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C S Lewis & Friends – Faith & the Power of Imagination

Reviewed by Amanda Wilson.

In a climate where some Christians still regard fiction, especially fantasy, with some suspicion (e.g. J K Rowling, Philip Pullman), a book re-examining the work of Christians writing fiction in the 1930s to 1960s is a welcome reminder that literature can be a force, not only for entertainment and enlightenment, but to express spiritual ideas in a uniquely powerful way. However, unless you already know not only the works of Lewis but also the lesser known writers, and likewise are comfortable with literary criticism, this book is probably not for you. 

C.S. Lewis and Friends is a collection of six essays exploring the ways in which the writers (C S Lewis, Austin Farrer, Dorothy L Sayers, Charles Williams, Rose McAuley and J R R Tolkien) used their fiction as an imaginative exploration of Christian truths – much time is spent on a definition of 'imagination' and on how each author understood the term. The contributors, mainly from U S Universities and Colleges, take one author each and provide an overview of their work and how it explores theological issues, focusing finally on the threads running through each writer's imaginative vision of the world. I found the English contributor on Dorothy L Sayers,  Professor Ann Loades of Durham University, the easiest to read – it was news to me that Lord Peter Wimsey, or even his creator, was exploring issues of judgement and peacemaking between the world wars. I enjoyed the final essay on Tolkein's Sorrowful vision of Joy by Ralph C Wood as I am very familiar with Lord of the Rings, highlighting my problem with some of the rest of the book. As I had never heard of, far less read, many of the books examined, I struggled to remain interested in the conclusions of the erudite essayists. So this is a book for serious readers only.