"Lewis would never put himself above Scripture in that way." I was re-reading this piece today and this line really set me off. As a critical (but not bitter) ex-evangelical, I've long be annoyed by the way certain Christians (especially of a fundamentalist bent) have whitewashed Lewis the Anglican into a respectable American religious conservative. Lewis is repeatedly on record as saying the authors of the New Testament got things wrong, and certainly didn't believe in biblical inerrancy (at least as modern fundamentalists understand the word). He would never have been allowed to teach at the evangelical institutions that venerate him. The same thing has happened, incidentally, to Martin Luther King and Dietrich Boenhoffer, forming a sort of trinity of mainline Protestants who have been adopted by American evangelicals as their own, with their actual theologies distorted or concealed in the process.
Thanks for this--I was also unaware of Lewis's comment in that letter and had forgotten about the St. Paul line in Great Divorce. It's a shame he couldn't follow MacDonald, but it does seem he considered it a more plausible option than we thought.
thanks for sharing its a intresting comment given he said he departs from macdonald here yet the great divorce seems like a almost pseudo universalist text and his writing on the problems of pain latter in life seem to move towards more hopeful views
Hoping you might be able to comment on Matthew Levering's most recent piece in Church Life Journal where he offers some criticisms of Hart's Tradition and Apocalypse. Levering is an immensely read and formidable theologian as well as equally generous--would love your thoughts on it.
I was a student of David's when he taught at Duke; took every class he offered the two years he was there. Has been hugely influential on me, both personally and theologically. I'm glad you in this space commenting on this work.
"Lewis would never put himself above Scripture in that way." I was re-reading this piece today and this line really set me off. As a critical (but not bitter) ex-evangelical, I've long be annoyed by the way certain Christians (especially of a fundamentalist bent) have whitewashed Lewis the Anglican into a respectable American religious conservative. Lewis is repeatedly on record as saying the authors of the New Testament got things wrong, and certainly didn't believe in biblical inerrancy (at least as modern fundamentalists understand the word). He would never have been allowed to teach at the evangelical institutions that venerate him. The same thing has happened, incidentally, to Martin Luther King and Dietrich Boenhoffer, forming a sort of trinity of mainline Protestants who have been adopted by American evangelicals as their own, with their actual theologies distorted or concealed in the process.
Oh yes, we Americans love to refashion everything that we fancy into our own image.
Thanks for this--I was also unaware of Lewis's comment in that letter and had forgotten about the St. Paul line in Great Divorce. It's a shame he couldn't follow MacDonald, but it does seem he considered it a more plausible option than we thought.
This is so excellent!
Thank you!
thanks for sharing its a intresting comment given he said he departs from macdonald here yet the great divorce seems like a almost pseudo universalist text and his writing on the problems of pain latter in life seem to move towards more hopeful views
This was excellent - thank you!
Hoping you might be able to comment on Matthew Levering's most recent piece in Church Life Journal where he offers some criticisms of Hart's Tradition and Apocalypse. Levering is an immensely read and formidable theologian as well as equally generous--would love your thoughts on it.
Here are my quick thoughts:
https://copiousflowers.substack.com/p/matthew-leverings-tedious-failure
Thanks Jesse! And I'm glad David decided to link it on his substack. Excellent piece by the way.
Thank you. And thank you also for prompting it.
I was a student of David's when he taught at Duke; took every class he offered the two years he was there. Has been hugely influential on me, both personally and theologically. I'm glad you in this space commenting on this work.
Will take a look and give it some thought. Thanks.
😴