Lesser-Known Lewis: Christian Reflections on C. S. Lewis's Essays and Short Works

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1963 article “The Seeing Eye” where Lewis challenges those who would use scientific discoveries (specifically, with space travel in mind) to try and disprove aspects of the Christian faith. Lewis explains that you will always find God in creation if you are open to it — "much depends on the seeing eye." It is one of the most personally challenging essays so far, instructing us on how to find God and revealing the ways we may be avoiding him. It also causes us to reflect on how God and creation are related and gives us compelling ways to think about the incarnation of Jesus, and how God, in his love, pursues us always, even when we cannot seem to see him. 

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "The Seeing Eye" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1958 article “Religion and Rocketry” where Lewis considers the threat of Aliens! That is, if they turn out to be real, does that challenge our Christian faith? This thought experiment deepens our appreciation of Christ’s incarnation and redemption, of how great God's love is for us, and teaches us how to contextualize the gospel and be more humble when we share the good news. Also, we finally get into Narnia!

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Religion and Rocketry" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring three of C.S. Lewis’s articles from 1944: “Blimpophobia,” “A Dream,” and “Private Bates.” In all of these Lewis voices his concerns over political leaders extending their emergency powers too far for too long at the end of WW2. Lewis explains why this may backfire and lead to worse circumstances the next time a world crisis happens and gives some warnings about what happens when the general public becomes disillusioned with potential propaganda from government and media. Sound familiar? We thought so too. Fortunately, Lewis has some good wisdom for us to consider moving ahead in our own “post-Covid” world.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "A Dream" or "Blimpophobia" or "Private Bates" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1940 article “The Necessity of Chivalry” where Lewis defines and illustrates what the ideal for masculinity should be — a man who is not just a warrior, neither just a tame, civilized, and refined man, but a man who is "both to the nth". Lewis explains how when men are only allowed to be one or the other, it is a danger to all of society. It seems what Lewis writes in this essay 82-year-old essay is extremely relevant to what some, like Jordan Peterson, consider extremely important at the present. We find it to be a helpful description of what a man can and should be in a time when the warrior side of masculinity has been labeled as toxic. We also consider how we might go about disciplining ourselves and others to grow towards this well-rounded ideal of masculinity that Lewis sees in medieval Knights like Sir Lancelot. 

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Meditation on the Third Commandment" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1941 article “Meditation on the Third Commandment” warning Christians of the dangers of labeling any political party as a “Christian” party. This article led us to reflect on the risks and rewards of how Christians can mix their faith and politics. It's rewarding when our faith shapes our politics, but the risk comes when it happens the other way around. We also found some possible applications to the post-Covid world about whether news channels can be Christian, and how we thought recent protests in Canada were a good illustration of confusing spiritual and political ideas, letting our politics shape and drive our faith.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Meditation on the Third Commandment" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1940 article “Two Ways with the Self,” and his 1943 article “Equality”. We start out reflecting on how Lewis’ essay on “Equality” helps fill out his surprising statements about equality in the “Membership” episode. We find that the concerns he has about equality as an ultimate virtue are actually directly applicable not only to today’s world but to our personal lives. This leads us to consider his challenges in “Two Ways with the Self” about how to love and hate yourself properly. Simply put, if you demand equality out of insecurity and selfish reasons, perhaps that is one of the “Desires of the Flesh,” that Paul recommends putting to death.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Equality" or "Two Ways With the Self" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1948 article, “On Living in an Atomic Age,” where Lewis challenges those who believe the natural realm is all there is to reality. If so, then nothing, not your joys, not your desires, says Lewis — not even the human race! — has any meaning or purpose. We reflect on how Lewis demonstrates the absurdity of this by using our anxiety over threats like nuclear war (or a pandemic?) to suggest that there must be more to reality than the natural world. We learn how Christians ought to view nature more soberly, as well as more hopefully! 

Information and links on where to find C.S. Lewis' "On Living in an Atomic Age" in print, audio, and online can be found at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1940 speech, “Why I Am Not a Pacifist,” which he gave to a society of pacifists during WW2 — bold move, Jack! Lewis causes us to rethink our interpretation of “turn the other cheek,” and gives a strong case for when Christians may find it necessary to support a just war. Pacifism aside, the essay taught us an invaluable lesson on how to think and argue well, how to value facts, intuitions, and authority, and convinced us why it’s important for Christians not to jump straight to the Bible when forming an argument.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Why I Am Not a Pacifist" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1941 sermon, “Learning in War-Time,” about how a war (or a pandemic?) can cause us to be better prepared for death and to better understand our reason and purpose for living. This sermon led us to reflect on evangelism, the value of everyday work, discerning God’s calling, how to stay calm and carry on, and the good news that everything and anything can be Spiritual — if done in the right way.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Learning in War-Time" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1941 speech, “Membership,” on how Christians can only find their value, their purpose, and become who they were created to be through their participation as members in the Body of Christ. He challenges both collectivists and individualists to think differently about Church and calls our culture’s value for authenticity into question. We reflect on how this essay reminds us all why it is crucial to return to membership in a Church after this season of Covid has kept us away.

If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Membership" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays

Find more Lesser-Known Lewis — 

Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Graphic Design by Angus Crawford.

Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).