C.S. Lewis was an unfailingly honest and acutely perceptive observer of humanity. In Surprised by JoySurprised by Joy, he recounts his search for joy, a spiritual journey that led him from a traditional Christian childhood in Belfast to a youthful atheism and, finally, back to a confident Christianity. The Four LovesThe Four Loves, a candid, wise and deeply personal book, is a reflection on the four basic kinds of human love—affection, friendship, erotic love, charity—and all of the pleasures and risks that accompany them.
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) gained international renown for an impressive array of beloved works of both popular and scholarly literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature, and numerous books on theology. Surprised by JoySurprised by Joy and The Four LovesThe Four Loves are among his most celebrated achievements, as are Out of the Silent PlanetOut of the Silent Planet, The Chronicles of NarniaThe Chronicles of Narnia, and The Screwtape LettersThe Screwtape Letters.
Clive Staples Lewis was born in Ireland, in Belfast on 29 November 1898. His mother was a devout Christian and made efforts to influence his beliefs. When she died in his early youth her influence waned and Lewis was subject to the musings and mutterings of his friends who were decidedly agnostic and atheistic. It would not be until later, in a moment of clear rationality that he first came to a belief in God and later became a Christian.
C. S. Lewis volunteered for the army in 1917 and was wounded in the trenches in World War I. After the war, he attended university at Oxford. Soon, he found himself on the faculty of Magdalen College where he taught Mediaeval and Renaissance English.
Throughout his academic career he wrote clearly on the topic of religion. His most famous works include the Screwtape Letters and the Chronicles of Narnia. The atmosphere at Oxford and Cambridge tended to skepticism. Lewis used this skepticism as a foil. He intelligently saw Christianity as a necessary fact that could be seen clearly in science.
"Surprised by Joy" is Lewis's autobiography chronicling his reluctant conversion from atheism to Christianity in 1931.
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