The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life, and Imagination in the Work of C. S. Lewis

Edited by John Piper, David Mathis, Contributions by Randy Alcorn, Philip Graham Ryken, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Douglas Wilson

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The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life, and Imagination in the Work of C. S. Lewis

Edited by John Piper, David Mathis, Contributions by Randy Alcorn, Philip Graham Ryken, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Douglas Wilson

... Show All

“We are far too easily pleased.”

C. S. Lewis stands as one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century. His commitment to the life of the mind and the life of the heart is evident in classics like the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity—books that illustrate the unbreakable connection between rigorous thought and deep affection.

With contributions from Randy Alcorn, John Piper, Philip Ryken, Kevin Vanhoozer, David Mathis, and Douglas Wilson, this volume explores the man, his work, and his legacy—reveling in the truth at the heart of Lewis’s spiritual genius: God alone is the answer to our deepest longings and the source of our unending joy.


Editors:

John Piper

John Piper is founder and lead teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for thirty-three years as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than fifty books, including Desiring God; Don’t Waste Your Life; and Providence.

David Mathis

David Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Megan, have four children. He is the author of several books, including Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.

Product Details

Category: History & Biography
Arts & Literature
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 192
Size: 5.5 in x 8.5 in
Weight: 8.3 ounces
ISBN-10: 1-4335-4498-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-4498-9
ISBN-UPC: 9781433544989
Case Quantity: 56
Published: September 30, 2014

Table of Contents

Introduction: Half a Century since C. S. Lewis (David Mathis)

  1. C. S. Lewis, Romantic Rationalist: How His Paths to Christ Shaped His Life and Ministry (John Piper)
  2. Inerrancy and the Patron Saint of Evangelicalism: C. S. Lewis on Holy Scripture (Philip Ryken)
  3. Undragoned: C. S. Lewis on the Gift of Salvation (Douglas Wilson)
  4. In Bright Shadow: C. S. Lewis on the Imagination for Theology and Discipleship (Kevin Vanhoozer)
  5. C. S. Lewis on Heaven and the New Earth: God’s Eternal Remedy to the Problem of Evil and Suffering (Randy Alcorn)
  6. What God Made Is Good—and Must Be Sanctified: C. S. Lewis and St. Paul on the Use of Creation (John Piper)

Appendix 1: C. S. Lewis and the Doctrine of Hell (Randy Alcorn)
Appendix 2: A Conversation with the Contributors

Endorsements

“A book that displays the impressive breadth of Lewis’s appeal across denominational boundaries and that helpfully highlights the continuing importance of his example as a Christian who could think both rationally and imaginatively. Altogether an interesting, lively, and thought-provoking read.”
Michael Ward, Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford; author, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis

“For many of us, the writings of C. S. Lewis have been a helpful guide to the nooks and crannies of the Christian life. As noted by a number of the authors of this extremely helpful collection of essays, the rich coloring of all of Lewis’s work has been a tonic in the gray drabness of contemporary life. Although none of the authors would endorse every element of Lewis’s thinking, each is well aware that to neglect Lewis is to miss out on one of God’s surprising gifts in the twentieth century. A great introduction to and reflection on a remarkable Christian!”
Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Paints a well-rounded, sharply observed portrait that balances criticism with a deep love and appreciation for the works and witness of Lewis. The writers have all absorbed Lewis into their bones, and they invite us to do the same.”
Louis Markos, Professor in English and Scholar in Residence, Houston Christian University; author, The Myth Made Fact

“A warm-hearted, engaging and thoroughly thought-out appreciation of evangelicalism’s enormous debt to C. S. Lewis that also looks squarely at differences, real and imagined. With well-chosen and varied contributors, it presents a deep understanding and wide reading of Lewis and also reaches toward the secret of Lewis’s profound and health-giving influence on Christianity throughout the world.”
Colin Duriez, author, C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Friendship and Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship

“In order to explore the world that is Lewis, we need faithful guides, explorers who have charted his terrain, both the familiar and the back roads where few have dared to tread. The authors have not just looked at Lewis, as though he were some theological or literary curiosity. Instead, they’ve looked along Lewis, laboring to see with the freshness of his vision, and then draw us further up and further in so that we too come to see the real world, and God, and Christ, with new eyes.”
Joe Rigney, President, Bethlehem College & Seminary

“Lewis fans of all persuasions will enjoy this collection of essays. More than just a celebration of Lewis, the authors celebrate what Lewis celebrated and point to the one he pointed to. The authors don’t always agree with Lewis (itself a good and healthy thing), but they always understand and appreciate him and help us to do so as well. Most of all, in these essays they share Lewis’s ultimate goal—that of kindling and nurturing a desire for God.”
Devin Brown, author, A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis