Books

Teaching Us to Hear

Lewis Agonistes organizes the Oxford don’s thoughts on everything

Lewis Agonistes: How C.S. Lewis Can Train Us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World
Lewis Agonistes: How C.S. Lewis Can Train Us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World
Lewis Agonistes:How C.S.Lewis CanTrain Usto Wrestlewith theModern andPostmodern World Louis Markos Broadman & Holman, 174 pp., $19.99

Another book about C.S. Lewis? Well, yes, and this one is a welcome entry. In the five sections of his book (which began as an article in 2001 for Christianity Today), Louis Markos trolls through Lewis’s fiction and nonfiction, organizing the Oxford don’s thoughts on everything from the role of science in faith to the problem of pain and suffering.

In doing so, he shows readers how the writings of Lewis might serve as a framework for their own “wrestlings” with contemporary culture (agonistes is Greek for wrestler).

Markos writes that Lewis taught us “to see all those hidden presuppositions that exert such an influence on us for good or for ill.” Lewis also helps us to “see the magic and the wonder that runs rampant in God’s sympathetic universe.”

Markos appreciates myth and mystery as much as logic and reason. His intriguing chapters on the New Age (building bridges), the arts (in which the Incarnation is central), and his bracing defense of heaven and hell are not to be missed. Although Markos occasionally lapses into scholarly prose, general readers will find this accessible.

Cindy Crosby is a regular contributor to Publishers Weekly

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Lewis Agonistes is available from Christianbook.com and other book retailers.

Our Latest

From Our Community

Storing Up Kingdom Treasure

Greenbriar Equity Group chairman and founding partner Regg Jones urges fellow Christians to invest in the next generation of Christ followers.

Gen Z Is More Than Just Anxious

What the church gets wrong—and what it can get right—about forming a generation shaped by screens and longing for purpose.

Don’t Pay Attention. Give It.

Attention isn’t a resource to maximize for productivity. It’s a gift that helps us love God and neighbor.

Faith-Based Education Is Having a Moment

I’m excited to see churches—particularly Black congregations—step boldly into teaching.

Being Human

Sex and Porn Addiction, Misconceptions That Prevent Healing with Matt Wenger

Porn addiction: An intimacy issue, not just a sexual one

The Russell Moore Show

 Listener Question: How Can I Have Friendships with Atheists?

 Russell answers a listener question about how to have meaningful relationships with atheists.

The National Guard Debate Needs a Dose of Honesty

Criticizing federal overreach while remaining silent about local failures does not serve the cause of justice.

High Time for an Honest Conversation about THC

Legal cannabis may be here to stay, but the Christian conversation is just getting started.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube