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Title details for The Most Reluctant Convert by David C. Downing - Available

The Most Reluctant Convert

C. S. Lewis's Journey to Faith

by David C. Downing
Patrick Cullen
Audiobook
21 of 21 copies available
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21 of 21 copies available

His books have sold millions, including classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yet C. S. Lewis was not always a literary giant of Christian faith. How did he evolve from staunch atheism to become one of the most beloved and renowned Christian authors of our time?

Unlike most biographies of Lewis, which tend to focus on his childhood and dramatic conversion to Christianity, this book discusses the largely overlooked period of his life between his childhood and his early thirties, during which he experienced a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration that ultimately led to his conversion. Professor David C. Downing, author of the critically acclaimed Planets in Peril (a study of Lewis' Ransom trilogy), weaves the people, places, and events of Lewis' life together with excerpts from Lewis' own writing to show how Lewis' spiritual quest can also light the path for other seekers.

For C. S. Lewis enthusiasts and students alike, this book offers a unique look at Lewis' personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 12, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481549165
      • File size: 154187 KB
      • Duration: 05:21:13

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 1, 2002
      Since C.S. Lewis himself wrote two accounts of his conversion to Christianity (one being allegorical), is there any need for another? Downing, an English professor and noted Lewis researcher, answers this question well in the course of this very thorough work. While covering the same ground as Lewis's own Surprised by Joy, Downing focuses on the interior developments in Lewis's thought rather than retelling his conversion story. This difference in intent makes for a drier tone, but it also allows for a much deeper analysis. Downing's careful research uncovers many relevant passages for Lewis's various stages of thought, particularly from unpublished letters. He convincingly shows how reflective themes from Lewis's earliest days—imagination and analysis, progress and tradition, flesh and spirit—were developed, challenged, held in tension and resolved. In exploring the impact of Lewis's mother's early death and his strained relationship with his father, Downing keeps closely to the primary sources. This spiritual biography will function as a series of excellent explanatory notes alongside Lewis's narrative account, giving the sort of detail that true fans delight in. A pleasant surprise awaits readers at the end of the book, as Downing abandons his unadorned tone in favor of an imaginative exploration of Lewis's actual "final" conversion. Although he admits to its speculative nature, the narrative's firm foundation in Lewis's thoughts makes it a plausible and joyful creative journey.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      A C.S. Lewis scholar and professor of English, Downing offers a thoughtful examination of the great man's journey from disbelief to eloquent proponent of Christianity. The cultural and religious climate in his native Northern Ireland, his childhood and boarding school experiences, and the loss of his mother at age 9 all affected Lewis emotionally and complicated his ability to settle into a religious faith. Filled with interesting detail about the intellectual and spiritual communities that surrounded Lewis, the analysis is impressive without sounding academic or intellectual. A degree of suspense pervades the narrative as Lewis bobs and weaves around his conflicts, eventually finding his life's passion and purpose. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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