C S Lewis and the ECUSA

The following Collect and Bible readings are to be approved at the G. Convention in 2003.

November 22, Clive Staples Lewis. Apologist & Spiritual Writer, 1963

[The collect is offered in so called traditional and contemporary language and they are identical except for the pronouns.]

O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis whose sanctified imagination lights fires of faith in young and old alike; Surprise us also with joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 139:109; Lesson 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 16: 7-15. Preface of a Saint (3) from 1979 prayer book.

Comment.

I cannot imagine that C S Lewis favoured the placing in the Calendar of persons like himself. He has certainly been and to some extent remains influential, especially amongst American Evangelicals with a good education. And the fact that he married a needy divorcee in a gracious manner, has helped his reputation with people living in a divorce culture.

We must presume that there is some direct connection between the description of God in the address and the achievement of C S Lewis in the thanksgiving. Further we note that Lewis used more than his imagination (even in the books for children), he also used his intellect and his vast knowledge of classical literature in his apologetic writings.

The choice of the relatively rare word, searing, which usually means the act of burning or cauterising is rather odd when used of God and his truth. A searing iron, yes, searing truth in and of God – probably no? But perhaps the relation is with lighting fires of faith or maybe this is an allusion to something Lewis wrote or said.

Then what should we make of surpassing beauty – surpassing what? Perhaps the beauty of creation on earth and in heaven. God’s Beauty (as Augustine tells) is a unique Beauty.

But this way of addressing God is too impersonal. It would have been better to follow classical usage and make use of the relative clause to recall before God, the Father, divine attributes & activities that actually were special to Lewis or which provide the basis for the petition in the collect. (Instead the relative clause is used in relation to Lewis!)

Whether Lewis as a writer only lights fires of faith is a matter of debate. He helps different people in different ways, but not all people!

Before “Surprise” a colon not a semi-colon is needed to justify the upper case “S”. Then it is not clear why “also” is needed in the petition for there has not been an earlier petition. Further, while the petition has merit as a petition of Christian people, it does not naturally relate to or flow from the descriptions of God and of C S Lewis in the first half of the collect. From truth, beauty, imagination and faith, there is a move to joy and to new and abundant life, and it is not clear why this occurs.

Obviously the “Surprise with Joy” is meant to recall the title of a book of Lewis, but only a few would possess this information who actually hear this prayer. And even if they did recognize it, what is the logical relation of being surprised by joy to what has been said already?

Then, finally, such a petition does not need a full doxological ending, which has been traditionally reserved for collects of major festivals in the classic tradition.

Back to the drawing board! Better still, forget about a collect for CS Lewis, whose writings alone stand as a worthy testimony to the man.


The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.)