THE MAN WHOSE BOOKS INTRODUCED MANY TO JESUS CHRIST

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C. S. Lewis is one of Christianity’s most respected voices: whether as a fantasy writer whose stories have reached hundreds of millions or as an apologist and lay theologian who may be the most quoted Christian today. But what made the C. S. Lewis we all know and love? A film from the Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA) tastefully and compellingly presents Lewis’s journey from convinced atheist to the titan of the Christian faith that he is today.

There is little doubt that C. S. Lewis will go down as one of the most influential Christian writers and minds of all time — certainly of the past few hundred years. Lewis is especially well known for writing the legendary Chronicles of Narnia, the seven-book high fantasy series which is among the most impactful book series of the last hundred years. In terms of sheer numbers (and depending on who is counting), The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950) alone is in the top eight, top ten, or top fifteen best-selling books of all time. It trails only religious texts like The Bible, The Qur’an, The Book of Mormon and The Little Red Book, masterpieces like A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Alice in Wonderland (1865), and modern sensations like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone (1997). The entire series has sold some 120 million copies.

Between 2005 and 2010, three of the Narnia books — The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — were made into blockbuster films on the same scale as The Lord of the Rings (with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe outperforming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in the North American Box Office).

While Lewis may not have penned the most popular books of all time, he can lay claim to being a major influence on those who did. J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings was rated the United Kingdom’s “most beloved book” in 2003, but famously, it was Lewis who pressed Tolkien to write the magisterial work.

The Screwtape Letters (1942), an ingenious novel-style devotional book, arguably popularised a new genre — “demonic epistolary fiction” — and has sold millions of copies around the world. The Fellowship of Performing Arts also has plans to adapt the book to film, with production to begin in 2027. In 2000, Christianity Today named Screwtape among its top 100 books of the century.

Not to be outdone, Lewis’s Mere Christianity (1952), adapted from Second World War BBC broadcasts, took the title of the “Book of the Century”. The short, systematic, and brilliantly accessible work of apologetics has been translated into thirty-six languages and sold over three and a half million copies globally.

In this video Gavin Ortlund shares about why he loves C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, and why it is a helpful and important book for Christians today.

MERE CHRISTIANITY

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If you live in the USA, Canada or the UK watch for the release of the film about C.S.Lewis’s life. It is titled “The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis” and released by the Fellowship of the Performing Arts, the film stars Alex McLean as Lewis. The work traces the author’s journey from passionate atheist to one of the most influential Christian writers of the past century.

Actor Max McLean will never forget the first time he read The Screwtape Letters by legendary author C.S. Lewis. 

Shortly after his conversion to Christianity in his mid-20s, McLean was given a copy of Lewis’ 1942 book by a friend. The book features instructions from a devil to his nephew, “Wormwood,” on ways to tempt followers of Christ.

“And I read one page, and I said, ‘I know this guy. This guy has been in my life for a long time, and now he was exposed.’ And the way Lewis exposed him, he made spiritual warfare very real,” the 68-year-old McLean told The Christian Post. 

“Being an adult convert, you bring a lot of doubts and baggage with you because … belief is hard,” he continued. “People that are raised in a faith, their souls, their conscience are formed. That belief becomes an integrated part of who they are. An adult convert has to undo so much. And Lewis had the same experience. So he just helped guide my way.”

What followed for McLean was a decades-long exploration into the life and works of the late Christian author. An acclaimed theater actor, the New York native has since spent much of his life adapting Lewis’ work for the stage, from The Screwtape Letters to ​​The Great Divorce.

Most recently, he adapted Lewis’ memoir, Surprised by Joy, into a play titled “C.S. Lewis on Stage: The Most Reluctant Convert.”

“[Lewis] captured my imagination at a very early age; he’s become my spiritual guide. He’s allowed me to see Christianity from a vantage point that captures my imagination in a huge way,” McLean reflected. 

“He had a steel trap mind where he remembered everything and had this wonderful ability to articulate it into this glorious prose and speech. So, to be able to articulate those words after him, especially for a 21st-century audience, is just a tremendous blessing and honor.”

Now, “The Most Reluctant Convert” has hit the big screen. Initially, in theaters nationwide for one night only on Nov. 3, the movie garnered more than $1.2 million in box office sales and captured the highest per-screen average.

The film’s popularity prompted the addition of theaters and date expansions. Distributors announced the film will now run through Nov. 18 nationwide.

In addition to U.S. expansion, “The Most Reluctant Convert” will also release as a special event in cinemas throughout the United Kingdom and Canada. I am confident that Australia will not miss out and I will phone around to see what I can find out. You should do the same in your country.

ANOTHER C.S.LEWIS FAN – DR ALISTER McGRATH

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Dr. Alister McGrath is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University. He holds three Oxford doctorates: a doctoral degree in molecular biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity degree in theology, and a Doctor of Letters degree in intellectual history. McGrath is a prolific author on many topics including science, faith, apologetics, C.S.Lewis, doctrine, and church history.

When asked, “Was there something in particular about C.S.Lewis that drew you to his writing”? his response will hopefully encourage you to start or read more of C.S.Lewis.

“You mustn’t laugh, but I had just become a Christian and was asking my Christian friends all these difficult questions. They got fed up and one of them, exasperated, said: “Why don’t you read C S Lewis?” I knew he had written a book about lions and wardrobes or something, so I bought one of his books and started to read. And it was as if someone turned the light on as if something clicked. I suddenly realised this makes sense. Nearly 50 years later I’m still reading, I’m still getting more out of C S Lewis because there’s so much there to discover.”

If you have not read any of C S Lewis books then can I suggest you start with Mere Christianity. Perhaps Screwtape Letters. You decide once you have heard Dr Alister McGrath.

THE GENIUS OF C.S.LEWIS

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Eric Metaxas interviews Oxford Fellow Dr. Michael Ward about his discovery of a secret code in C.S. Lewis’s CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, which Ward explores in his book PLANET NARNIA. Both men are brilliant and Christians. They expanded my view of Jesus and therefore God and hope they will do that for you as well. Whilst I have several of C.S.Lewis’s books this interview has inspired me to want to dig deeper. The level of C.S.Lewis’s faith was incredible. If you want to go deeper in your faith you need to read Miracles – Do they Really Happen.