Why CS Lewis matters to Catholics, with Fr Michael Ward
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- Our guest for this 83rd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, is Fr Michael Ward, the English literary critic and theologian and an internationally recognised expert on the writings of CS Lewis.
Perhaps best known for his 2010 book Planet Narnia, Fr Ward is an associate member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. He played the role of a vicar in The Most Reluctant Convert, the CS Lewis biopic. He has also reviewed films and plays for the Catholic Herald and other media. He talks to Dr Gavin Ashenden about why Lewis continues to appeal to millions of Catholics and to discuss where Lewis’s theology would fit in today’s ecclesial landscape.
By not engaging in theology he seems to make himself more available to more people . Even though he seemed to land more often than not in catholic regions . Thank you Mr A.
Great conversation, thank you gentlemen.
Riveting. Thank you so much.
Great episode…thank you again Mr A
Thank you so much for this enlightening and entertaining conversation. I saw an interview with Mr. Walter Hooper, and I believe one of his responses was that C.S. Lewis would eventually have converted to Catholicism due to the many changes in Anglicanism. There seems to me to be some assumption in England that leaving the CoE will make you less English. Clearly there are many examples including you two gentlemen that shows one can love England very deeply and be Catholic. God bless you both and all who made this video possible. Christ's peace be with you both.
I always find it very strange, but I find these Anglican converts far more Catholic than we from the cradle Catholics.
A good example being St John Henry Newman.
They have very much to teach us.
My observation exactly.
I think that you underestimate the effect of CS Lewis coming from my home City of Belfast, especially at the time of his birth. It was and continued to be the area of the most radically, died in the wool anti- Catholic bigotry on the entire planet.
Lewis was certain to have been infected by this.
I think CS Lewis genuinely was "merely Christian", he wasn't big into ceremony or ritual, he didn't think much of church music, and I doubt he would have had much time for either the ultra traditionalists or the modernists, or those who use the Church as a platform for secular fashions and politics. He said as much in his books. And in his time it was possible to be that way in the Anglican church. That was before the radical modernists took over.
I read George Macdonalds fairy tales about 40yrs ago……amazing stuff . Would recommend it .
Absolutely tangible environments 🌄Spirituality uplifting 🌅💕
Hi everyone, this fascinating conversation comes so close to one of my favourite stories about C.S. Lewis and faith-but doesn’t quite get there! I believe I first heard this from Walter Hooper himself, though memory may have added some of its own embelishments. After Hooper became Catholic, he met St. John Paul II, who greeted him warmly: 'Walter Hooper! Walter Hooper! Tell me, do you still miss your old friend, C.S. Lewis?' Hooper replied, 'Yes, I do-both *philia* and *storge* ,' referencing 'The Four Loves,' which was one of the Pope’s favourites. This drew a laugh, but then John Paul became serious: 'The thing about C.S. Lewis was, not only did he know his apostolate... he *lived* it.' And perhaps we can agree-he still is.
There was a Latin correspondence between C.S. Lewis and Don Giovanni Calabria, who has since been canonized. The letters have been published, with English translations. Fr Calabria didn't speak English, so he wrote to C.S. Lewis in Latin to express his admiration for "The Screwtape Letters."
As I recall, Lewis wrote to Fr Calabria that the best case for the papacy would be a reigning pope acting in defense primarily of the central Christian affirmations (ie, Mere Christianity) against unbelief and relativism and naturalism. That would be an effective apologia for the need for the papal ministry of primacy. And, in fairness. there have been Anglican theologians who were willing to accept some kind of papal primacy. Lewis could say that and still be within the pale of Prayer Book Anglicanism.
Lewis also pointed out (I think in the collection "Fern-seed and Elephants") that an overweening papacy seemed to be a blank cheque for doctrinal innovation, forced from above. That is a valid concern: there are Catholics who think the pope receives ongoing revelation and is free to contradict settled doctrine.
Also, C.S. Lewis was influenced by Richard Hooker's thought, in which Hooker made a very reasoned case against Puritanism and for a "Catholicity" that does not depend on the Bishop of Rome. Hooker's brilliant Anglican Thomistic synthesis and magnificent English prose left its mark on Lewis. Lewis was a scholar of medieval and Renaissance literature, and he read and admired Hooker even before Lewis returned to Christian faith.
I would imagine most Anglicans have moved away from The 39 Articles to better understand them as historical much like the Church of Ireland's statement a few years ago. And with this, recognizing the teaching authority of the papacy. As a life professed (26 years)Third Order Franciscan brother, I'm comfortable with that tension.
I have one comment to this riveting conversation: Dr Ashenden you mention the Lady of the green kirtle in the silver chair : it is not the children but the Marshwiggle who comments that they choose to believe that there is an overland where the sun is shining, despite the lady 's attempt to persuade them that there isn't really. I think it is rather important, it is a little bit łike Polycarp
Father is the heavenly one JEHOVAH nobody should be called a spiritual father only JEHOVAH.