Lewis and The Reformed Vision

In my Developing a Christian Mind section titled C.S. Lewis: Integrating Reason, Imagination and Faith we learned about many different topics. As we went through the course we read several different readings from C.S. Lewis, along with the book Engaging God’s World by Neal Plantinga. There are several topics from both Lewis and Plantinga that complement each other and shed new light on a topic. In the writings by Lewis he discusses many subjects from theology, to education, and problems of society. To explain everything that we went through in this class would take about 10 essays, so I will just select a few issues to highlight. The first topic I will discuss is Plantinga’s description of vocation, compared with Lewis discussing a college education in the essay “Our English Syllabus”. The second topic I will go over is sin and the idea of total depravity in Plantinga, along with the book the Screwtape Letters by Lewis. Finally, the third topic I will be discussing is not about any connections between the two, but more about other important life issues we encountered throughout all of the writings by C.S. Lewis. These issues have consequential implications for all Christians and made this course into a great learning experience. It is important to note that similarities between the two may not always be seen on the surface but Lewis always writes with a sense of deeper meaning.

In Plantinga’s chapter on vocation he explains how a career and a vocation are things that are very different from each other. To God it is not important that we pick the perfect career or that we are the best in our field of work. The only thing that is important is that we are glorifying God in any career that we do choose. For example, when I first came to Calvin I thought that I wanted to be a doctor and that was my calling. I realized that even though I am good at science this was not something that I wanted to do the rest of my life. Now I am a business major and I hope that this is where God wants me to be. The important thing to remember is that to God it does not matter, because as long as I am serving him to the best of my abilities God will bless me throughout my life. Lewis in “Our English Syllabus” explains the great importance of getting an education. It is during this education where our vocation begins to develop. During our college education we do not have to think about a career or trying to survive in the world. The only thing we have to worry about is learning.

In chapter three of Engaging God’s World Plantinga writes about evil and sin. He points out that evil and sin are different things and that every sin is evil but every evil is not a sin. Another issue he brings up is that of total depravity which says that everything that we do is corrupted but through God it is made well again. Evil includes all that is wrong with our world, from murder to the recent earthquake in Haiti. God did not bring this sin upon us, we brought it upon ourselves and as such there is only one way to defeat it. Lewis in his writings ponders sin on many different levels. One of his quotes that I find very profound is this, “He must not be allowed to suspect that he is now, however slowly, heading right away from the sun on a line which will carry him into the cold and dark of utmost space.” (Screwtape Letters, letter XII) In this quote Lewis is saying that the path to hell is a gradual one and it is not one big sin that will lead a person to hell. The act of repeated sins will slowly but surely tear away at a person’s faith and ultimately lead someone completely out of God’s presence. The devil knows our weaknesses very well and looks to exploit them at any opportunity. For this purpose we have to recognize when the devil is tempting us and resist against it. Of course this is easier said than done, but the Lord will always be by our side.

One essay that I especially enjoyed was titled “The Weight of Glory” and it brought up many very interesting observations. This quote was one of my favorites, “But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit-immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” Lewis is saying that we have to think of all people as being immortal. I had never thought about that idea in such a sense before. Every person I come in contact with is going to live forever; whether that be an eternity in heaven or hell, I do not know. Everything I say and do, good or bad, could have an effect on that person’s soul and that will remain there into eternity. I have always known that everyone will either go to heaven or hell but it has been sort of a second thought. It is weird thinking of everyone as immortal beings but it definitely changes the perspective of how people should look at each other. As Plantinga points out in Chapter 4 we have all been given the right of a “double grace”. Christ has given us justification and sanctification if we have faith in him. This quote tells us how important this double grace is, “As Calvin says repeatedly, the double grace releases us, relieves us, redeems us. (Plantinga 92)

Another writing that really struck me was “The Poison of Subjectivism.” Subjectivism is described in simple terms as altering or inventing new moral values other than the innate moral law that is in all humans. The moral law of humans is the concept that all people know that certain things are simply wrong. These could be murder, rape, stealing, and more. To change these is when humans run into their problems. Lewis thinks that this is one of the most dangerous parts of modern society. An example of subjectivism took place with the Nazis and Hitler. When Hitler first took over Germany he wanted to give a reason for his country’s problems, so he blamed the Jews. He made it so that terrorizing and even killing Jews was not against the laws of society and this eventually lead to the Holocaust. This is an extreme example but it shows the major problems subjectivism can cause. I have a quote from Lewis that gives another perspective, “If we once admit that God means by “goodness” is sheerly different from what we judge to be good there is no difference left between pure religion and devil worship.” (Poison of Subjectivism) It is saying that the innate moral law built into all humans is what we have to follow and by changing that it is as if a person is going against God and worshiping the devil.

In conclusion, I think that an immense amount of knowledge and insights can be gained from reading just a small amount of the writings of C.S. Lewis. Plantinga and Lewis go side by side fairly well together, as they agree on many points. I never have studied one man so intensely and in depth like I did in this class. What is really impressive however is that with many other people, to spend that amount of time studying there works would be a waste of time, but we barely scratched the surface of what C.S. Lewis did in his lifetime. It is truly incredible that a man who wrote essays 60 or 70 years ago and they are still relevant to modern society. I did not even have the chance to cover half the topics we discussed in class in this essay. We also read about being in love, times of war, struggling with justice, having a right to happiness, and several other subjects. There are some points when I was reading Lewis where I just did not understand what he is saying at first. If I went back and read it three or four more times, then I would begin to see what he was trying to say. His writings are those that can be read over and over again as our Professors reminded us. They have been teaching the class for 10 years but still learn new things from his writings every year. It is truly amazing how C.S. Lewis can open up our minds to new thoughts and revelations. He helps us to broaden our faith, to live in society, conquer grief, learn about love, and so much more. I will end with one of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” (Mere Christianity)


Works Cited
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. 1952
Lewis, C.S. “Our English Syllabus” 1939
Lewis, C.S. Screwtape Letters. 1942
Lewis, C.S. “The Poison of Subjectivism” May, 1933
Lewis, C.S. “The Weight of Glory.” Theology, November 1941.
Plantinga, Cornelius Jr. Engaging God’s World: A Reformed Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

The Problem of Pain

In this essay Lewis mostly does not discuss simply physical pain. He is referring more to any pain that causes use discomfort or is unpleasant whether it be mental or not. Lewis describes pain as the evil that is most tangible. This is because pain is something that can not be ignored. If we are feeling pain there is nothing we can do but try to stop it.

Lewis explains why he thinks that God's reasons are for allowing pain to exist in the world. Pain is used by God to awaken us from the sin that we are blind to see and bring us closer to him. Another reason God uses pain is to make people who think that the reason their lives are so great is because of themselves. When we believe that we are successful only because of ourselves and our accomplishments, is when pain can remind us this is not true. God is the source of all that is good. Without him we would have nothing and therefore we need to thank him for that he gives to us. Sometimes when life is going well we forget to thank God for everything he has done for us. Pain is used by God to build a stronger relationship between his children and himself.

Lewis continues by going as far as to say that pain may even be a blessing. This quote helps to put this in perspective, "Let me implore the reader to try to believe, if only for the moment, that God, who made these deserving people, may really be right when He thinks that their modest prosperity and the happiness of their children are not enough to make them blessed." Sometimes it is only through our pain that we can learn obedience to God. It is the times of the greatest pain and suffering that brings us closest to God. How easy would it be if our will and God's were the same? If we can weather the storm our relationship with God will grow and the pain that God has put upon us will have done its purpose.

Man or Rabbit

In this essay Lewis poses the question, can people who are not Christians live a good life? During the remainder he attempts to answer this question. The first thing he points out is that the people who are asking this questions are those who want to know if it is worth it to learn more about Christianity or not. This statement again brings up the question if a nonbeliever can do any good whatsoever. If we said that God views good works the same from both Christians and nonbelievers then we can continue to answer this question. Lewis argues that if there are two people who both want to do good works, the one who is more familiar with the moral law will have the better idea of what to do. This would say that yes a nonbeliever can do good works. However, since the nonbelievers are the ones who are asking the question, then they are admitting that Christians in some way have an advantage over the nonbelievers when it comes to performing good works. So if you are not a Christian you are deliberately putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Lewis sums the essay up with reminding people that a good life is not enough to get you to heaven. No one can be perfect; therefore we fall short of the glory of God. Only through his love and grace can we be saved. This quote from Lewis helps to explain, "The idea of reaching 'a good life' without Christ is based on a double error. Firstly, we cannot do it; and secondly, in setting up 'a good life' as our final goal, we have missed the very point of our existence." So the real goal of our lives is not just to live a good life. Lewis says that once we realize that living a good moral life is not the goal is when we can truly experience the joy of living in the Lord. Our main goal should be to glorify God in everything we do and try to return the love that he has shown us. By doing this it would seem unavoidable that you would be doing good works throughout your lifetime.

The Inner Ring

I enjoyed this essay very much and thought that Lewis brought up a great point about people and there desire to be included. An inner ring refers to a "circle" of friends, basically a group that hangs out together. Lewis discusses the problems that these inner rings can present. Everyone wants to feel like they are part of something and people want them to be around. In order to be accepted into a certain group people will do many things they would not do otherwise. It could be because they want to be considered popular or increase their status. Whatever it may be, people seem to disregard what would seem sensible in order to be apart of one ring or another. This is exactly what Lewis is trying to warn us about in this essay. This quote explains it well, “Of all the passions, the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things.” However, there is a counter to the pressure of being in a certain ring. The first thing that is most important is that people should not do anything they wouldn't ordinarily do just to get in a ring. A ring of friends should just come naturally with no extra effort. People with similar personalities and values will instinctively gravitate towards each other eventually. When you start to ignore this principle, and try to get into rings by going against your values is when Lewis says you become a scoundrel.

Another point that Lewis makes that I also agree with is that these inner rings are not necessarily bad things. It is good to have a circle of true friends that you can trust and spend time with. There are both good and bad rings, so it is up to you what rings that you should be apart of. We as humans have been given by God a desire for intimacy, so it is important to experience "storge" with a group of friends. We just have to make sure this desire is not trying to be fulfilled through the wrong people.

Plantinga Chapter 5

This chapter is all about Vocation and doing it while in the kingdom of God. I liked what Plantinga had to say about vocation and its importance. He says that your career and your vocation are not one in the same but very different. To God is not important that we pick the perfect career and that we are the best in our field of work. What is important is that we are glorifying God in that career and serving him in every aspect of it. I thought this was a good lesson for me because I am not really sure what career is best for my abilities. At first I thought I could be a Doctor because I am good at science but I don't think that is what is best for me anymore. I now am a business major and I hope that is the right choice, but at the same time I should not worry to much about it because God has a purpose for me. As long as I am serving him everything will turn out okay and I can give back to the kingdom.

Another point that Plantinga makes regards us as being either good citizens or prime citizens in God's kingdom. A good citizen accepts the commission of Jesus and likes being part of the kingdom. However, a prime citizen enthusiastically accepts the commission of Jesus and longs for the kingdom of God. As these prime citizens we should not be striving for wealth or power, but for the kingdom of heaven. We should look to spread shalom to everyone and everything we come in contact with. God wants us to work towards a common good and to be evangelists of his great word. Prime citizens are part of what makes God's kingdom so special and it is our job to find what God is calling us to perform. Whether it be some kind of career or to serve in other ways, we always should be listening for when God is trying to speak to us.

Four Loves - Eros

There were a few points in this chapter that caught my attention but I really liked how Lewis explained and compared "Venus" versus "Eros". These refer to two different types of love or desire. Venus is the love that involves simply sexual desire. This would be the case when a man sees a woman and simply wants her to satisfy his sexual urges caused by the hormones of the body. Eros however is the true love of a person. Eros is the love that needs to take place between a man and woman to determine if they should be married. If it is all Venus that keeps a relationship together, it will never work in the end. That kind of love will never keep people happy together. They can not relate to each other in any way. Venus however is needed in certain situations. Lewis says that at first Eros should be experienced for long lasting relationships, but after marriage Venus should also be present. Eros is much stronger and will be everlasting but Venus will just come and go.

Another point that Lewis makes and I agree with is the difference between falling in love and then actually being in love. It is very easy to fall in love with an individual but to stay in love with them after the "falling" wears of is something that it totally different. At first everything seems so wonderful and you seem to get along so well. However that affect wears off with time and to be in love requires there to be a lot of work involved. I liked the comparison Lewis made to being in love and growing a garden. A garden requires attention daily, otherwise the plants will wilt or weeds will start to take over. To be in love requires that the proper amount of time is put into the relationship. There should never be a sense that everything will always be the same because that simply is not true. Circumstances will change and people's ideas will change. There always has to be the sense that the relationship is never perfect but always a work that is progressing.

Learning In-War Time

Lewis brings up many different ideas and statements throughout this sermon that took place in World War II. One quote that I liked was this, "If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with normal life. Life has never been normal. Even those periods which we think most tranquil, like the nineteenth century, turn out, on closer inspection, to be full of cries, alarms, difficulties, emergencies." This quote brings up the point that humans through history have always had their problems. Just because now a days we have more advanced technology, it does not mean that it rids people of their numerous obstacles. They are impossible to escape and Lewis is saying we cannot wait for our lives to be totally secure and without worry before we seek out knowledge. Even in war time life goes on and it does not change the outlook on knowledge and beauty.

Another point that Lewis made was about the enemies of humans. The one that I found was most interesting was fear. Lewis mentions that the main fear of humans is the fear of death. It is inevitable all human beings will die. This quote from Lewis explains it well, "But there is no question of death or life for any of us; only a question of this death or that -- of a machine gun bullet now or a cancer forty years later. What does war do to death? It certainly does not make it more frequent; 100 percent of us die, and the percentage cannot be increased." This quote puts our lives in perspective and makes you really think about life and death. He also mentions how the war makes fear of death worse because you are always thinking about it. If you have cancer later in life it does not bother us before hand. It is a good point that War makes us prepare for death and this can bring people even closer to God. The preparations for death must be made and prayer and the acceptance of God become much more frequent. Humans greatest enemy is death and Christians know that this enemy has been defeated and the thought of death becomes less frightening. If I were fighting in a war I know that my greatest comfort would be to know that even though my death may be likely, it will not be the end.