C. S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian

by Gregory S. Cootsona

Overview

C.S. Lewis has long been recognized as a beloved author of children's literature and an apologist for Christian belief to a skeptical modern world. In this new volume, Gregory S. Cootsona shows us how Lewis can also serve as a guide to the ups and downs of the Christian journey. Like many of us, Lewis suffered from a variety of crises of faith and personal experience. Like us, he came to faith in a world that no longer respects Christian commitment or offers much room for belief in God. Like us, he felt the absence of God when those closest to him died. Like us, he wrestled with doubt, wondering if God is real, or simply the projection of his own wishes onto the screen of the universe. Like us, he knew the kinds of temptations he described with such poignancy and humor in The Screwtape Letters.

By examining these and the other crises of C.S. Lewis's life, Cootsona shows us how Lewis found God in each one, and how he shared those discoveries with us in his writing. All those wishing to deepen and enrich their own spiritual journey will find much guidance and wisdom in these pages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664239404
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	10/06/2014
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Gregory S. Cootsona is Associate Pastor at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico, California. He formerly served as Associate Pastor at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City.

Read an Excerpt

"I want to be clear: I am not writing a biography of Lewis. Instead of answering who he was, I will take up a version of the question of why Lewis remains so popular, selling more books today than when he died in 1963. And here's my answer: Lewis's voice still resonates because his crises and their resolutions in his writings meet our crises and help us to resolve them." —from Chapter 1

Table of Contents

1. Introducing C.S. Lewis

The Crises of Atheism

2. The Crisis of Materialism

3. The Crisis of Meaninglessness

4. The Crisis of Anomie

The Crises of Christian Faith

5. Jesus and the Crisis of Other Myths

6. The Crisis of the Bible

The Crises of Human Life

7. The Crisis of Feeling

8. The Crisis of Suffering

9. The Crisis of Death

Editorial Reviews

"Greg Cootsona's book is as distinctive a contribution to writing on Lewis as any I know. With no claim towards breaking new ground, the author nevertheless brings a perspective so fresh that even a veteran reader of the master will be instructed. Of course, Cootsona know his Lewis, but he also knows Lewis's philosophy and philosophers, and he so interanimates that knowledge by way of his own extraordinary pastoral (and personal) touch that the reader emerges refreshed. I could argue a point or two, but that would miss the point of this very readable and generous book."

- James T. Como, Editor of Remembering C.S. Lewis: Recollections by Those Who Knew Him

"Greg Cootsona's treatment of C.S. Lewis reflects the passion and thoroughness of a devoté who savors the insights of a long-term mentor. He relishes handing on morsels of Lewis' imagination and insight, while he also analyzes and measures Lewis' enduring value. Reading this book will enhance your experience of the feast that is C.S. Lewis, but it will also fortify the heart and imagination for the "crises" which all true faith must engage."

- Mark Labberton, President, Fuller Theological Seminary

From the Publisher