C. S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil: An Investigation of a Pervasive Theme

by Jerry Root

Overview

C. S. Lewis was concerned about an aspect of the problem of evil he called subjectivism: the tendency of one's perspective to move towards self-referentialism and utilitarianism. In C. S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil, Jerry Root provides a holistic reading of Lewis by walking the reader through all of Lewis's published work as he argues Lewis's case against subjectivism. Furthermore, the book reveals that Lewis consistently employed fiction to make his case, as virtually all of his villains are portrayed as subjectivists. Lewis's warnings are prophetic; this book is not merely an exposition of Lewis, it is also a timely investigation into the problem of evil.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781556357206
Publisher:	Pickwick Publications
Publication date:	01/01/2009
Series:	Princeton Theological Monograph , #96
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jerry Root is Assistant Professor of Evangelism and Associate Director of the Institute for Strategic Evangelism at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. He is also visiting Professor at Biola University and Talbot Graduate School of Theology, La Mirada, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Preface xi

1 Objectivity and Evil 1

2 The Problem of Pain 46

3 Lewis's Literary Criticism and a Problem of Evil 95

4 The Rhetorical Aim of Lewis's Fiction in Light of a Problem of Evil 149

5 Literary Analysis 187

6 Conclusions 239

Permissions 249

Bibliography 253

Index 273

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Few people know Lewis as well as Jerry Root, and few ideas were more central to Lewis's thought than his critique of subjectivism. Particularly valuable in this study is Root's insistence that Lewis considered fiction and poetry as key venues for developing that critique and throughout his career saw literature as a tool of thought."

—Alan Jacobs, author of The Narnian: the Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis

"The Greeks knew it as the flaw of Narcissus. Luther termed it curvatus in se. To C. S. Lewis it was 'the poison of subjectivism,' and throughout much of his corpus he attended to its various dangers, guises, and cures. Jerry Root carefully analyzes this pervasive theme in Lewis's work and in so doing provides a timely and challenging stimulus to think afresh about the limits of personal perspective."

—Michael Ward, author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis

"Students of the life and writing of C. S. Lewis sometimes wonder if there is anything new or important that can be published on the celebrated Oxford Christian. Jerry Root's new book not only makes a brilliant and original contribution to our understanding of the wide sweep of Lewis's works, it is also important and quite timely because it helps us—through Lewis's mind—examine the core of the problem of evil that plagues us as much as it infected Lewis's time. Anyone with a serious interest in Lewis or the problem of evil will be fascinated by this major contribution to Lewis studies."
—Lyle W. Dorsett, author of Seeking the Secret Place: The Spiritual Formation of C. S. Lewis

"Few people in the world have a richer knowledge of C. S. Lewis's works or a more energetic intellectual curiosity than Jerry Root. Both qualities inform this unique exploration of evil through genres ranging from literary criticism to theological fantasy. What were Lewis's ideas on audience and how did he propose to connect with his readers? How did his rhetorical approach square with his theological understanding and life experience of pain and evil? Dr. Root will take you on an extended exploration of these questions and more."
—Wayne Martindale, author of Beyond the Shadowlands: C. S. Lewis on Heaven and Hell

Editorial Reviews

' Let me not fail to stress the strengths of Root's book, among which is the comprehensive knowledge displayed, not merely of the work of Lewis himself, but also of the secondary literature that has flourished around that work. [...] help us to look at the various symbols, stories, and arguments presented in Lewis's body of work and also to step into the beam of that work and look along it, gaining and understanding of Lewis's fertile spiritual vision from the inside. ' -Mikel Burley in The Journal of Religious Studies, Vol. 47, 2011' In this work of Lewis scholarship, Jerry Root argues that 'subjectivism' - by which he means a rejection of objective reality and objective values in favour of a selfish, inward focus - is an attitude Lewis repeatedly attacks in his popular fiction, non-fiction, and professional literary criticism. Lewis, he maintains, saw that grave evil could result from this self-deceptive conforming of reality to one's personal desires. ' -Paul Gage Logan in Theological Book Review, Vol. 23 (2), 2011'The strength of Root's book, it seems to me, is its comprehensiveness. Root ranges widely over the Lewis oeuvre, and encompasses not only Lewis's apologetic works but also literary criticism, his poetry and his fiction [...] it will be illuminating for those to whom Lewis is new territory.'-Barry Livingstone, The Glass, Number 23, Spring 2011'A study that is not only comprehensive in its coverage but also clear in noting the theological and anthropological implications of Lewis' work for the individual and the church as they relate to culture.... A thoughtful read fot all Lewis readers.'-Iain S. Maclean, Anglican and Episcopal History, Volume 86, Number 4, December 2017

From the Publisher

The strength of Root’s book, it seems to me, is its comprehensiveness. Root ranges widely over the Lewis oeuvre, and encompasses not only Lewis’s apologetic works but also literary criticism, his poetry and his fiction… […] … it will be illuminating for those to whom Lewis is new territory.

The Glass, Number 23, Spring 2011 - Barry Livingstone