C. S. Lewis - Christianity and Culture

We have partnered with Orthodox Depot, the premier marketplace for Christian goods, boasting an extensive selection of high-quality and affordable handcrafted crosses, prayer ropes, icons, books, and even apparel. Orthodox Depot is dedicated to aiding Orthodox communities worldwide. Notably, they successfully raised funds for the restoration of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Serbia. Use the referral link below to support the channel!

[rachelbytheriver]

I'm going to get to heaven and make a beeline to C. S. Lewis to say hi and then be extremely confused when I don't hear him reply in this voice.

[samsontesfay]

It would be an understatement to say, C S Lewis was an intellectual giant of his day.

[JMLUSA]

As Often occurs, I clumsily grasp for Deeper Understanding and clarification in searching YouTube.
Associated with my newly acquired zeal for exploring "Apologetics", as a means to reaching and Positively Intriguing, if not outrightly Converting, these recent generations, specifically my own young adult children. I THANK You for these posts! I Pray, they will help me shine the light of our Savior JESUS into thier Worldly Bombarded Hearts and minds.
I can, in this case thank algorithms for putting these writings in my field of veiw. However, Moreover, I believe the Spirit of the Lord works for the good and for His Glory in all the lives of those of us whom are called Children of God, and who "Humble Themselves and Pray".
I type all of that, probably grammatically horrible, to say THANK YOU! God Bless You and Your Efforts!

[waynecook]

Godbless C.S.Lewis! An apologetic/evangelistic before its time, some may even say prophetic! But most certainly an erudite, analytical & logical thinker, of the highest quality. And also one of the finest English bread, and educated examples of all time. Not even mentioning his fiction works!
Bravo C.S.Lewis. bravo 👏
W.A.Cook.from England 🇬🇧

[Pattilapeep]

Absolutely marvelous. CS Lewis did a perfect impression of writing in the style of Herodotus, and this narrator is just perfect. Thank you for this and have a very Merry Christmas!

[kengtan]

I have read two of his books; Mere Christianity and Screwtape Letters. Thanks Mr C.S. Liews.

[flavasava]

Honestly thank you so much for posting these essays

[superapex]

This is very interesting...
I remember as a boy being subjected to the idea that ALL that mattered was 'culture'.
If one was 'cultured', one would 'automatically' be a good man.
As for being a saint, well that was comprised in the all-encompassing notion of being a 'gentleman'.
You see, if you were 'cultured', you would not only automatically be a good man but also a gentleman - one could eventually get away with having a mistress without falling from grace but that's another topic altogether.
Needless to say, we weren't churchgoers and 'culture' had become an idol in my family circle.
Having said this, 'bourgeois' (Christian) culture does have its place as an adjuvant to good morals but should never be considered as an end in itself nor as a replacement for the Sacraments...

[melhartsings]

thank you SO MUCH for posting these essays!!!!

[ericmcdonough]

You know, it’s almost as if all this Jesus stuff might just be really really important

[j.veerman]

00:34 - 1. Christianity and Culture
34:56 - 2. To the editor of 'Theology'
40:50 - 3. Peace Proposals for Br.Every and Mr.Bethell

[JKinder]

I fell asleep listening to this and dreamed I was listening to a sermon by a new priest at our FSSP parish and I was super confused lol

[j.veerman]

As for Lewis' approach of this subject, that 'intellectual and æsthetic activity signifies nothing if there is no heavenly life in you', I totally agree with him. His description of the christian view on culture, however, is somewhat meagre.
It can not be denied that there is a trend in Scripture that is opposed to certain expressions of culture. Lewis' NT-examples might be easily supplemented with several from the OT: the tower of Babel, the multi-colored coat of Joseph, Samuel's resistance against the call for a king, the renunciation of Daniel and his friends from the food of Nebuchadnezzar, etc.
However, this doesn't mean that Scripture considers culture as something negative. Rather, making the earth habitable is a divine command: Adam is put in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and guard it (Gen.2, 15); and doing this with the sweat on his face (Gen.3, 19), is his fate after the Fall. Nevertheless, that's a grace of God: by working with our physical, intellectual and æsthetic abilities we can make our life liveable.
That's why David is playing an harp to refresh king Saul, Solomon is building a splendid temple, and priest and prophets are writing carefully composed prose and poetry, inspired by examples from neighbouring nations (Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Song of Songs, Ps.119, etc.).
Products of other cultures, to honour the Eternity. It's exactly how it goes in the tale that Lewis is mentioning: that of the Magi. The story is referring to Ps.72, 10, where kings from Tarshish and of Sheba are offering gifts to a Messianic Prince; and it is pointing forward to Rev.21, 25f, where the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into the New Jerusalem.
Culture can of course, as Lewis puts it (his essay was written 1940), become very harmful. According to Scripture it already went so in the beginning: God saw the wickedness on the earth and repented He had made man (Gen.6, 5f). Yet we may not forget that His Spirit is still striving with people (Gen.6, 3), encouraging them to do what is right (Rom.1:20f), and is filling them (Ex.35, 31), to free sparks of the great light, that is hidden in all creation and in every human life.

[thomastroxel]

I liked the talk of "Good" and "Bad". Is there Good which is Bad, or Bad which is Good? All Good Will not be Grown from. Was the "Act" Good, or was the "Result" Good? The results often place your mind within a situation where you feel accomplishment that doesn't actually aid Growth. It can aid laziness instead, depending on "What" was acquired, by "What exact Work". And "Which" are you "Praising"? The "Work"? Or possibly the "Result"? And what will such self praise get me? What is the result on my self? But can't we always learn easily from "Bad"? Is this "Good"? Should we hope for the "Bad", that we more easily "Grow" with less needed Thought? Would such an entire life be considered "Good" or "Bad"? "Good" if it was "Bad", and "Bad" if it was "Good"? What do we "Desire"? As we decide upon this, doesn't the CONFUSING cycle just continue? And keep setting us up with the EXACT same "Question"?

[terrance]

These are very helpful. Thank you for your efforts in putting this channel and these essays together

[tomnorton]

Hold on, if you can't have a Christian literature, then what were the Chronicles of Narnia?

[Kevin-dzrv]

Where did you get the voice of the elder scrolls oblivion npc?

[christophersnedeker]

My arguments for culture are these, if goodness and beauty are eternal aspects of God then sensitivity to them and ability to decern them in art, nature, food ect must help our relationship to God. Just as the ability to recognize a sound argument in secular life allows us to better decern theological arguments and let's us better appreciate their beauty. They also as Lewis said allow us to better enjoy our recreational pleasures.

The other argument comes from St Gregory of Nyssa's interpretation of exodus 3 22, the the goods that were plundered from the eygptians represent all that is good in pagan and secular culture, stories, music, art, food, science, the useful trades ect. There is a danger of this becoming idolatrous, as in the example of the golden calf, but it was also used to make the Ark of the Covenant. I also see culture represented in the "glories of the nations" that are carried into the New Jerusalem.

[deepethree]

Random strain of thought work with me. Could we as mankind be using culture to distract ourselves from our true purpose???

For example if we put all of our brains together in a sort of hive mind block chain of different perspectives and simply dug into the Bible as a people what would happen?

[samuellbrowning]

So who’s the voice of these if not Lewis himself?