Michael Brooks
C.S. Lewis is a beloved figure among Catholics and Protestants alike, and his writings on Christianity have influenced many conversions to Catholicism. Lewis himself was raised in a Protestant family in Belfast, and despite his resistance to becoming a Catholic, he was close to converting around 1950. Lewis's writings, such as Mere Christianity, seem to reflect Catholic doctrines, and he corresponded with Catholic figures like Don Giovanni Calabria. Lewis's friend J.R.R. Tolkien, who helped convert him to Christianity, had also hoped that he would join the Catholic Church. However, Lewis's background and biases may have influenced his reluctance to embrace Catholicism fully.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religious upbringing | Anti-Catholic |
| Religious views | Theist, Christian |
| Church affiliation | Anglican, Church of England |
| Views on Catholicism | Sympathetic, Crypto-Catholic |
| Views on sectarian division | Anti-sectarian |
| Views on "Mere Christianity" | Ecumenical, universal |
| Views on Catholicism in later life | Increasingly open |
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What You'll Learn
Lewis's writings seemed more Catholic than Protestant
C.S. Lewis is a beloved figure among both Catholics and Protestants for his accessible yet profound writings on Christianity. Lewis himself was a member of the Church of England, having been raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where sectarian conflict was common. This may have influenced his adoption of an ecumenical brand of Christianity.
Lewis's writings, such as "Mere Christianity", focus on the beliefs that nearly all Christians hold in common, including the Trinity and the Incarnation. However, some of his ideas seem to align more with Catholic teachings than Protestant ones. For example, Lewis postulated the existence of a version of Purgatory, a concept that Catholics accept but Protestants do not. He also favoured the idea of sacramental confession, which is considered "popish" by Protestants.
In his later writings, Lewis proposed ideas such as the purification of venial sins after death in purgatory ("The Great Divorce" and "Letters to Malcolm") and mortal sin ("The Screwtape Letters"). These concepts are generally associated with Roman Catholic teachings, although they are also held by some Anglicans, particularly in high church Anglo-Catholic circles.
Lewis's close friend J.R.R. Tolkien, who was Catholic, was disappointed that Lewis did not join the Catholic Church. Lewis himself seemed open to Catholicism at times, especially around 1950. Lewis's secretary, Walter Hooper, believed that Lewis would have become Catholic if he had lived longer, as he would have disagreed with the increasing liberalism in Anglicanism.
Despite his resistance to embracing Catholicism fully, Lewis's writings have played a role in the conversion of many people to Catholicism. This includes several of his friends and acquaintances, such as Peter Kreeft, Fr. Dwight Longernecker, Thomas Howard, and Walter Hooper himself.
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Lewis's views on the Church and tradition
C. S. Lewis was indeed a convert to Christianity, but he was not a Catholic in the Roman Catholic sense. His journey to faith began in his youth when he was attracted to religious imagery and stories, particularly of Northern European mythology. However, he became an atheist in his adolescence, influenced by his close friend and fellow writer, Arthur Greeves. It was during his studies at Oxford University that Lewis returned to faith. Through long conversations with friends like J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, Lewis began to embrace theism and eventually Christianity.
Lewis was baptized in the Church of England and remained a committed Anglican for the rest of his life. He had a deep respect for tradition and saw the Church as the custodian of that tradition. In his view, the Church was the embodiment of a long historical continuity, a living link to the ancient faith of the apostles. He valued the Church's role in preserving and transmitting Christian doctrine and practice, ensuring that the faith remained consistent and coherent across generations.
For Lewis, the Church was not merely an institution but a community of believers, a spiritual family with a shared heritage and a common mission. He saw the Church as a place of fellowship, worship, and discipleship, where individuals could find support, encouragement, and accountability in their faith journey. He emphasized the importance of participating in the life of the Church, including regular attendance at corporate worship, partaking in the sacraments, and being in communion with other Christians.
While Lewis valued tradition, he also believed in the need for personal engagement with Scripture and a vibrant, individual faith. He saw the Church as a guide and interpreter of Scripture, providing a framework for understanding, but he emphasized the importance of each person's direct encounter with God through reading the Bible and prayer. In his view, tradition should not be a static or stifling force but a living guide that helps individuals interpret Scripture and apply it to their own context.
Lewis's respect for tradition and the Church did not blind him to its flaws and failings. He acknowledged the historical divisions, doctrinal disputes, and moral failures within the Christian tradition. However, he believed that the Church, as a human institution, was imperfect but always reforming, always striving to live up to its divine calling. He saw the Church as a work in progress, continually in need of renewal and revival, and he emphasized the importance of humility, grace, and forgiveness within the Christian community.
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Lewis's close friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien
C.S. Lewis was raised in Belfast, Ireland, and was a committed Anglican who upheld a largely orthodox Anglican theology. He was an influential writer and a member of an informal discussion society known as the "Inklings", which included J. R. R. Tolkien, Nevill Coghill, Lord David Cecil, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and his brother, Warren Lewis. Lewis's friendship with Tolkien grew during their time as members of the "Kolbítar", an Old Norse reading group founded by Tolkien.
Lewis and Tolkien's friendship was both heartwarming and hilarious, and it inspired the chapter on friendship in Lewis's book "The Four Loves". They spent many hours drinking beer, discussing and debating, and developing their friendship. Lewis based his character Dr. Ransom, a philologist from "Out of the Silent Planet", on Tolkien. Similarly, Tolkien modelled his walking-talking tree character, Treebeard, on Lewis's booming oratorical voice.
Tolkien and Lewis also influenced each other's beliefs. Lewis's conversion to Christianity in 1931 was influenced by a long discussion with his close friends Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. Lewis saw Christianity as a myth like any other pagan myth, but Tolkien and Dyson helped him see that it was the true myth. Lewis's view of friendship, as outlined in "The Four Loves", was also shared by Tolkien, especially as it was reinforced by the male character of Oxford society in their day.
However, their friendship eventually soured due to various factors, including Lewis's marriage to Joy Gresham, which was unacceptable to Tolkien because she was divorced and American. By the early 1950s, their fellowship had broken, and Lewis's death in 1963 affected Tolkien deeply. Despite their falling-out, their friendship remains an enduring legacy of their time together at Oxford.
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Lewis's upbringing and its influence
C. S. Lewis was born into a family with strong religious roots, and his upbringing had a significant influence on his later spiritual journey and writings. Lewis's mother, Florence Lewis, came from a Catholic family, while his father, Albert Lewis, was a solicitor and a devout Protestant. Lewis was raised in this Protestant tradition during his early childhood. However, when he was just four years old, his mother passed away, and this loss had a profound impact on his faith and worldview.
After his mother's death, Lewis was sent to live with his father in the small town of Dundela, just outside of Belfast, Ireland. His father, a product of the Victorian era, believed in a strict and formal approach to child-rearing, which included a focus on discipline and academic excellence. This environment shaped Lewis's early understanding of religion as a set of rules and obligations rather than a personal relationship with God. It also contributed to a sense of duty and responsibility that stayed with him throughout his life.
As a teenager, Lewis attended several boarding schools in England, where he excelled academically but struggled with the harsh and often impersonal environment. It was during these formative years that he began to question and challenge the religious teachings of his childhood. He later described himself during this period as being an atheist, or as he put it, "not even an atheist, for I never had been a theist." This period of doubt and exploration set the stage for his later conversion and deep engagement with Christianity.
Despite his father's wishes for him to become a priest in the Church of Ireland, Lewis chose to pursue a career in academia, studying at University College, Oxford. There, he continued to question and debate religious ideas, engaging with friends and colleagues who represented a variety of beliefs and worldviews. It was during these university years that Lewis began a journey back to faith, influenced by the works of writers such as George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton, who offered imaginative and reasoned defenses of Christianity.
So, while Lewis was raised in a religious environment, his upbringing was not solely responsible for his eventual conversion to Christianity. His early experiences, marked by loss and a sense of duty, coupled with his intellectual pursuits and personal relationships, all played a part in shaping his unique spiritual path. His journey demonstrates the complex interplay between personal experiences, intellectual inquiry, and the influence of literature and friends in shaping one's religious beliefs and convictions.
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Lewis's views on Christian unity
C. S. Lewis was raised in Belfast and was a committed Anglican who upheld a largely orthodox Anglican theology. He was a prolific writer, and his literary circle of friends included J. R. R. Tolkien, who helped him convert to Christianity. Lewis's concept of "mere Christianity" is described as a "hall, from which different specific doors lead out, and only beyond those doors, only in the concrete churches, is there food and fire and bed". In other words, "mere Christianity" is not an alternative to any church, nor is it itself a church.
Lewis's ecumenical sentiments are exemplified in his writings, where he repeatedly extolled the virtues of all branches of the Christian faith. He emphasised the need for unity among Christians around the core doctrinal beliefs that all denominations share, as expressed by the Catholic writer G. K. Chesterton, who called these shared beliefs "Mere Christianity". Lewis's approach to ecumenism was influenced by his personal experiences, including his dismay over sectarian conflict in his native Belfast.
Lewis's concept of "mere Christianity" is based on the so-called Vincentian Canon, which refers to "what has been believed by everyone, everywhere, at every time". However, he did not elaborate on why he adopted this principle or how the borders of that belief should be determined. Lewis's emphasis on shared beliefs and charity among Christians indicates his belief in the importance of unity within the faith.
Despite his resistance to embracing Catholicism, Lewis is much loved by Catholics. Both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI spoke highly of his work, and many people credit Lewis with their conversion to Catholicism. Lewis's views on Christian unity, therefore, transcend denominational boundaries and emphasise the common ground among Christians.
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Frequently asked questions
No, C.S. Lewis did not convert to Catholicism. He was a member of the Church of England.
Lewis had an inherited anti-Catholic bias due to his upbringing in Belfast. He also disagreed with the Catholic Church's doctrine of the authority of the Church and tradition.
Lewis was close to converting to Catholicism around 1950. His writings seem more Catholic than those of other Protestants, and he corresponded with Catholic priests. He also received advice from Catholics on his book 'Mere Christianity' to ensure it was universally agreeable.
Yes, many people credit Lewis with their conversion to Catholicism. This list includes Peter Kreeft, Fr. Dwight Longernecker, Thomas Howard, and Lewis's secretary, Walter Hooper.
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