C. S. Lewis's Case for Christ: Insights from Reason, Imagination and Faith

by Art Lindsley

Book Overview

There can be many obstacles to faith. As Art Lindsley says, "Lewis knew what it was like not to believe. He struggled with many doubts along the way to faith. Since he was an ardent atheist until age thirty-one, Lewis's experience and education prepared him to understand firsthand the most common arguments against Christianity." As a scholar and teacher of literature at Oxford, Lewis confronted many questions:

Aren't all religions just...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830832858
• ISBN13: 9780830832859
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.6" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Study

This book was awesome. It helped me determine which of the C.S. Lewis books I wanted to read first.

By the end of the book, Lewis will be a dear and trusted friend

C.S. Lewis's Case for Christ is a concise and contemporary retelling of the famous author's beliefs. There is something in these pages for everyone. Those who are already familiar with Lewis will have a resource that highlights his key thoughts, while those new to him will follow his journey from atheism to a vibrant faith in Christ. The book was creatively written within the framework of a bookstore discussion. A group of fictional people meets each week to talk about the author. This setting allows the reader a chance to pull up a chair and join them. The characters that participate in this forum are diverse, and probably reflect an accurate sampling of the book's audience. Author Art Lindsley's knowledge of Lewis is beautifully complemented by his admiration of the author. He reveals interesting facts about Lewis's personal life and then provides a spiritually sensitive look at the obstacles that held him back from a belief in Christ. The pages offer a penetrating mix of Scripture and logic. The author writes as if Lewis was a dear and trusted friend, and by the end of book, he will be to every reader. Most impressive are the clear explanations of the reflections of Lewis. Although some of these ideas have baffled brilliant minds throughout history, these pages offer an understandable summary. Lewis was one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, and now all readers can be acquainted with his profound insights. Yet, the most wonderful thing about this book is that it has the potential to lead people to a saving knowledge of the truth. The obstacles that hindered Lewis' faith in God are still present today. These pages offer a unique resource for opening discussions along those lines. -- Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com

Case Closed

On New Year's Day, I had a 2-hour discussion with a friend who believes in God but does not believe that Jesus was His Son. She said she believed that Jesus was a great prophet but nothing more. (No, she is not Jewish.) Because I am both a Christian and a great respecter of my friend's intellect, our talk disturbed me. Later that same day, I stopped by a bookstore to get some calendars - you know, 50% off and all that. Anyway, I got the calendars and wandered around a bit, looking for a couple of specific books. On my way to these other books, I noticed a display of C.S. Lewis books at the end of an aisle. And at the top of the display was a book I had not until that moment knew existed: C.S. LEWIS'S CASE FOR CHRIST by Art Lindsley. Hmm. I felt like looking heavenward and going, "Hit me over the head with a two-by-four, why don't You?" The book is not, as I thought it would be, a parable by parable, story by story examination of Jesus' life with all the evidence neatly trotted out as to why we should believe he was who he said he was. Rather, the book gives Lewis' reasons for choosing Christianity - which by its name indicates a belief in Jesus as the Christ - over other world religions. One chapter titled "Myth: Isn't Christianity just one myth among many?" was especially helpful to me. I recently returned from a trip to the Vatican; while there, the gargantuan size of St. Peter's, the statues, the sight of Pope Benedict on the balcony, stirred feelings of unease in me. There were moments when it was too Hollywood, too much like hero worship. I began to look about and wonder what separated this elaborate and amazing story from other stories like, for example, The Lord of The Rings? I read the "Myth" chapter, and it went a long way towards calming my fears and dispelling my doubts; it helped me to see that the story of Christ has things about it that lift it above mere mythology. It was a relief! For a person who has never read any of C.S. Lewis' works, this book, with Lindsley as your guide, would be a good place to start. Art Lindsley, a senior fellow at the C.S. Lewis Institute, has put together from Lewis' writings a convincing argument for the choice of Christianity over other faiths. I will definitely be sharing it with my friend. For those of you who may have the same faith in Lewis as I do and go to him regularly to be "talked" through doubt and confusion, you will enjoy this book and will also understand the need for the words that Lindsley gives his character John at the end of the book. John, the leader of a discussion group about C.S. Lewis tells a participant the following: "I can give you a good reading list, but remember faith in Christ is more than just satisfying your intellect. C.S. Lewis would not want people to focus on his personality or even his books. He wanted to point beyond that to Jesus."

A Must Read for CS Lewis fans! A Superb Defense of Faith

I am a huge fan of CS Lewis and of Dr. Lindsley's clear reasoning and eloquent argumentation; so, naturally when I saw this book, I immediately picked it up and read it with great enthusiasm. Admittedly, I went through the book rather quickly and will revisit it often for its clarity and to use as an aide in forming well-framed intellectual, imaginative and caring arguments in defense of faith in Christ. Dr. Lindsley's treatment of Lewis's work provides the reader with a digestible overview of CS Lewis's intellectual and spiritual odyssey into the fullness of Christ that is remarkably clear. This book provides the reader with a wealth of resources, excerpts and personal stories. Dr. Lindsley weaves together many of the questions that people have when they come to the works of CS Lewis and to the very questions of Christianity. Dr. Lindsley documents the rigor of CS Lewis's intellect opening (or re-opening) thoughtful readers to the wonders and skill of Lewis's work. The book is laid out in 14 chapters and contains a bit of "dialogue" between a set of individuals who are meeting together to discuss Lewis's work in a modern bookstore setting. The reader is drawn into the conversation and through it can see what types of questions people often have when they come to Lewis's body of work. You may even be able to identify some of your own questions. If you come to this book already holding a belief in Jesus Christ as Savior, Dr. Lindsley's treatment will help you to formulate your own defense and responses to the questions that appeal to our time through the lenses of CS Lewis. If I had to pick the best chapter out of this book, it'd have to be the one in regard to relativism since Dr. Lindsley goes into a bit more depth on one of my favorite works by Lewis, "The Abolition of Man." The chapter on Postmodernism is great also. I am amazed at how well Dr. Lindsley can articulate and refute many of the claims of full-fledged Postmodernism in so few pages! I find myself agreeing with his assessment of how CS Lewis would respond to Postmodernity; the good and the bad alike. This book will be a valuable tool in my library as well as one that many of my friends will indeed receive as a gift!