Lewis: As I drew near to Christianity, I felt a resistance almost as strong as my previous resistance to theism. This highly readable and insightful "biography" of their friendship will be of interest to fans of Tolkien's and Lewis's work, presenting the synergy that their relationship created in a synergistic manner of its own. Tolkien didn’t simply recite talking points from “Christianity For Dummies” — he respected Lewis too much for that. ― C.S. Lewis was also a noted and charismatic lecturer, which is partly why the BBC invited him to give his “broadcast talks” about Christianity during World War 2. Tolkien started the conversation, but trusted God to do the rest. Lewis (1898-1963) and J.R.R. Lewis shared his encouragement with Tolkien, and Tolkien shared his faith with Lewis. Colin Duriez has spent much of his life studying Tolkien. Lewis, 79. Tolkien and C.S. As young Oxford dons, they discovered they shared a love of medieval northern European literature and, after Lewis (1898-1963), greatly aided by Tolkien (1892-1973), converted to Christianity, a common faith. Tolkien vs. Lewis on Faith and Fantasy I first read the Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings as a teenager, not realizing at the time that C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were close friends and fellow Christians. Without Lewis's encouragement, Tolkien may not have finished and published The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien led Lewis to christianity and they went to collage together. He became around this time (in his w They both served on the English faculty at Oxford University and were active in the informal Oxford literary … Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. Tolkien shared his faith through fellowship, intellect, and their mutual love of myth. 13. By contrast, Tolkien believed that the connection should be implicit, explaining that he deliberately “kept allusions to the highest matters down to mere hints” (Letters 201). Their meetings moved from Monday mornings to Thursday nights. Strong as it was, Tolkien and Lewis’ friendship faded with time, too. Latest was CS Lewis 4 Loves!. Eventually, a total of 19 men became members of the Inklings. Mythology invigorated them — as did each other’s company. Having one or two close friends beats the blue checkmark on Instagram. Honestly, I like them both equally. Tolkien zum Christentum bekehrte, entschied sich Lewis, der protestantischen Church of England beizutreten, der er bis zu seinem Tod angehörte. Yet Tolkien spearheading Lewis’ conversion from staunch atheist to one of the world’s most famous Christian writers and speakers should serve as inspiration for the deep impact friendships can have on our lives. Thus, he wrote numerous essays and a number of texts addressing a wide range of considerations that his friend Tolkien never discussed in print. Tolkien, then 19 and 24, served their time in the trenches. The doctrine of sub-creation was especially congenial to Tolkien, both as a Christian and as a fantasy writer. Tolkien was both." Lewis und Tolkien begegneten einander zum ersten Mal am 11. As many of you know, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were very good friends. Biography - childhood Introduction. __________________________________________________. For these friendships, rare as they are, are as precious as any relationship you will ever have. The site further added that in 1929, CS Lewis was on his knees and prayed to God desperately. His reconversion to Christianity was not a simple one. Tolkien claimed Lewis was his dearest friend from 1927 to 1940, and wrote his daughter that Lewis’ death in 1963 “feels like an axe-blow near the roots.”. C.S. Tolkien had helped Lewis see the light, but Jack’s fame and celebrity, which arrived soon after, was at odds with Tolkien’s quiet and devout ways. Justin is joined by Michael Jahosky author of ‘The Good News of the Return of the King: The Gospel in Middle Earth’ and Holly Ordway, author of ‘Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle Earth beyond the Middle Ages’. Lewis became a Christian when he was 32, and the immediate human cause of his conversion was a long conversation with two friends, J. R. R. Tolkien … He became around this time (in his w Tolkien, 32-3) or some of Lewis’ philosophical fiction, he thought Out of the Silent Planet had real value: I should have said that the story had for the more intelligent reader a great number of philosophical and mythical implications that enormously enhanced without detracting from the surface ‘adventure’. But to Tolkien’s dismay, Jack chose to join the Anglican Church. Lewis was Tolkien’s sounding board and escape from family difficulties, whereas Tolkien helped Lewis to come to Christianity and even served as a loose basis for the main character, Ransom, in Lewis’s first series, Out of the Silent Planet. Professor Brown is a perceptive and judicious reader, one who convincingly explains how Tolkien’s faith is expressed in his fiction. It was the night that perhaps allowed him to make the final step toward giving up his long resistance to the Christian Faith. friendship literally improves your physical and mental health, Tolkien shared his faith through fellowship. What makes a strong friendship? Lewis and J.R.R. Friendships that nurture our bodies, minds, and souls — that inspire us to become better versions of ourselves. Lewis became a Christian when he was 32, and the immediate human cause of his conversion was a long conversation with two friends, J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. These men became close friends of Lewis. Lewis and J.R.R. But each step, one had less chance to call one’s soul one’s own. But for Lewis and Tolkien, it was this universal fascination with the savior-god myth that made Christianity so convincing. Lewis and J.R.R. You met at a specific time and place, but now that time is over, and your friendship is, too. Lewis, was an Irish-born English writer and scholar. Others have erred in the opposite direction, finding allegory in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, so that Gandalf = Christ, Sauron = Satan, etc. Contrary to what we find in the “self-help” section at Barnes & Noble, personal growth is not an exclusively inward journey; it is a journey taken with friends. I'd like to have an open descution here for fans of both great writers. I thought it was obvious on first reading that Lewis was writing faith-based fiction, with so many parallels between Aslan and Christ. Lewis to Faith October 12, 2015. Lewis' great aid to Tolkien was to encourage unflaggingly the development of The Lord of the Rings. This blog offers original work on and about C. S. Lewis from scholars who have written far and wide about his stories, his theology, and his world. All Rights Reserved. September 19, 1931 - the date of the famed Night Talk between C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson - was a milestone for Lewis. We’re joined by David Bates of the Pints with Jack podcast for a fascinating discussion of CS Lewis, his friendship with Tolkien, and Tolkien’s poem “Mythopoeia” which captures a pivotal spiritual and creative moment for both men. Clive Staples Lewis – known always as 'Jack' to his friends – was born in Northern Ireland in 1898 and grew up in a house overflowing with books. According to a 2019 YouGov poll 30-percent of millennials say they felt lonely, which is more than any other generation. Brown is especially carefully to detail all the instances of providential good fortune in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, examples of what Tolkien’s fellow Inkling Charles Williams called “holy luck.” Brown  reveals the underlying optimism of Tolkien’s world view, the faith in a nearly invisible Benevolence that weaves together all the good and bad decisions of Middle Earth’s characters into an epic tale that inevitably leads to eucatastrophe, the “good ending” that Tolkien expected to find in all great fiction and in life itself. Sure, you get that quick dopamine hit when 647 pseudo-strangers “like” your post — but how many of them would be there if you needed a ride to the hospital, someone to talk to after the death of a loved one, or you simply wanted to grab lunch? Fortunately, Devin Brown’s new book on The Hobbit will give readers ample opportunity to admire the creativity and craftsmanship of both Tolkien and Lewis. . Modern life bored them. and that Tolkien and Dyson had a good deal to do with it. So how exactly did Tolkien’s faith find expression in his fiction? Leave us a tip to show your appreciation! After completing your tour of Magdalen College, step out of the Porter’s Lodge and cross the road. Forty-Five Best Cs Lewis Podcasts For 2021. Listen online, no signup necessary. C.S. You may bear the burden alone, but you do not have to carry it alone. Quality beats quantity. Tolkien’s Role in Lewis’ Conversion to Christianity After the two met, Tolkien and Lewis began meeting frequently. In his twin biographies of JRR Tolkien (Biography of a Legend)and CS Lewis (A Biography of Friendship), Colin Duriez reveals the unexpected friendship between two of Christian literature's most creative, imaginative and well loved authors. Brown is one of those “attentive readers” Tolkien asked for in one of his letters, the kind who notices all the subtle ways in which God and his angelic emissaries “peep through” the story, as Tolkien phrased it. As a teenager Lewis had abandoned Christianity but he changed his mind on the night of September 19, 1931, when he invited Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, a teacher at Reading University, to dine. Friendship may be born from common interests, but it grows from mutual respect, compassion, sacrifice, and even love. Tolkien saw no essential difference between Fairy Story and Myth ("the higher and lower mythologies") for "the inhabitants of Olympus and Faerie live by the same life just as in the mortal world do kings and peasants", and this life is breathed into them by their author. https://www.christianity.com/.../cs-lewis-sidecar-conversion-11630750.html Lewis shared his encouragement with Tolkien, and Tolkien shared his faith with Lewis. For instance, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings were both fantasy and had battles in them. Yet their friendship took place in their world of the esteemed halls of Oxford. This next You Tube is a brief excerpt from the book by CS Lewis titled “Surprised by Joy”, ... C.S. Even if they stopped talking regularly, neither man lost his place in the other’s heart. As a new JRR Tolkien biopic opens in cinemas, John Garth explores how Tolkien's friendship with CS Lewis – and a bet about sci-fi – inspired The Lord of the Rings Downing’s latest book is Looking for the King, a historical novel featuring C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and their friends (lookingfortheking.com). The Chapel: After Lewis’ conversion to Christianity in 1931, he used to attend weekday services in the College chapel. Tolkien Helped to Lead C.S. Lewis (29 November 1898 - 22 November 1963) was a prolific writer, poet, scholar of English literature and defender of Christianity. Lewis and Tolkien continued to meet, week after week, to talk and joke and criticise one another’s poetry. Lewis, was an Irish-born English writer and scholar. This is why the lost art of friendship is such a gift. We need more friendships like Tolkien and Lewis. Tolkien. CS Lewis was strongly influenced by Tolkien, also believing in the connection between Christianity and mythology. I am one of many people who have found both wisdom and wit from the writings of C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy. https://www.christianity.com/.../cs-lewis-sidecar-conversion-11630750.html To them, the historical fact of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus rouses our deepest longings in the same way as the tales of Isis, Horus — and even Harry Potter do. An Unexpected Friendship: JRR Tolkien & CS Lewis Updated 10:30AM, Wednesday December 12th, 2012 by Sam Hailes, Christian.co.uk 1 comment. But this same doctrine has created some confusion among Tolkien’s readers and interpreters. Without Tolkien, Lewis may not have become a Christian. Tolkien shared his faith through fellowship, intellect, and their mutual love of myth. While Tolkien did not really get Narnia (Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien's friendship brought him closer to Jesus Christ. Some critics assume that Tolkien compartmentalized his faith and his fiction, that his personal convictions are largely irrelevant to his fantasy tales. But on a fall evening in 1931, he took a walk with Tolkien and another fellow Inkling, and by dawn he had decided to return to Christianity. In his twin biographies of JRR Tolkien (Biography of a Legend) and CS Lewis (A Biography of Friendship), Colin Duriez reveals the unexpected friendship between two of Christian literature's most creative, imaginative and well loved authors. Pursue them. 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