Nov. 23: The Screwtape Letters (continued)

On Sunday, Nov. 23, 4:00-5:30 p.m., we'll continue our discussion of The Screwtape Letters. At the last meeting, Rob Koons called our attention to Lewis's Preface to the 1961 edition of The Screwtape Letters. This preface—written by Lewis when he was about 62 regarding The Screwtape Letters which he wrote when he was about 43—includes Lewis's comment on Milton's devils, which we discussed briefly at the meeting. Here's the quote from page ix: 

Milton's devils, by their grandeur and high poetry, have done great harm, and his angels owe too much to Homer and Raphael.

I found this preface printed in the Revised Macmillan paperback edition (1982), which you might have on your bookshelf. The 1961 preface is definitely worth the read, and we will likely discuss it in November.

A Grand Miracle: Daily Devotions for Advent is available through Amazon. It is by Joel Heck. Each day, you can read a C. S. Lewis quote, a reflection by Joel, a prayer, and a scripture. Advent begins on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C. S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy is a book we are considering as our next book to read and discuss, perhaps beginning in January 2026. Life on the Silent Planet is edited by Rhys Laverty, with essays by Michael Ward, Holly Ordway, Louis Markos, Joe Rigney, and more. Joel Heck recommends the book: "If you read only one book on Lewis this year, read this one."

Malcolm Guite talks about and reads a bit of Tolkien's story Leaf by Niggle in this 12:24 YouTube video. 

The Wages of Cinema: A Christian Aesthetic of Film in Conversation with Dorothy L. Sayers (IVP 2025) is a new book by Crystal Downing, former co-director of the Wade Center. Crystal and David Downing discuss the book with Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill on a recent Wade Center podcast. 

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal, Volume 19.1 (2025) contains the article "Teaching The Abolition of Man" by Joel Heck, Rob Koons, and Josiah Peterson. It is now available from Wifp and Stock Publishers.

Central Texas C. S. Lewis is a reading group that meets in Austin, Texas.
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