The novels of Charles Williams

[dms1972]

Has anyone read any of the novels of Charles Williams, one of the Inklings, and a friend of CS Lewis.

I have read one and have another but have not started it yet. The one I read is Descent into Hell. Actually I happened to come across mention of the book and its themes before reading it. Leanne Payne mentions Williams a few times in her books Real Presence and The Healing Presence and she taught this particular one in English classes. She critiques it and mentions several areas of concern she sees in William's Theology, but nevertheless believes the story has valuable insights. So I was a bit forewarned about some of the less orthdox ideas that I might meet. And perhaps was being careful about letting myself get drawn into the story to much. That said it a fairly difficult book to sometimes grasp whats going on in the story. Payne's comments I have found are helpful terms of explaining what is actually going at some points, she explicates it in the context of her teachings on personal wholeness, not to endorse Williams uncritically. His novels have been described as 'spiritual thrillers'. There does seem to be christian element all the same.

Has anyone read this or any other novels of his, what did you think of them?

 

[Bluerose31]

Has anyone read any of the novels of Charles Williams, one of the Inklings, and a friend of CS Lewis.

I have read one and have another but have not started it yet. The one I read is Descent into Hell. Actually I happened to come across mention of the book and its themes before reading it. Leanne Payne mentions Williams a few times in her books Real Presence and The Healing Presence and she taught this particular one in English classes. She critiques it and mentions several areas of concern she sees in William's Theology, but nevertheless believes the story has valuable insights. So I was a bit forewarned about some of the less orthdox ideas that I might meet. And perhaps was being careful about letting myself get drawn into the story to much. That said it a fairly difficult book to sometimes grasp whats going on in the story. Payne's comments I have found are helpful terms of explaining what is actually going at some points, she explicates it in the context of her teachings on personal wholeness, not to endorse Williams uncritically. His novels have been described as 'spiritual thrillers'. There does seem to be christian element all the same.

Has anyone read this or any other novels of his, what did you think of them?

I have not read his works. Thank you for telling me about him.

 

[sfs]

I read a number of them a long time ago. As I recall, I thought Descent into Hell and All Hallows Eve were the two best, and these are the only two I've reread. They are very good for giving a sense of the reality of a spiritual realm. I'm sure I don't agree with all of his theology, but I don't see any reason to read only people with the same theology as me -- that would be a pretty thin reading diet.

 

[dms1972]

I agree with you they do give a sense of reality of the spiritual realm. and yes it would lead to a pretty thin diet, most of time I don't know what a writers theology is before hand, nor is it always evident.

Just to mention his theology or spirituality, it not that it differs a bit in some respects, but that there are two areas were it seems wrong, and people sometimes get into difficulties. Again I am not saying don't read him, but it helps to know what problems there are. Not everyone has a theology.

One concern Payne mentions is a doctrine of substitution, as it was sometimes taught in medieval times were it was deemed an act of love to bear a sickness that someone else was suffering from. That notion is all through Williams stories according to Payne, she says it even influenced Lewis a little bit. The concern is that it does in fact happen, and Payne has had people coming to her for prayer who after reading Williams have practiced a substitution for another person they cared taking on their illness. She has to ask them to renounce the substitution. But perhaps not everyone is influenced to the same degree.

 

[dms1972]

What was All Hallow's Eve about if you can recall?