Today is the anniversary of the birth of C.S. Lewis -- author, scholar, Christian apologist, and former atheist who was, at a crucial moment in his life, persuaded by his friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien to believe in Christianity.
Chuck Colson marvels at how Lewis became "a true prophet for our postmodern age." (Tip via Michelle Malkin.)
Why was Lewis so uncannily prophetic? At first glance he seems an unlikely candidate. He was not a theologian; he was an English professor. What was it that made him such a keen observer of cultural and intellectual trends?The answer may be somewhat discomfiting to modern evangelicals: One reason is precisely that Lewis was not an evangelical. He was a professor in the academy, with a specialty in medieval literature, which gave him a mental framework shaped by the whole scope of intellectual history and Christian thought. As a result, he was liberated from the narrow confines of the religious views of the day—which meant he was able to analyze and critique them.
Oddly, the anniversary of Lewis's death was just a week ago. Last year, this quote came to mind.
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality."Posted by Alan at November 29, 2004 05:35 PM