JOYFUL CHRISTIAN

Rating:
Summary: A Joyful Read!
Review: "The Joyful Christians" is definitely a 5 star volume.

Contained in this book are 127 readings from many of Lewis' greatest apologetically works ("The Abolition of Man", "Mere Christianity", "Miracles", "The Problem of Pain"), and even a few from the fictitious "Screwtape Letters". Topics range from deep theological matters - such as prayer, Divine omnipotence, the three-personal God - to more applicable subjects like sexual morality, marriage, divorce, Scripture reading, etc. This is a superb compendium of Lewis' main arguments for many subjects pertaining to the Christian life. New Lewis readers will find "The Joyful Christian" very interesting and delightful, especially since the book is organized according to subject. If you're looking for a Lewis quote on a particular subject, this is an excellent resource. Great for new readers and old timers alike.

Rating:
Summary: Lewis' compelling theology:
Review: C.S. Lewis' works, insofar as I have read them, are philosophically and theologically well considered. Of course, that is an understatement. He shies away from no serious question or "problem". He was the most important apologist of the twentieth century.
The Joyful Christian is a collection of 127 readings drawn from his extensive body of work, varying in length from a few sentences to several pages. This reader found only a few discussions in which (I believe) Lewis errs. Most of this collection is very sound (again an understatement). At the same time I was reading this volume, I was reading the thoughts of another well-known 20th century theologian, who was in search of the "historical Jesus." Lewis' thoughts on the subject were much closer to being correct: "In the last generation we promoted the construction of such a 'historical Jesus' on liberal and humanitarian lines; we are now putting forward a new 'historical Jesus' on Marxian, catastrophic, and revolutionary lines. The advantages of these constructions, which we intend to change every thirty years or so, are manifold. ...for each 'historical Jesus' is unhistorical. The documents say what they say ...each new 'historical Jesus' therefore has to be got out of them by suppression at one point and exaggeration at another ...religion of this kind is false to history..."
Lewis on 'Prudence': "Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children... as St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary, He told us to be not only 'as harmless as doves' but also 'as wise as serpents.' He wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but he also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job... He wants everyone to use what sense they have."
Lewis on 'Hope': "The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither."
Lewis on 'Apologetics': "The great difficulty is to get modern audiences to realize that you are preaching Christianity solely and simply because you happen to think it is true; they always suppose you are preaching it because you like it or think it good for society or something of that sort..."
'The Joyful Christian' is one of the best collections of theological thought and Christian apologetics you are likely to find.

Rating:
Summary: Lewis' compelling theology:
Review: C.S. Lewis' works, insofar as I have read them, are philosophically and theologically well considered. Of course, that is an understatement. He shies away from no serious question or "problem". He was the most important apologist of the twentieth century.
The Joyful Christian is a collection of 127 readings drawn from his extensive body of work, varying in length from a few sentences to several pages. This reader found only a few discussions in which (I believe) Lewis errs. Most of this collection is very sound (again an understatement). At the same time I was reading this volume, I was reading the thoughts of another well-known 20th century theologian, who was in search of the "historical Jesus." Lewis' thoughts on the subject were much closer to being correct: "In the last generation we promoted the construction of such a 'historical Jesus' on liberal and humanitarian lines; we are now putting forward a new 'historical Jesus' on Marxian, catastrophic, and revolutionary lines. The advantages of these constructions, which we intend to change every thirty years or so, are manifold. ...for each 'historical Jesus' is unhistorical. The documents say what they say ...each new 'historical Jesus' therefore has to be got out of them by suppression at one point and exaggeration at another ...religion of this kind is false to history..."
Lewis on 'Prudence': "Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children... as St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary, He told us to be not only 'as harmless as doves' but also 'as wise as serpents.' He wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but he also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job... He wants everyone to use what sense they have."
Lewis on 'Hope': "The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither."
Lewis on 'Apologetics': "The great difficulty is to get modern audiences to realize that you are preaching Christianity solely and simply because you happen to think it is true; they always suppose you are preaching it because you like it or think it good for society or something of that sort..."
'The Joyful Christian' is one of the best collections of theological thought and Christian apologetics you are likely to find.

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have for any Lewis Fan!
Review: From invariably the most influential apologist of the twentieth century comes one of the best collections of thoughts and essays ever compiled. From his thoughts on 'Intercourse in the Afterlife' to his view of Jesus Christ, Touchstone Books has struck gold with this brilliant excursion into the mind of C.S. Lewis. It is a true classic and is a must-have for any true fan of this century's greatest theologian!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Introduction to the Writings of C. S. Lewis
Review: The 127 excerpts gathered together in The Joyful Christian give an excellent introduction to the scope and range of C. S. Lewis' thought. The bibliography and list of sources in the back of this book are a panoramic picture of the legacy Lewis has left us.

These 127 excerpts also illustrate the cohesiveness of Lewis' thought. An excerpt from Surprised By Joy is consistent with what is found in The Abolition of Man. Other readings from Christian Reflections are consistent with what you would expect from the author of the Narnia and Perlandra series.

The excerpts, for the most part, are relatively short. One or even two readings can be completed in a relatively short time. A "daily reading" approach allows time for cogitation and meditation on the thoughts presented.

C. S. Lewis remains one of the most influential Christian writers of the 20th century, and rightly so. This collection is an excellent representation of the breadth of his philosophical and theological thought.

For someone looking for a representative sampling of Lewis' writings, The Joyful Christian is the one book to get.

Rating:
Summary: Great Lewis Compilation
Review: This book could properly be called "The C.S. Lewis Reader," because it is a collection of Lewis' essays, sermons, and excerpts from his books. The writings are arranged by topic. On the plus side, this format allows the reader to find out Lewis' thoughts about various topics. His brilliant mind tackles such issues as life on other planets, atheism, the Trinity, and over 120 other engaging topics. The negative is that many of the excerpts are usually only two or three paragraphs long and this does not allow a person access to Lewis' whole opinion on that particular subject. Still, the book includes an index that shows which books the essays were taken from. This allows the reader to explore Lewis' views more in depth. Overall, I highly recommend this book. It acts as an excellent introduction to the thought of C.S. Lewis for a new reader or a handy topical reference for those already familiar with him.

Rating:
Summary: A good compendium of Lewis' works
Review: This collection of Lewis' essays is a good read. It's well-categorized and as such, makes for a good "bathroom book". You can open it randomly, read a bit on a given topic and set it aside.

And it contains some of Lewis' best work and pithy sayings and profound wisdom. Lots of quotable quotes and also includes ideas that can be life changing if you let them hang around in your consciousness long enough.

I love "Jack's" writings anyway and this book is just a good collection of his best ideas.

However, my #1 favorite Lewis book is "The Screwtape Letters" which should be read in it's entirety.

Rating:
Summary: A good compendium of Lewis' works
Review: This collection of Lewis' essays is a good read. It's well-categorized and as such, makes for a good "bathroom book". You can open it randomly, read a bit on a given topic and set it aside.

And it contains some of Lewis' best work and pithy sayings and profound wisdom. Lots of quotable quotes and also includes ideas that can be life changing if you let them hang around in your consciousness long enough.

I love "Jack's" writings anyway and this book is just a good collection of his best ideas.

However, my #1 favorite Lewis book is "The Screwtape Letters" which should be read in it's entirety.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent in every way
Review: This is one of the few books that christians can read fo real incite. It gives real life applications to the bible and gives strength to those in need. The perfect gift for anyone going through a bad time in their life.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Compilation
Review: This work is a compilation of essays, chapters and letters of other works Lewis has written. They are arranged by topics. This is a great tool for someone who may not own all of Lewis' works, or (even if they own the works), would like to easily access the material on the basis of topic.