C.S. Lewis' Christian Conversion

Think the Narnia Chronicles are all that's to author C.S. Lewis? Think again. C.S. Lewis' was an influential Christian author whose works are still alive and relevant in today's world. His written words speak to us over the gulf of time, providing us with messages of love and hope.

What is surprising is that Lewis was not always a Christian, but was a committed atheist for much of his youth. God had other plans for the young author, including his conversion to Christianity in his early thirties.

Born Clive Staples Lewis in Ireland in 1898, friends and family called him "Jack", a name Lewis gave himself at the age of four after his dog Jacksie died in a car accident. He grew up in a happy home, filled with books and freedom in the Irish countryside. Lewis and his older brother Warren were creative partners when they were young, creating the imaginary world of "Boxen", where talking animals populated their stories.

At the age of nine, his tranquil family life was shattered with the death of his mother, and both Lewis and Warren were shipped off to England to attend strict boarding schools. A few years later, in 1913, Lewis abandoned his childhood Christian faith, becoming an atheist. He had concluded that the Christian "myth" was inferior to other religious myths. In his book Surprised by Joy, where he recounts his conversion to Christianity, Lewis states that he had been "very angry with God for not existing". At age seventeen, he explained to a friend, "I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them, and from a philosophical standpoint Christianity is not even the best."

After attending university at Oxford, he enlisted in the British Army and served as an officer during World War I. After returning to Oxford after being wounded, Lewis completed his studies, and became a respected college instructor in the following years.

Although Lewis had turned his back on God and Christianity, God certainly did not forget about him. Although some biographies contend that Lewis had a "Road to Damascus" conversion, like Paul's dramatic change of heart on the roadside, most scholars admit that Lewis' conversion was a longer process.

Lewis writes, "In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed," describing himself as "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Although Lewis was filled with doubts and concerns regarding Christianity, God seemed to be preparing Lewis's heart for change.

In September, 1931, when Lewis was thirty three years old, he had a long discussion about Christianity with J.R.R. Tolkien (who was a devout Roman Catholic) and Hugo Dyson (a friend and committed Christian). That all-night conversation planted even more "seeds" in Lewis's heart. Lewis wrote in Surprised by Joy about what happened a week later as he headed out to a local zoo with his brother Warren: "When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did."

Apparently sometime during that ride God touched Lewis's heart, and opened his eyes to Jesus' love and compassion. Was this his Damascus story -- conversion on the way to the zoo? Or was it a culmination of all the "seeds" that had been planted throughout Lewis's life? Only God and Lewis know for certain, but after his conversion, God certainly started to bless Lewis's life, including his writing.

In David C. Downing's book "The Most Reluctant Convert", Downing writes, " In the first half of his life, his reputation as a writer rested on two slim volumes of poetry, both of which went out of print nearly as soon as they were issued. But the second half of his life brought forth one of the most remarkable writing careers of the twentieth century, a period in which he wrote more than forty books, including acknowledged classics in the fields of Christian apologetics' and meditation, science fiction, children's literature and literary scholarship."

A short time later, a group of Lewis and his friends, mostly academics from Oxford, formed The Inklings, a literary discussion group that met once a week. The group encouraged each other as they wrote fiction, especially fantasy. Although not an exclusive Christian group, many of its members were Christians including J.R.R. Tolkein, Lewis, Hugo Dyson and Charles Williams. Similar to today's writing clubs or fiction workshops, the group's main purpose was to discuss the authors' works. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Lewis's Out of the Silent Planet, and Williams' All Hallows' Eve were just a few on their review list.

Lewis went on to became a prolific author of Christian works, including letters, radio broadcasts, fiction, and non-fiction.

In 1941, The Screwtape Letters were published in weekly installments. Lewis gave all the proceeds from this publication to charity. Lewis' most famous work, The Narnia Chronicles, were published from 1950 - 1956. Although not explicitly Christian-themed, the books clearly demonstrate a Christ-like figure in the character of Aslan.

In 2000, Mere Christianity was named the best book of the twentieth century by Christianity Today, after the magazine asked 100 of its contributors and Church leaders to vote for best book.

As wonderful as Lewis's writing career was, it is vital to realize that fortune and fame was not his ultimate goal. Downing states, "From Lewis's own writings we can see that he eventually came to regard literary success a secondary matter. The real story of Lewis's conversion, then, is not about dramatic changes in a man's career, but about dramatic changes in the man."

Today's biographies emphasize Lewis's vast scholarly work, but it's important to note that he followed Christian principles in his daily life. According to some accounts, he gave away two-thirds of his income, visited the sick, and personally served the poor. In Mere Christianity Lewis writes, "All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

After rejecting God for half of his life, Lewis clearly found that God was the source of true happiness. Thankfully, Lewis was open to God's message, and chose to share his ideas with the world.

"Now is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it."

-- C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity