C.S. Lewis was a LIBERAL!

[Cappadocian]

If you look closely at C.S. Lewis's theological works, you will find that C.S. Lewis was extremely liberal theologically. He very much disliked evangelical Christianity and the central features of its theology: (1) a soteriology of "Justification by Faith", (2) a theory of "penal substitutionary atonement," and (3) a doctrine of "penal hell."

He had his own substitutes for each of these doctrines that would appeal to the liberals on this particular forum.

In Reflections on the Psalms Lewis writes that "the moment 'Heaven' ceases to mean union with God and 'Hell' to mean separation from Him, the belief in either is a mischievous superstition; for then we have, on the one hand, a merely 'compensatory' belief (a 'sequel' to life's sad story, in which everything will 'come all right') and, on the other, a nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

To spell it out, C.S. Lewis believed that Evangelical Christianity was "mischievous superstition" which is a "nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

 

[Im_A]

If you look closely at C.S. Lewis's theological works, you will find that C.S. Lewis was extremely liberal theologically. He very much disliked evangelical Christianity and the central features of its theology: (1) a soteriology of "Justification by Faith", (2) a theory of "penal substitutionary atonement," and (3) a doctrine of "penal hell."

He had his own substitutes for each of these doctrines that would appeal to the liberals on this particular forum.

In Reflections on the Psalms Lewis writes that "the moment 'Heaven' ceases to mean union with God and 'Hell' to mean separation from Him, the belief in either is a mischievous superstition; for then we have, on the one hand, a merely 'compensatory' belief (a 'sequel' to life's sad story, in which everything will 'come all right') and, on the other, a nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

To spell it out, C.S. Lewis believed that Evangelical Christianity was "mischievous superstition" which is a "nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

good stuff Cappadocian. now i have more of a desire to seek out C.S. Lewis writings thank you!

 

[Casstranquility]

I would have thought so after reading The Last Battle, in which C.S. Lewis sybolizes that everyone goes to heaven, but not everyone can accept that they are there. That seems like a liberal enough conclusion to me.

 

[Illuminatus]

Interestingly enough, by CF rules, CS Lewis wouldn't be allowed to have a Christian faith icon.

 

[Cappadocian]

Interestingly enough, by CF rules, CS Lewis wouldn't be allowed to have a Christian faith icon.

I don't think this is right. To have a Christian faith icon, a person need only subscribe to the Nicene Creed which describes Trinitarian Theism, and states the true myth that God became man, was killed, and was resurrected again "for us and for our salvation." C. S. Lewis believed all of these things, making him a Nicene Creed Christian.

 

[Illuminatus]

I don't think this is right. To have a Christian faith icon, a person need only subscribe to the Nicene Creed which describes Trinitarian Theism, and states the true myth that God became man, was killed, and was resurrected again "for us and for our salvation." C. S. Lewis believed all of these things, making him a Nicene Creed Christian.

While all that may be true, the new rules prohibit (among other groups) Freemasons from having Christian faith icons. IIRC, Lewis was a Mason, though I may be mistaken.

 

[Cappadocian]

While all that may be true, the new rules prohibit (among other groups) Freemasons from having Christian faith icons. IIRC, Lewis was a Mason, though I may be mistaken.

C. S. Lewis was a lot of things, but he was not a Freemason. I have read quite a few biographies of him and have never come across any allegations suggesting he was.

 

[Illuminatus]

C. S. Lewis was a lot of things, but he was not a Freemason. I have read quite a few biographies of him and have never come across any allegations suggesting he was.

Perhaps, then, I'm mistaken. I'll have to try to remember where I saw that.

As for the OP, yes, I'd say that Lewis was a liberal in comparison to many of his contemporaries.

 

[Cappadocian]

good stuff Cappadocian. now i have more of a desire to seek out C.S. Lewis writings thank you!

Perhaps a good place to start is "The Problem of Pain" where Lewis describes two notions of hell and conspicuously remains silent on the third notion which is the Protestant notion of hell.

1. Hell is the state of being a wicked person, whether Christian or Non-Christian.

2. Hell is the state of being a wicked person bathed in the divine light of love.

3. Hell is an infinite penalty of suffering rendered by God upon a human that has not been pardoned by God.
-- Lewis ignores this nightmare of a thought and did not believe such a thing.

The next thing to read would by "The Great Divorce" which describes Hell #1 above. Like Origen of Alexandria, Clement of Alexandria, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Gregory of Nyssa, and Maximus the Confessor, C.S. Lewis was a Neo-Platonist and a Christian.

 

[AdamAnderson21]

Wow! That's amazing! I'm going to tell all my friends!

 

[Abiel]

Somewhere out there in webland, there is a site devoted to CS Lewis, and the fact that he was an anti-christ. Interesting...

 

[Cleany]

If you look closely at C.S. Lewis's theological works, you will find that C.S. Lewis was extremely liberal theologically. He very much disliked evangelical Christianity and the central features of its theology: (1) a soteriology of "Justification by Faith", (2) a theory of "penal substitutionary atonement," and (3) a doctrine of "penal hell."

He had his own substitutes for each of these doctrines that would appeal to the liberals on this particular forum.

In Reflections on the Psalms Lewis writes that "the moment 'Heaven' ceases to mean union with God and 'Hell' to mean separation from Him, the belief in either is a mischievous superstition; for then we have, on the one hand, a merely 'compensatory' belief (a 'sequel' to life's sad story, in which everything will 'come all right') and, on the other, a nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

To spell it out, C.S. Lewis believed that Evangelical Christianity was "mischievous superstition" which is a "nightmare which drives men into asylums or makes them persecutors."

cs lewis was a genius, and i reckon he was liberal, i have read virtually all of his books. even though now some of the things he said could be said to be conservative, perhaps his best book "the abolition of man" was more so than any other, but that was more political than religious.

Somewhere out there in webland, there is a site devoted to CS Lewis, and the fact that he was an anti-christ. Interesting...

i have seen that somewhere, some poeple are nuts!

 

[Chrysalis Kat]

C. S. Lewis was a lot of things, but he was not a Freemason. I have read quite a few biographies of him and have never come across any allegations suggesting he was.

Here's what could easily be considered an allegation.
According to Charles W. Plummer, Ph. D. and his work An In-Depth Study of the Tenets of Freemasonry and the Four Cardinal Virtures

In the Entered Apprentice Degree we were given what may be termed an introduction to the tenets of Freemasonry (Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth) and the Four Cardinal Virtues (Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice). But there is much more to be learned about them and the importance of leading a moral life as it relates to our interactions with humankind. This course has been designed for members of the Craft who have an inquiring mind and would like to examine them in greater depth and the implations that they have for modern-day society.

Drawing on the works of four eminent scholars and teachers, C. S. Lewis, Joseph Pieper, Andre Compte-Sponville, and the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, all of whom have written extensively on ethics and morality, the major learning outcome for this course is to extend our own understanding of the moral teachings on which Freemasonry is founded and how we can better apply them to our own lives and interactions with others.

 

[spinningtutu]

My personal 2 cents? CS Lewis was a moderate, with a wide range of views normative for a thinking Christian. I could envision some being more conservative, some being more liberal... I think Lewis was moderate, was usually balanced and probably at the genius level...

That being said... his 'lunatic, liar or lord' argument is retarded.

 

[FLANDIDLYANDERS]

Lewis asked how essential believing in the actual story of Jesus was to a relationship with God. That is liberal, right?

 

[Joykins]

My personal 2 cents? CS Lewis was a moderate, with a wide range of views normative for a thinking Christian. I could envision some being more conservative, some being more liberal... I think Lewis was moderate, was usually balanced and probably at the genius level...

That being said... his 'lunatic, liar or lord' argument is retarded.

I couldn't agree more with all of this. Well, I wouldn't use the word "retarded" to mean "unnecessarily limiting the number and content of available options" but other than that...

To a modern evangelical/fundamentalist, Lewis looks liberal, but his outlook was essentially a moderate Anglican viewpoint. Also, he was liberal in the sense that his outlook can be used to accomodate a wide range of theological opinion. It's amazing, the number of wildly diverse groups of Christians who want to claim Lewis as being one of them (and conversely, the true small-mindedness of those who feel they have to tear him down)--a true testimony to his broad appeal.

 

[WhatIsTruth]

Cool stuff Cappadocian! Makes me want to check out C.S. Lewis books.

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

Cool stuff Cappadocian! Makes me want to check out C.S. Lewis books.

Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, and Great Divorce would all be a good place to start.

 

[Received]

While the statements presented in the OP are obviously true, I find his most searing reveleation of "liberalism" to be found in the very book that so many "conservative" thinkers claim to love -- Mere Christianity. Here he not only espouses with cold detachment a broad theistic inclusivism, he even so wonderfully makes a statement almost too "liberal" for my immediate reflection: that those persons in foreign countries who have never heard the name of Christ may be Christians already by virtue of the way they are acting with the relative light they have received!

So, I conclude 2 things: 1) Lewis surely was a "liberal"; and 2) conservatives have preternatural skills in denial.

 

[Received]

While my nerd-meter is flashing I have to make a recommendation:

Lewis' A Grief Observed is undoubtedly his very best book, but also one of the very best books I have ever read.