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Summary: One of the best books ever
Review: The screwtape letters consists of about 30 letters from an old devil (litterally) to his younger devil nephew (also litterally). He gives his young friend all sorts of helpful advice, like, for instance, the way people act in the ways they think are helpful but actually is simply annoying (if you want details, read the book!), and other things the younger devil might have use of in his trying to make a young man a sinner. At several places in the book I thought things like "That's exactly the way people act!" and "Wow, I do that all the time!" and I can almost guarantee that you will, too. If you are christian, buy this book. If you aren't, buy this book anyway. If I made a list over the five most interesting books in the world, The Screwtape Letters would be there. P.S. Sorry about my bad english.
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Summary: Spiritual Counseling In Reverse...
Review: The Screwtape Letters is a classic whose wit, clever premise, and thought provoking themes have engaged the intellect of many readers for nearly half a century. There's not too much I can say about this book that others haven't, but I would recommend it to anyone (Christian or otherwise) who wants a great read. The "chapters" (letters between Screwtape and Wormwood) are brief and easy to understand, but have a depth that most novels can only hope for. As a final sidenote, this edition of The Screwtape Letters contains the essay "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" which Lewis wrote after the book became widely known.
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Summary: The subtle temptations of Evil.
Review: This allegory is both a hilarious and unsettling examination of the pitfalls that can trip up ANY Christian (irregardless of denomination) during his or her walk of faith. Again and again the administrative devil Screwtape offers advises to his novice nephew Wormwood on how best to distract, trip-up, or out and out blind a patient (Lewis's term for the human victim of the devil's temptations). Each letter is a microscopic examination on a worldly weakness, or strength, that can be slowly twisted and, without the patient being truly aware of it, lead him off the path to salvation. Anybody on the Christian path will no doubt chuckle and relate to these temptations, easily seeing his or her self facing the problematic issues that Screwtape urges Wormwood to exploit. I find it hard to believe that this book's of examination of faith and belief and how human weakness can either undermine or strengthen both can be surpassed, either in fiction or non. An essential book.
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Summary: Wit and Wisdom on the Cosmic Warfare over the Human Soul
Review: This is a powerful little book which you can read in an evening, full of wit and wisdom regarding the cosmic warfare over the human soul. Screwtape fills his letters to young Wormwood with diabolically clever advice on how to thoroughly entangle his patient in the snares which will keep him from the Enemy, namely Jesus Christ. Screwtape advices Wormwood on how to capitalize on such things as domestic relationships, war, friendship, love, and sex, and includes many critical insights on the nature of pleasure, laughter, triviality, love, lust, humility, pride, anxiety, resignation, fear, etc. Reading over Wormwood's shoulder will do two things for you: it will make you laugh (this is an incredibly funny book) and it will make you painfully aware of the demon whispering in your own ear. Few authors understand the psychological labyrinth of the human soul as Lewis does. He has a way of uncovering the subconscious motives and thought-processes of one's soul and forcing them into the bright light of true righteousness and love. I read this book last night (it is a quick read) for the fourth time and walked away freshly challenged, convicted, and encouraged in my spiritual life. I highly, highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Eye-Opening
Review: When someone espouses the virtues of a religion it is often easy for the discerning conscience to simply pass off the presented ideas as merely "one man's opinion." After all, how do we know, of all the moralists and theologists out there, who has it right, who is just convincing us with jargon? How, then, does an author (playing the role of theologist) who wishes to expose many of our modern ideas and behaviors, most which we consider normal and even righteous, as fraud and hypocrisy (in this case, as judged relative to the true nature of Christianity) maintain a sense of objectivity and persuasion? Simple: just let someone of a certain credibility speak for you. But the question is, exactly what kind of credibility should this someone have? In playing the Christian apologist, most of us would probably want an archangel as our orator. But that would risk being ridiculous: a perfectly divine author is only a greater incarnation of an author who tries to be perfectly moral, so there is still the problem of believability. Lewis' solution is to enlist the help of Screwtape, an assistant demon to Satan, and that of his mildly incompetent apprentice Wormwood. Lewis now has the upper hand on his reader; he can hit us where it hurts. We may not be responsive to an unrealistically perfect being who demands unrealistic perfection, but we will take notice when the forces of evil mock us for our ignorance of the truth. The Screwtape Letters is a collection of letters written solely by Screwtape to his apprentice Wormwood discussing Wormwood's earthly assignment of securing the damnation of a young man in Britain during WWII. Screwtape definitely knows the difference between right and wrong. But his job (like all devils) is to bring more souls into Hell, so naturally he encourages wrong and despises all good things. His letters are thus filled with true wisdom which we easily recognize and can learn a good deal from, but (from his perspective) is designed to warn Wormwood against the ways of the Enemy (God). Of course, the character of Screwtape is just a literary tool for Lewis to present his own ideas of moral goodness through the (often unhealthily fascinating) lens of evil. The concoction of this narrative perspective-which is actually the antithesis of Lewis'-has a psychological effect similar to world building in fantasy novels: we believe, even if momentarily or reluctantly, that these demons might actually exist...and what if they really do mock us? More abstractly (and importantly), do we, willingly or unwillingly, commit ourselves to Hell (literally or figuratively) because we fail to recognize good from evil? The vast majority of the book is occupied by Screwtape's revealing lessons on the foibles and hypocrisies of the people of the 20th century. Each letter is usually concerned with a moral theme. There are a few which stand out in my mind, and which I will take some time to touch upon now. In letter 29 Screwtape proposes that cowardice is one of the most loathsome sins because it prevents the real form of any other virtue from coming to fruition. Without courage how could we be merciful even when it means risking our own reputation? How can we be honest if we lack the courage to be ourselves? The idea of courage, as Screwtape points out, is also connected with a world full of suffering. God allows suffering to occur so that each virtue can be tested according to our own courage. Without this need to exercise our sense of virtue, there would be no really important moral issues in the world. Another interesting concept that pops up repeatedly is the notion of what is real. Thanks to our attachment to the material world, we often mistakenly interpret things as real when they really are not. For example, we think that when we witness war that we are seeing the "harsh reality of things" and yet we often tend to think that peace and prosperity are only artificial social conditions about which we have overly-optimistic opinions. In Screwtape's words, "when first he sees human remains plastered on a wall, that this is 'what the world is really like' and that all his religion has been a fantasy." But Lewis asks the question: why is this so? Why do we conveniently shift the meaning of the word "real" back and forth between the physical and the metaphysical? A religious experience (prayer during church, for example) is often passed off as a subjective (and largely fabricated) emotional response to what is "really" just a combination of superficial factors like the perception of music, light, and architecture. On the other hand, one school boy will lecture another: "you don't know what it's really like to be up on that high dive until you're up there." In the first case, "reality" is physical and in the second, metaphysical. One knows what it's like to be on a high dive without experiencing it, but only from the physical knowledge of the height of the platform, etcetera; almost anyone would contend, however, that this mere physical knowledge is not the "reality" of the experience of a high dive. This argument of "what is real" is one of the most critical elements of Lewis' apologetics because it is a defense against attacks on the objectivity of faith. The book was an eye-opener for me because it showed me a way out of the increasingly popular attempts to modernize and rationalize faith. We get so caught up in trying to morph our religion into a flawless personal philosophy that we miss the point: Christianity is really about the most basic principles we've always known it to be. It's not about being a "modern Christian" or a "sophisticated Christian" or about trying to reconcile the historical Jesus with the Gospels or about metaphorical reinterpretations. Faith isn't even about morals, at least not solely. It's about truth, about what actually happened 2000 years ago in the middle of some desert on the other side of the world. As Tolkien said, it's a myth, but one that actually occurred. Lewis too was no stranger to history, and it's people like him that every Christian should be thankful for.
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Summary: Brilliant
Review: I am in the minority of individuals who did not care for C.S Lewis's "Mere Christianity." Picking up this book, I thought would be just as bad as "Mere Christianity," but it turned out to be quite the opposite- simply brilliant. Lewis has amazing insight into what makes a man tick, and where the thorns are in his flesh are. I plan on reading this book a second time in the near future to better capture the fullness of what it has to say.
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Summary: Legendary Letters Feed Soul, Brain, and Funny Bone
Review: Witty, brief (no chapter more than four pages, the book easily read in an afternoon), timeless Truth presented with refreshing satire aimed where it should, C.S. Lewis' legendary "Screwtape Letters" is at once soul and brain food. Lewis tells his story through the title character, an experienced devil instructing his apprentice nephew to lure a young man to condemnation. The apprentice, Wormwood, tempts with everything from family (distancing prayers for the man's mother from behavior toward her) to social circle (flippant friends stray him from his new life, a new girlfriend moves him closer to it) to work and even worship. Lewis then flips God's love and law into effective, ironic Satanic reverses. He shows temptation most effective and deadly in its smallest doses: prayer posture, creation and consideration of an Historical Point of View (including an historical Jesus as opposed to One of faith). Lewis redefines gluttony, defends Puritanism, shows the misunderstanding of romantic feelings in love and sex, and misperception of the large ever-broken promise, "The Future." (This book must be read if only to debunk one of Henry Ford's most famous quotes and the cliched, selfish phrase "impose on my time.") Lewis shows (and Screwtape plants) the landmines of an early Christian walk: the role of a Church, of humor and the temptation inherent in its roots, Christian truth made trivial and a commodity beside social causes. He even dissects everyday, mundane pleasures (books, walks, music, wine, dated references to cigarettes) for their own sake and not as means to follow an ever more mediocre crowd. Lewis' final Screwtape letter is his most moving. Sarcasm joins sanctification as we learn target's and tempter's final fate. It ties to themes present throughout Lewis' letters and providing fodder for his conjoined, equally humorous essay, Screwtape Proposes A Toast: "The safest road to Hell is the gradual one...without milestones, without signposts..." This absolutely essential book is just such signpost; "The Screwtape Letters" is joyful, instructional, fun reading for anyone wishing to know what forces fight for the human soul.
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Summary: Typical Lewis Wit
Review: This is the first Lewis book that I have read and it made a permanent impression on me. This cut me to the heart when I read this my freshman year in high school. It has also given me hope in my darkest hour. As many know, Lewis engages the reader into a dialogue between two devils, Screwtape and his apprentice, Wormwood. Screwtape gives advice to Wormwood on how to tempt a new Christian. I have read this book several times and am conviced that it is either a perfect witnessing tool, or a tool to build up a young believer. I encourage the matured saint to master the book and become conversant with it, being able to enter into dialogue with Sceptics and young believers.
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Summary: Great to read and read again.
Review: When reading this book I was constantly thinking, "Wow, that is just what I do/think/experience." Lewis does an amazing job at exposing the tempations we all face, and he does it with humor and heart. It may not be a very recent book, but the subjects it addresses are so timeless and universal, it seems like it could have been written just last week. Every time I read this book, I discover something new.
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Summary: One of the few books I re-read every few years
Review: Awesome book. I first read "Screwtape Letters" in high school. I re-read it every few years (I'm now mid 30's), and I continue to learn from this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
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