The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis

The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis PDF Author: Jerry Root
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426795114
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Narnia, Perelandra—places of wonder and longing. The White Witch, Screwtape—personifications of evil. Aslan—a portrait of the divine. Like Turkish Delight, some of C.S. Lewis’s writing surprises and whets our appetite for more. But some of his works bite and nip at our heels. What enabled C.S. Lewis to create such vivid characters and compelling plots? Perhaps it was simply that C.S. Lewis had an unsurpassed imagination. Or perhaps he had a knack for finding the right metaphor or analogy that awakened readers’ imaginations in new ways. But whatever his gifts, no one can deny that C.S. Lewis had a remarkable career, producing many books in eighteen different literary genres, including: apologetics, autobiography, educational philosophy, fairy stories, science fiction, and literary criticism. And while he had and still has critics, Lewis' works continue to find devoted readers. The purpose of this book is to introduce C.S. Lewis through the prism of imagination. For Lewis, imagination is both a means and an end. And because he used his own imagination well and often, he is a practiced guide for those of us who desire to reach beyond our grasp. Each chapter highlights Lewis’s major works and then shows how Lewis uses imagination to captivate readers. While many have read books by C.S. Lewis, not many readers understand his power to give new slants on the things we think we know. More than a genius, Lewis disciplined his imagination, harnessing its creativity in service of helping others believe more deeply. “Truly fresh, rhetorically astute works about C. S. Lewis are rare, but this provocative new volume by Jerry Root and Mark Neal emerges at just the right time to reinvigorate Lewis scholarship beyond the clichés we continue to repeat to each other. The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis delivers just that salvo, an ingenious, empathetic, lavishly informed elucidation of Lewis’s understanding of the life of the imagination.” —Bruce L. Edwards, Professor Emeritus of English and Africana Studies, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH “Our grasp of ‘imagination’ is such a pale and paltry thing; Neal and Root offer a much-needed corrective by illustrating Lewis’s robust use of the word. The happy result is a more accurate and nuanced reading of Lewis. But there is more: through their careful work, we are graced with a rich, new vocabulary to discern and describe the many uses of creative imagination all around us.” —Diana Pavlac Glyer, Professor of English at Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, author of The Company They Keep: C .S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community “This fabulous book on Lewis’s imagination will delight readers new to Lewis and those who, like the authors, have been reading him for decades. It shimmers with the joy of exploration and discovery. The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis is a reliable and inspiring guide not only to Lewis but to a treasure trove of imaginative books that fired Lewis’s own imagination. In Robert Frost’s delightful phrase, this book is the occasion for a ‘fresh think.’” —Wayne Martindale, Emeritus Professor of English, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL “Jerry Root and Mark Neal make excellent use of Lewis's literary criticism of other authors to show how he employed different varieties of imagination in his own works. The result is a good book about Lewis and an even better one on the capacity of imagination to enrich each of our lives every day.” —Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN “For nearly four decades I have been reading books and articles in the field of Lewis studies. This volume is one of the most original and fascinating books on Lewis to appear in a long time.” —Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, AL

The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis

The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis PDF Author: Jerry Root
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426795114
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 260

Get Book Here

Book Description
Narnia, Perelandra—places of wonder and longing. The White Witch, Screwtape—personifications of evil. Aslan—a portrait of the divine. Like Turkish Delight, some of C.S. Lewis’s writing surprises and whets our appetite for more. But some of his works bite and nip at our heels. What enabled C.S. Lewis to create such vivid characters and compelling plots? Perhaps it was simply that C.S. Lewis had an unsurpassed imagination. Or perhaps he had a knack for finding the right metaphor or analogy that awakened readers’ imaginations in new ways. But whatever his gifts, no one can deny that C.S. Lewis had a remarkable career, producing many books in eighteen different literary genres, including: apologetics, autobiography, educational philosophy, fairy stories, science fiction, and literary criticism. And while he had and still has critics, Lewis' works continue to find devoted readers. The purpose of this book is to introduce C.S. Lewis through the prism of imagination. For Lewis, imagination is both a means and an end. And because he used his own imagination well and often, he is a practiced guide for those of us who desire to reach beyond our grasp. Each chapter highlights Lewis’s major works and then shows how Lewis uses imagination to captivate readers. While many have read books by C.S. Lewis, not many readers understand his power to give new slants on the things we think we know. More than a genius, Lewis disciplined his imagination, harnessing its creativity in service of helping others believe more deeply. “Truly fresh, rhetorically astute works about C. S. Lewis are rare, but this provocative new volume by Jerry Root and Mark Neal emerges at just the right time to reinvigorate Lewis scholarship beyond the clichés we continue to repeat to each other. The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis delivers just that salvo, an ingenious, empathetic, lavishly informed elucidation of Lewis’s understanding of the life of the imagination.” —Bruce L. Edwards, Professor Emeritus of English and Africana Studies, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH “Our grasp of ‘imagination’ is such a pale and paltry thing; Neal and Root offer a much-needed corrective by illustrating Lewis’s robust use of the word. The happy result is a more accurate and nuanced reading of Lewis. But there is more: through their careful work, we are graced with a rich, new vocabulary to discern and describe the many uses of creative imagination all around us.” —Diana Pavlac Glyer, Professor of English at Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, author of The Company They Keep: C .S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community “This fabulous book on Lewis’s imagination will delight readers new to Lewis and those who, like the authors, have been reading him for decades. It shimmers with the joy of exploration and discovery. The Surprising Imagination of C. S. Lewis is a reliable and inspiring guide not only to Lewis but to a treasure trove of imaginative books that fired Lewis’s own imagination. In Robert Frost’s delightful phrase, this book is the occasion for a ‘fresh think.’” —Wayne Martindale, Emeritus Professor of English, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL “Jerry Root and Mark Neal make excellent use of Lewis's literary criticism of other authors to show how he employed different varieties of imagination in his own works. The result is a good book about Lewis and an even better one on the capacity of imagination to enrich each of our lives every day.” —Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN “For nearly four decades I have been reading books and articles in the field of Lewis studies. This volume is one of the most original and fascinating books on Lewis to appear in a long time.” —Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, AL

Further Up & Further in

Further Up & Further in PDF Author: Bruce Edwards
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780805440706
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
This new popular-level book from a renowned C.S. Lewis scholar is sure to enable Lewis buffs, new and old, to gain immense access and understanding to the creator of the world of Narnia.

Narnian Virtues

Narnian Virtues PDF Author: Thomas Lickona
Publisher: Lutterworth Press
ISBN: 0718895908
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
In this engaging and practical book Mark Pike and Thomas Lickona show how C.S. Lewis' wisdom for nurturing good character, and his much-loved Chronicles of Narnia, inspire us to virtue. Drawing upon the Judeo-Christian virtues of faith, hope and love and 'Narnian' virtues such as courage, integrity and wisdom, they present an approach to contemporary character education validated by recent research. An introduction to C.S. Lewis' thought on character and faith is followed by practical examples of how to use well-known passages from the Narnia novels as a stimulus for rich character development at home and in the classroom.

Hobbit Lessons

Hobbit Lessons PDF Author: Devin Brown
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426778805
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 99

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Book Description
Lessons on joy, friendship, dedication, sacrifice, and more will appeal to Hobbit fans, parents, teachers, librarians, graduates—and anyone looking for a creative way to explore timeless life lessons and important values of faith. Millions of fans worldwide have been attracted to The Hobbit for its unique combination of high adventure and profound truths. Tapping the excitement around the highly-anticipated Hobbit movie trilogy, Tolkien-scholar, Devin Brown, now presents a fast-paced and easy-to-follow presentation of timeless spiritual messages to help navigate your journey. Peppered with illustrations throughout, Hobbit Lessons offers troll-sized portions of relevance and regular nuggets of good Hobbit sense. The result is a collection of tangible bites of wisdom that are not only deeply moving but also great fun.

C.S. Lewis in Context

C.S. Lewis in Context PDF Author: Doris T. Myers
Publisher: Kent State University Press
ISBN: 9780873386173
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
C. S. Lewis in Context approaches Lewis' fiction through the linguistic controversies of his day, & develops a framework within which to evaluate his works & clarify his literary contributions. This valuable study will appeal to literary & linguistic scholars as well as to general enthusiasts of Lewis' fiction.

Word and Story in C. S. Lewis

Word and Story in C. S. Lewis PDF Author: Peter J. Schakel
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1556355874
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 331

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Book Description
Word and Story has broken new ground by enlisting well-known scholars in the examination of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative, both as stated in theory and as exemplified in practice. Never before has such clear, significant, and thorough work in these areas been brought together in one place. This compilation of sixteen essays demonstrates how an awareness of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative is essential to a full understanding and appreciation of his thought and works. The contributors examine Lewis's poetry, The Dark Woods, Studies in Words, and other works that have so far received little attention, in addition to more familiar parts of the Lewis canon. By approaching Lewis primarily as an artist and theorist, not just a Christian apologist, these essays offer new insights into his creative imagination, critical acumen, and his craftsmanship as a writer. One comes away from this book with a fresh vision and with heightened expectation, eager to return to Lewis's works.

Pastors in the Classics

Pastors in the Classics PDF Author: Leland Ryken
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 0801071976
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
This one-of-a-kind resource introduces pastors and seminarians to wisdom found in literary classics that can shape their ministries today.

THE HERO PARADIGM IN FANTASY NOVELS

THE HERO PARADIGM IN FANTASY NOVELS PDF Author: ELIANA IONOAIA
Publisher: Editura Universității din București - Bucharest University Press
ISBN: 6061611277
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
Cartea The Hero Paradigm in Fantasy Novels este una interdisciplinară și se înscrie în perimetrul studiilor culturale literare, cu descinderi în mitologie, antropologie culturală, şi studiile filmului. Tipologia eroului este analizată aşa cum apare în mitologie şi basm, înainte de a fi investigate romanele fantastice scrise de J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis și J.K. Rowling, romane de secol XX ale căror rădăcini se regăsesc în cele două genuri precedente ale modului literaturii fantastice. Aceleaşi romane au fost ecranizate, trecând din modul lecturii în cel al vizualului şi chiar în cel al virtualului (al jocurilor video/pe computer). Cartea argumentează că eroii par să se afle în cădere liberă de-a lungul secolelor, ajungându-se la o epocă posteroică în secolul al XX-lea. Însă literatura fantastică și filmele bazate pe astfel de romane par să înlocuiască mitologia și eroismul tipic acesteia, reușind să insufle un nou interes în paradigma eroică.

The Living Church

The Living Church PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 614

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Book Description


C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil

C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil PDF Author: Jerry Root
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
ISBN: 0227903005
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
C.S. Lewis was concerned about an aspect of the problem of evil he called subjectivism: the tendency of one's perspective to move towards self-referentialism and utilitarianism. In C.S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil, Jerry Root provides a holistic reading of Lewis by walking the reader through all of Lewis's published work as he argues Lewis's case against subjectivism. Furthermore, the book reveals that Lewis consistently employed fiction to make his case, as virtually all of his villains are portrayed assubjectivists. Lewis's warnings are prophetic; this book is not merely an exposition of Lewis, it is also a timely investigation into the problem of evil.