Paris, November 1945. John Russell is walking home along the banks of the Seine on a cold and misty evening when Soviet agent Yevgeny Shchepkin falls into step alongside him. Shchepkin tells Russell that the American intelligence will soon be asking him to undertake some low grade espionage on their behalf--assessing the strains between different sections of the German Communist Party--and that Shchepkin's own bosses in Moscow want him to accept the task and pass his findings on to them. He adds that refusal will put Russell's livelihood and life at risk, but that once he has accepted it, he'll find himself even further entangled in the Soviet net. It's a lose-lose situation. Shchepkin admits that his own survival now depends on his ability to utilize Russell. The only way out for the two of them is to make a deal with the Americans. If they can come up with something the Americans want or need badly enough, then perhaps Russell will be forgiven for handing German atomic secrets over to Moscow and Shchepkin might be offered the sort of sanctuary that also safeguards the lives of his wife and daughter in Moscow. Every decision Russell makes now is a dangerous one.
His books have sold millions and include classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Yet C. S. Lewis was not always a literary giant of Christian faith. How did he evolve from staunch atheism to become one of the most beloved and renowned Christian authors of our time?
For C. S. Lewis enthusiasts and students alike, this book offers a unique look at Lewis's personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer. Written by Professor David C. Downing, author of the critically acclaimed Planets in Peril, this thoughtful book is a delight.
C. S. Lewis is generally regarded as a commonsense Christian whose theology is understandable and practical. And yet, from his memoir Surprised by Joy to The Chronicles of Narnia, from his nonfiction essays to his letters, C. S. Lewis's works display a distinct sense of the mystical. In this book, David C. Downing explores the breadth of Lewis's writing, introducing us to the context of Christian mysticism in Lewis's day and the writers who most influenced him.
Lewis's critique of mysticism is instructive to us in this day of eclectic religious thought. Exploring Lewis's sense of the mystical can help us safeguard ourselves from false mysticism, even as it opens the way to a full experience of God's presence-the "region of awe."
"[T]he author's affection for his subject ably informs this sensitive reading of Lewis's life and writings. Highly recommended."-Library Journal
C. S. Lewis is generally regarded as a commonsense Christian whose theology is understandable and practical. And yet, from his memoir Surprised by Joy to his beloved Chronicles of Narnia, from his nonfiction essays to his letters, C. S. Lewis' works display a distinct sense of the mystical. In this book, David C. Downing explores the breadth of Lewis' writing, introducing us to the context of Christian mysticism in Lewis' day and to the writers who most influenced him.
Lewis' critique of mysticism is instructive to us in this day of eclectic religious thought. Exploring Lewis' sense of the mystical can help us safeguard ourselves from false mysticism, even as it opens the way to a full experience of God's presence.
