C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a British writer and Cambridge professor of medieval studies who underwent a profound conversion to Christianity. His popular books include The Screwtape Letters (1942, where a senior and junior devil correspond on the topic of how to destroy souls), The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950, which has become a family classic), and Surprised by Joy (1955, where he advocates a Christianity inclusive of individual personality traits).
In Surprised by Joy Lewis says the Christian still enjoys sports and, speaking for himself, other pursuits like the study of Greek mythology. This view of Christianity radically differs from other paths, Christian and non-Christian, that try to deny, repress or eradicate worldly desires and personal interests.
In The Four Loves (1960) Lewis makes useful preliminary distinctions among affection, friendship, romance, and selfless love.
Lewis also delved into science fiction with his novel Out of the Silent Planet (1938). And he offered a Christian response to the realities of suffering in The Problem of Pain (1940).
While going through the news at earthpages.org over the last couple of years, I came to realize that several scholars and writers believe that C. S. Lewis foresaw the lamentable condition, so prevalent today, where scientism literally eclipses the minds of everyday people.
This is especially prevalent in psychology and psychiatry, where crude, reductionist approaches to the human psyche within our mysterious universe are almost taken as the gospel truth.
When I try to talk intelligently to people, young and old, I carefully choose my words to hopefully avoid a blank stare or knee-jerk reaction.
“It’s genetic,” many will automatically say when discussing psychological conditions.
Ironically, this explanation doesn’t hold up to contemporary scientific research in epigenetics and neuroplasticity. And it ignores spiritual factors contributing to our psychological well-being or lack of it. But the public has been conditioned to believe that science has – or eventually will have – all the answers, so they place undue weight on whatever biased, worn-out theories they might be familiar with.
And that’s sad and probably a huge contributor to human sadness.
Earthpages.org 