G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Peter Kreeft fans

It is strange how the world turns sometimes--tomorrow I start the first class I've taken in many years, and one of the texts we are to read is Orthodoxy, and another is Lewis' Abolition of Man, which I have also read. So I have a bit of a head start, but probably a lot of work any way. I'm still struggling through Everlasting Man, but finding the end more interesting and readable than most of the beginning. I'm still hoping someone else will start a new thread for it.

I hope the following list of Lewis' books might be helpful, interesting, and motivating to anyone unfamiliar with him. Some of his writings have been republished by his executor under new titles, which has led to some confusion and even a bit of controversy--but probably anything religious today will provoke controversy from some sources.
For anyone seeking to improve their skills in evangelization or apologetics--even (and especially) with your kids and your friends--I believe Lewis was one of the best.
Please ignore page references--they are only to a notebook of mine, and my computer illiteracy makes removing them a difficult and high risk task.

CS Lewis Books-alpha


Abolition of Man 1943 3 Essays p12

Allegory of Love 1936 p4

An Experiment in Criticism 1961 p39

Arthurian Torso 1948 p18

Beyond Personality 1945 (later Mere Christianity - 1952 ) p13

Broadcast Talks p44 (later Mere Christianity-1952)

The Case for Christianity 1943 (later Mere Christianity- 1952 ) p11a

Christian Behavior 1943 (later Mere Christianity - 1952 ) p10

Chronicles of Narnia (6 vols) 1951-56 p26

The Dark Tower p45

Dymer 1926 poetry p2

English Lit in the 16th Century p14

The Four Loves 1960 p35a (the year Joy died)

George MacDonald: An Anthology p43

God in the Dock essays p41

The Great Divorce 1945 p16

A Grief Observed 1961 p38

Horse and Boy 1954 30

The Last Battle 1956 p33 ??Joy Cancer?

Letters to Malcomb 1964, 1963 (?) p42 On prayer

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 1950 p20

The Magician's Nephew 1954 p31

Mere Christianity 1952 republication of 3 or 4? above p27

Miracles 1947 p17

Out of the Silent Planet sci/fic? 1938 p5

Perlandra scifi? 1943 p11

The Personal Heresy 1939 p7

Pilgrim's Regress 1933 allegory, p3

Preface to Paradise Lost p46

The Problem of Pain 1940 p8

Reflections on Psalms 1958 p 35

Rehabilitations and Other Essays 1939 p6

The Screwtape Letters 1942 p9

The Siver Chain 1953 p29

Spirits in Bondage 1919 poetry p1

Studies in Words 1960 p36 The year Joy died

Surprised by Joy 1955 p32

That Hideous Strength 1945 scifi? p15

They Asked for a Paper 1961 p40

Till We Have Faces 1956 p34

Transpositions and other Addresses 1949 p19a

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 1952 p28

The Weight of Glory 1949 p19b

The World's Last Night 1960 essays p37

I very much admire Lewis' evangelization, and share your wish that I had learned more of him in college. I have 14-15 of his books, and just dusted off Miracles in the hopes you might still want to discuss it, or some of his others.
One of my primary reflections generated by Miracles is whether Lewis chose a very narrow definition for the term miracle (p5)--I look for the hand of God in everything, and pray frequently for His Intervention in all kinds of mundane things.
Don't be put off by Lewis taking his own sweet time getting to much discussion of specific miracles--he does in fact get there by Ch 14, even though at pg three I thought he might be saying he wouldn't go there.
I think Lewis can be hard reading because he thinks so much more deeply about things than I do--I'm afraid I've been programmed to look for the quick sound-bite answer. I've learned to bounce to the next chapter, or back to review the last when Lewis gets over my head, and come back later to the hard part--I've really enjoyed his books, especially Mere Christianity, Surprised by Joy, Letters to Malcom, Pilgrim's Regess, Great Divorce, Weight of Glory. I hope you do too.

I urge recognition of politics as a very tough but important job, and the only real alternative to warfare except surrender, which I most strongly recommend against. I pray you succeed in getting overseas for an extended visit--I think you will conclude as most travellers have that there is no better place to live than the US.

Just finished Peter Kreeft's An Ocean Full of Angels - it is excellent! It has been a long time since I've given myself the luxury of reading a 'novel'; Ocean is both a fascinating, engaging story, and a fine overview of Peter Kreeft's dearest topics and themes. Plus there is a lot of great history.

If it has been a while since you allowed yourself a fun read, you have the perfect excuse here in a book with so much history, philosophy, and theology - go to your local Catholic bookstore and buy it!

That gives me an idea - I'm going to go through my copy with a highlighter!

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Naturally as part of this group I recommend Peter Kreeft's Catholic Christianity (Awesome) and Fundamentals of the Faith (Awesomer) and Handbook of Catholic Apologetics (Awesomest)