Lesser-Known Lewis: Christian Reflections on C. S. Lewis's Essays and Short Works

Exploring the second part of C.S. Lewis' 1959 article "The Efficacy of Prayer" where Lewis questions if there is a way we can find out if prayer really works. Like the last essay, this leads Lewis to exploring what prayer is and is not. It is first a request to a person. But prayer is more than a form of communication, it is a form of connection, a mode of relating to a person. Not surprisingly it is only through connecting with God that we can find any answer to the initial question because "What he does is learned from what he is." Lewis also begs us to consider whether those who seem to get their prayers answered by God frequently are truly as favoured by God as they seem. If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "The Efficacy of Prayer" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find out more about Lesser Known Lewis, their episodes, and how you can support them, at their webpage pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring the first part of C.S. Lewis' 1959 article "The Efficacy of Prayer" where Lewis questions if there is a way we can find out if prayer really works. Like the last essay, this leads Lewis to exploring what prayer is and is not. It is first a request to a person. But prayer is more than a form of communication, it is a form of connection, a mode of relating to a person. Not surprisingly it is only through connecting with God that we can find any answer to the initial question because "What he does is learned from what he is." Lewis also begs us to consider whether those who seem to get their prayers answered by God frequently are truly as favoured by God as they seem. If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "The Efficacy of Prayer" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the concept of prayer and its connection to work. They explore the idea of petitionary prayer and its significance despite God's all-knowing nature. The hosts emphasize the role of humans in shaping the world through prayer and action, highlighting the powerful and dignifying nature of prayer. They also delve into the connection between prayer and conforming to God's will, discussing how prayer corrects our requests and actions. Additionally, the podcast explores the impact of prayer in challenging situations and the power of unanswered prayers according to C.S. Lewis.

In this episode, the hosts discuss their partnership with Pints with Jack and introduce the upcoming season. They explore C.S. Lewis' essay on work and prayer, focusing on counterpoints and the significance of petitionary prayer. The speakers reflect on personal narratives and how theology shapes prayers.

All of Season 1 we have been drawing connections from what C.S. Lewis wrote about the crises in his world to the crises in ours. In this episode, we take a moment to recap and reflect, but then to make a more important connection between what Lewis wrote in these essays to what is written in scripture. Of course, we find Lewis to be a biblically faithful writer, but now we ask, specifically, which scriptures would fit well with the topics, themes, and truths Lewis taught us in Season 1.  Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (@jesssyratt on Twitter)

Exploring a published letter that Lewis wrote in 1939, titled "Conditions for a Just War," where he challenges the usefulness of the well-known "conditions" that theologians often use to evaluate whether a war is just or not. Lewis points out that the conditions were originally meant to be employed by princes who were the only people who had the right or responsibility of choosing to go to war. Therefore, for Lewis, the average citizen in a democracy does not bear the moral responsibility of what their nation decides to do as a nation. This leads us to question whether, and to what degree, Lewis is right and begin to consider what role citizens have in ensuring their governments are not corrupt. We end by considering what would be the best way to witness to the Gospel when our nation joins a war (or does anything) that seems unjust. If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Conditions for a Just War" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1963 article “The Seeing Eye” where Lewis challenges those who would use scientific discoveries (specifically, with space travel in mind) to try and disprove aspects of the Christian faith. Lewis explains that you will always find God in creation if you are open to it — "much depends on the seeing eye." It is one of the most personally challenging essays so far, instructing us on how to find God and revealing the ways we may be avoiding him. It also causes us to reflect on how God and creation are related and gives us compelling ways to think about the incarnation of Jesus, and how God, in his love, pursues us always, even when we cannot seem to see him.  If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "The Seeing Eye" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1958 article “Religion and Rocketry” where Lewis considers the threat of Aliens! That is, if they turn out to be real, does that challenge our Christian faith? This thought experiment deepens our appreciation of Christ’s incarnation and redemption, of how great God's love is for us, and teaches us how to contextualize the gospel and be more humble when we share the good news. Also, we finally get into Narnia! If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Religion and Rocketry" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring three of C.S. Lewis’s articles from 1944: “Blimpophobia,” “A Dream,” and “Private Bates.” In all of these Lewis voices his concerns over political leaders extending their emergency powers too far for too long at the end of WW2. Lewis explains why this may backfire and lead to worse circumstances the next time a world crisis happens and gives some warnings about what happens when the general public becomes disillusioned with potential propaganda from government and media. Sound familiar? We thought so too. Fortunately, Lewis has some good wisdom for us to consider moving ahead in our own “post-Covid” world. If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "A Dream" or "Blimpophobia" or "Private Bates" you can find links to them in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).

Exploring C.S. Lewis’s 1940 article “The Necessity of Chivalry” where Lewis defines and illustrates what the ideal for masculinity should be — a man who is not just a warrior, neither just a tame, civilized, and refined man, but a man who is "both to the nth". Lewis explains how when men are only allowed to be one or the other, it is a danger to all of society. It seems what Lewis writes in this essay 82-year-old essay is extremely relevant to what some, like Jordan Peterson, consider extremely important at the present. We find it to be a helpful description of what a man can and should be in a time when the warrior side of masculinity has been labeled as toxic. We also consider how we might go about disciplining ourselves and others to grow towards this well-rounded ideal of masculinity that Lewis sees in medieval Knights like Sir Lancelot.  If you want to read or listen to C.S. Lewis' "Meditation on the Third Commandment" you can find links to it in print, online, and in audio format at pintswithjack.com/essays Find more Lesser-Known Lewis —  Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pintswithjack.com/lesser-known-lewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lesserknownlewis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesser-Known Lewis Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: lesserknownlewis@gmail.com Graphic Design by Angus Crawford. Music by Jessica Syratt (Twitter: @jesssyratt).