C.S. Lewis in America with Dr. Mark Noll

[@ZenoNg-go6uw]

Wonderful insightful conversation

[@ldwenzel1]

I am a big fan of Mark Nolls, so thank you for this interview. I was especially caught by Nolls’ comment of being: "nervous about making Lewis an icon pulled out of time." This has been a particular interest for me. In the early 1980s, I attended an evangelical college. The education I got there was very good, but I could hardly sit through a chapel service without one visiting speaker after another forcing in another a hands-down quote from C.S Lewis. I remember joking: "If one more chapel speaker quotes" C. S. Lewis, I'm going to scream." Of course, when the next chapel speaker again quoted Lewis, I didn't scream ;-) Ever since then, I have become sensitive to any iconization of Lewis that seems to be everywhere in the evangelical world. Personally, I have the greatest respect for Lewis, but I am put off by this. It seems to underline what Nolls calls "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind." You don't need to read the book. The title says it all. By the way, not many talk about a backlash to Lewis' work, a kind of anti-idol, especially with his Narnia tales. Everyone knows a few Christian parents who do not allow their children to read the Narnia tales because of Lewis's free use of witches, fauns, and other Occult figures. In fact, no one talks about that there are fringe right-wing Christian groups who, on their websites, actually decry writers like Lewis and Tolkien for being Occult practitioners. I find this mainstream/fringe estrangement of adoration and demonization fascinating. In fact, (drum roll) I have written a book about this engaging subject and have woven it into an intense fiction thriller called “A Witch in the Wardrobe.” It is being published by Wifp and Stock and is due to be released in a few months-www.ldwenzel.com. Updates can come, and I will appreciate all comments and likes.