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The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis  By  cover art

The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis

By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Louis Markos
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Publisher's summary

What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.

This is your chance to explore a canon of literary work that speaks volumes about the imaginative, emotional, and spiritual power of literature. As you delve into the depths of enduring works such as the Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and Till We Have Faces, you'll consider a range of questions central to truly understanding why C.S. Lewis has had such a profound impact on 20th-century readers.

From the magisterial Oxford History of English Literature to children's fantasy series, how did Lewis write with such brilliance and coherence in so many distinct fields? What were the people, events, and influences that shaped his thought, his character, and the spiritual drama at his life's core? What do Lewis's fictional and factual autobiographies reveal about his conversion and his efforts to explain and defend Christianity? How do his writings help readers come to grips with perennial spiritual questions involving miracles, suffering, sin, and salvation?

Join Professor Markos for an eye-opening examination of why Lewis - the Oxbridge don and self-described, "very ordinary layman of the Church of England," touches millions of readers so deeply and is considered the most widely read Christian spokesman of our time.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2000 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2000 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Basically a collection of sermons

I hoped that this would be a series of lectures that talked about C.S. Lewis' life and the major themes in his writing. I already knew that most of what Lewis wrote is either an allegory of Christianity or directly apologetic of Christianity. I'm fine with that, and I expected that it would be a major recurring theme in this course. Unfortunately, this isn't a series of lectures, it's a series of sermons. Essentially, every lecture boils down to "here is one of the Truths of Christianity" (notice the capital "T") and a few quotes from one or two of C.S. Lewis' works on that theme. I'm a practicing Christian, and the problem wasn't that I was offended by the professor's sharing of his faith (he and I are probably 80% faith-compatible, if that's even a thing). The problem was that I wanted a literature review mixed with some biography, but I got twelve sermons with passing references to C.S. Lewis. If you want twelve sermons with references to C.S. Lewis, then this course is a good choice. Unfortunately, the description implies that it's something very different.

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78 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

C.S. Lewis Would Be Proud

This course explores the greatest works of C.S. Lewis. The first half of the course focuses on his non-fiction works and the second half on his fiction works, ending with the famous Chronicles of Narnia. Each lecture gives a short synopsis of the work, but the professor's primary goal is to give the background of the work and explore the messages that Lewis was trying to convey.

Preliminarily, anyone listening to this should be aware that C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian who focused much of his time extolling the virtues of Christianity and persuading others to adopt the faith. Nearly all of his works are either overtly Christian or Christian allegories. The professor begins his presentation by expressing that he shares Lewis's worldview, which is particularly appropriate in this context because it gives the professor a deeper understanding of Lewis's message. While it is possible that some of the professor's lectures may come off as "preachy," the listener should bear in mind that Lewis was typically trying to do just that—i.e., preach the Gospel. Lewis did not hide his faith and no serious review of his work can be done without exploring his beliefs as well as the foundations of Christian thought. The professor handled this both skillfully and respectfully. The professor's knowledge of Lewis's is vast, and the class is both informative and entertaining. I gained a much deeper appreciation of Lewis as a person and Lewis as an author.

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63 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

I was already a big fan of C. S. Lewis when I downloaded this lecture series. While I did appreciate some of the points Professor Markos makes, I felt as if I was being preached at rather than being presented with information so I could form my own opinions.

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18 people found this helpful

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Part Course/Part Sermon

Let me start by saying that I am Christian (not in the Evangelical sense) and believe in God and my limited understanding of the Bible. I was disappointed in this course. While some good and informative content is to be found, It was often overshadowed by the personal interpretation, judgment, and emotional expression of the professor's beliefs, clearly strongly held. That has its place and I respect the professor's opinions, but I do not seek that in a Great Course.

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No Educational Value

Be aware that this course is not about the life and writings of C.S. Lewis; it is a full-throated defense of his moral and religious views, with the occasional aside slamming the Enlightenment, the scientific method, atheists, liberals, and, of course, modern college students.

I was looking for a biography of this influential writer, an overview of his work in its historical context, and maybe a discussion of his lasting impact; being an avid Great Course listener, this is what I've come to expect from their titles on the lives and work of great artists/authors/thinkers. This particular title was a shocking letdown on all counts. First, there is nothing about Lewis' life after a rapid sketch in the latter half of the first lecture. As he moves on to discuss Lewis' writing, the professor does not even stop to inform his listeners when each work was written or published, so there is no way to trace the development of Lewis' ideas throughout his career, or in relation to the world around him, or in reaction to other thinkers writing on similar subjects. Second, there is no analysis of Lewis' writing - not as a body, or as individual works. I understand that professor agrees almost entirely with the content of Lewis' arguments and admires his presentation of them (he is very open about that at the beginning of the course), but in an academic lecture, I think he still has an obligation to examine and explicate his material. Instead, he is so eager to share the overwhelming, awe-inspiring, rightness (in his opinion) of Lewis' conclusions that he fails to teach his audience much about them. Finally, Lewis' opinions, after having been stripped out of the context of their author's life and presented as unassailable truth, are treated as if they exist in a kind of temporal vacuum; we hear nothing about their reception, at the time of publication, or over the years since, and very little about their influence on literature or religious thought.

I have enjoyed many Great Courses that dealt with religious and philosophical beliefs that do not resemble my own. I find it rewarding to learn what other people think (or have thought in the past) and why, even if I do not agree with the beliefs under discussion and/or the presenting professor's analysis of them. This course is unique in my experience not because I disagree with C.S. Lewis' religious beliefs (although I do), or Professor Markos' opinions on them (although I really, really, do), but because it completely fails in its advertised promise: as to the life and writings of C.S. Lewis, it has no educational value. I learned nothing about C.S. Lewis the man, the author, the professor, or even the Christian apologist amongst other Christian apologists (I sincerely doubt that Lewis' thoughts on Christian morality sprang fully formed out of nowhere, or have not been built on since his death, but nothing in Professor Markos' lecture suggests otherwise).

In summary, this professor is a clear and engaging speaker, enthusiastic and knowledgable about his topic, but he glosses over Lewis' life quickly and deals with his writing only as the record of his opinions, which he spends 12 lectures proselytizing. A disappointing product.

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10 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Made me Quite Uncomfortable

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I like C. S. Lewis. A lot. I admire him. I have been a fan since childhood. I was really looking forward to listening to these lectures, and Professor Louis Markos does indeed know his subject matter very well. Far too well, to the point of obsession. It is one thing to admire C. S. Lewis, but Professor Markos seems to have gone way above and beyond that. His over the top hero worship made me wonder whether Professor Markos could be trusted to relay the actual facts of Mr. Lewis' life without bias. At times it even felt as if he had expanded the Trinity to include C. S. Lewis. It was creepy and unsettling, and I think C. S. Lewis would agree with me. C. S. Lewis was a brilliant man, but he was not a deity, Professor Markos.

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7 people found this helpful

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Enlightening work, passionate presentation

Professor Markos covers Lewis's work and life in a thorough, thought-provoking and well organized presentation. The combination of summarizing C.S. Lewis's works with the Professor's analysis (including how Lewis's life experiences and literary influences are reflected in his writings) kept my full attention throughout the course. I found myself stopping at several points to re-listen and reflect on the material. The lectures are highly energetic, reflecting the Professor's passion for the topics.

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6 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

A good overview, but more summary than analysis

The instructor is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. My reservations are in two areas: first, he devotes a great deal of time to summarizing Lewis's books and not nearly enough time analyzing them; and second, he allows his devotion to CS Lewis to overshadow any critical analysis of Lewis's ideas, relative to the broader context of theological, historical, and philosophical thought.

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5 people found this helpful

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More Proletizing Lecture than Literarue or Bio

Unfortunately, while there is little doubt that C. S. Lewis was both a great writer and a Christian in his beliefs, the effort here is more of the lecturer trying to convince us that Christianity is the real truth, and that the lecturer's other politically conservative values have been proven true. Markos forgets Lewis's criticism of the "evil" damage done to the Earth by uncaring industrial companies described in the last book of Lewis's famous science fiction trilogy. There is also the endorsement of the legend of the Pendragon, a rather pagan concept. Freud, William James and other contemporaries of Lewis are pointed out as flawed critics of Christian "truths." More contemporary and scientific considerations of psychology, psychiatry and medicine are not mentioned in the lectures, as far as I could get into them. After three sermons from a conservative Christian preacher, I had to give it up. I am so sorry that this is listed a s literary class. It does not have the academic rigor I have come to expect from the many great courses I have listened to.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite new great course!

I have never finished a great course so quickly! Took me just under a week to finish all twelve lectures. The professor was engaging, funny, personal, and absolutely knew and understood C.S. Lewis. I will be going back to listen all over again and hope to be able to hear more from this professor as well since he is easily one of the best I've listened to on the Great courses. Fantastic depth in each lecture as well as practical on explaining why and how they form a whole in Lewis' literature and theology. I totally did not cry on the last lecture...

so so good,

great job Louis Markos!

thank you.

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3 people found this helpful