C.S. Lewis and Deification
I haven’t read this yet, but it sure looks tasty… and I wanted to go ahead and post a link here, since I know some of my readers are interested in C. S. Lewis and some are interested in the doctrine of deification (in the Greek, theosis). So here’s a chance to ponder how this Orthodox doctrine figures in the thought of the most popular of Anglican authors…
Shine as the Sun: C. S. Lewis and the Doctrine of Deification
Which is actually part two of a two part essay; here is part one: The Orthodox Worldview and C. S. Lewis (Part I)
This essay originally appeared in Road to Emmaus: A Journal of Orthodox Faith and Culture. So many journals make you pay for PDF copies of essay reprints; it’s refreshing to see this one offer articles like this one free of charge (I’d encourage you to make a donation if you download the PDF — a link is provided).
Steve Hayes
Thanks very much for that link – I’ll certainly have a look.
Serge L
Thanks a lot, Carl!
That’s great: Lewis once said that he saw human destiny not as the transformation into angels nor the absorption into Deity but rather as the fulfilling of humanity, in which human beings will become “like God … [but] with the likeness proper to men.”
Advaita says we are God, but it sounds sad for me because according to Advaita my personalty should dissolve in Absolute. On the other hand I hear Christians saying that my personality is not an illusion and will live forever. It sounds much better, but the moment I start to like the idea, they add “yes we are real, but we are worthless worms”.
Theosis concept seems to state we are real and our destiny is to become gods even if at the moment we are “worthless worms”.
Lewis’ talk of mystery and magic is also great:
“Lewis spoke of Holy Communion as an experience where the veil between the worlds gets thin. “Here a hand from the hidden country touches not only my soul but my body … Here is big medicine and strong magic …”