Was C.S. Lewis a christian?

[Bunyon]

We have several discussions going at once about the subject of his Christianity. We can just vote and settle it right? Just kidding. But lets see what the majority opinion is.

 

[billreber]

HELP! As far as I know, only God knows the true answer to that question.

1. I have heard several people comment that Lewis was NOT a Christian. I never met the man, and therefore do not have personal evidence to use.

2. I have heard several other people comment that Lewis WAS a Christian. Same lack of evidence exists.

3. I have (over the years) met many people who CLAIMED to be Christians, but evidenced no Christ-likeness. I have also met people who exhibited Christ-likeness, but steadfastly refused to accept Jesus as their Savior. Therefore I do NOT believe the words of people who CLAIM to be Christians (without further evidence). If someone has accepted Jesus as their Savior, and are struggling with areas of sin, I tend to believe their statement.

4. (The OTHER answer). Only God knows for sure!

Bill

 

[Squire Robertsson]

I marked the assume box. Only because, I'll assume the proposition until offered proof to the contrary.

 

[dianetavegia]

I have problems with much of what C.S. Lewis said or wrote. Here's a few examples.

"I have the deepest respect for Pagan myths, still more for myths in the Holy Scriptures" (PP, p.71).

"There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians ..." (MC, p.162). "... a Christian can lose the Christ-life which has been put into him, and he has to make efforts to keep it" (MC, p.49).

"Christ fulfils both Paganism and Judaism ..." (Reflections on the Psalms, p. 129).

In Letters to Malcolm (p. 107), Lewis indicates that shortly before his death he was turning toward the Catholic Church. Lewis termed himself "very Catholic" -- his prayers for the dead, belief in purgatory, and rejection of the literal resurrection of the body are serious deviations from Biblical Christianity (C.S. Lewis: A Biography, p. 234); he even went to a priest for regular confession (p. 198), and received the sacrament of extreme unction on 7/16/63 (p. 301).

"... every shutting-up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind is, in the end, Hell" (The Great Divorce, p. 65).

"There are three things that spread the Christ-life to us: baptism, belief, and that mysterious action which different Christians call by different names -- Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord's Supper" (MC, pp.62,63).

God "often makes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He thinks bad on the monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were following the best they knew" (SL, p.26).

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it ... For example a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ's birth may have been in this position" (MC, pp. 176-177).

 

[Johnv]

I had a 1 on 1 conversation with CS Lewis' stepson very recently. Based on this conversation, I am 100% convinced that Lewis was a Christian.

 

[Karen]

Diane,
You are right. There are problems with many things he said or wrote.

However, NOT talking about you in this, some of us sometimes sound like he was the chairman of deacons of First Baptist Church of Bugwater,OK, and we are outing his real beliefs.

He was Arminian. He was High Church Anglican.
He was a medieval literature scholar and used terms like myth in a very technical way.
Some that knew him well said that he was actually closer to Greek Orthodox than to Catholic.

I think that on many issues he got it wrong. But I believe that he got it right and expressed it breathtakingly well on a number of issues.
And I believe, I do not know, that he is a Christian. On the other hand, I believe, I do not know, that you are, and that Dr. Bob is, and that my pastor is.
On a practical basis we have to have some working assumptions of who is a Christian.
And thankfully, we are on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, not on passing a theology test.

I also think that some critical websites have patched together snippets of out-of-context quotes and innuendo. Those same sites don't think you or I are Christians, either.

Karen

 

[Gold Dragon]

Demographically, he identified himself as Christian so I chose the second option.

Whether he is saved by Christ is between him and God.

From the evidence that has been made available to me, including the quotes in this thread, I believe he was.

[ December 12, 2005, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: Gold Dragon ]

 

[Bunyon]

I think he was a christian. I am no sure about all the negatives that have been stated about him. It is news to me. But intuitively I wonder if it is possible. I mean the man gave a defence of Christianity in books and on the radio in the birth place of Protestantism proper. It seems to me if he had some of he aberrant beliefs some folks have said that he does, he would have been hounded off the radio and out of the books store in England.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

In "Mere Christianity", he mentions the saving power of the blood of Christ, several times. While he may have errant beliefs, and while it is perfectly acceptable to vehemently speak out against error, it is not O.K. for us to assume he was not saved.

Philippians 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

I know I've mentioned this several times, but in Paul's epistles, he addresses all the apostate churches as "saints", or "bretheren". He does not question their salvation, he assumes it.

I am not a fan of the Catholic Church, but I don't believe every Catholic is unsaved.(metaphor)

 

[ASLANSPAL]

Worth repeating and holds weight with me.

Originally posted by Johnv:
I had a 1 on 1 conversation with CS Lewis' stepson very recently. Based on this conversation, I am 100% convinced that Lewis was a Christian.

C.S. Lewis never claimed to be a theologian he was
a layman who happened to be very talented and talented in creative writing.


Look forward to meeting him on the other side.

 

[KenH]

As far as I can tell from my vantage point as a fellow human being, yes, C.S. Lewis was a Christian.

 

[Trotter]

If believing different from how I see it makes someone unsaved... Man, what a mess that would be.

While Lewis said a few things that didn't gee and haw with me, and he believed things a little different than I do, I do not doubt his salvation.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[cojosh]

This is a trick question!

 

[padredurand]

I learned one very important lesson watching the new Naria movie. Don't take candy from strangers!

Anyone have a recipe for Turkish Delight?

 

[bobbyd]

How about a selection that says, "Who am i to decide if he was or wasn't a Christian???".

btw...my wife and i loved the movie!

in HIS grip
bobbyd

 

[standingfirminChrist]

CS Lewis was Catholic and called on a priest to administer last rites at his deathbed.

 

[ronthedisciple]

It is not my place to make a judgement, but I accept the contributions of C.S. Lewis as from a brother in Christ. He was not, nor claimed to be (as far as I know) a theologian, but God obviously gifted him with a wonderfully vivid imagination and a marvelous way with the use of the English language. I have no quarrel with any of the quotations posted that some would question. Pesonally, I make a point to study his some of his work, and I believe he adequately explains himself, and it is quite understandable to me why he believed the way he did. I also consider that, like each and every Christian still enduring this side of Heaven, and in no way excluding any, including myself; Mr. Lewis had not yet reached the goal (as told to us by Paul), and thus would be incapable of presenting us with a perfect journal unitl after being translated into his perfected form, which by then, he would be no more able to leave for us his written accounts than Paul or Peter after they had become martyrs.

 

[HOHNancy]

I agree with Bobbyd's answer.

I also loved the movie!!

 

[donnA]

It isn't for us to decide, thats God's job.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Sorry SFIC, Lewis was Anglican not Catholic. If he had last rites performed by a priest, then my guess it was by an Anglican priest.

Question: how does this have anything to do with if he was a Christian or not?