C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church

By: Joseph Pearce

Narrated by: Kevin F. Spalding

C. S. Lewis, the great British novelist and Christian apologist, has been credited by many - including the author - for aiding their journey to the Catholic Church. For this reason, it is often perplexing that Lewis himself never became Catholic.

In C. S. Lewis and the Catholic Church, Joseph Pearce delves into Lewis's life, writings, and spiritual influences to shed light on the matter. Although C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity was greatly influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, a Catholic, and although Lewis embraced many distinctively Catholic teachings, such as purgatory and the sacrament of Confession, he never formally entered the Church.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this book digs deep to present the facts of Lewis's life, to illuminate key points in his writings, and to ask the question: Was C. S. Lewis on the path to Rome?

This revised and updated edition - with a new introduction by Father Dwight Longenecker - is a fascinating historical, biographical, theological, and literary account of a man whose writings have led scores to the Catholic Church, despite never having become a Catholic himself.

©2013 Joseph Pearce (P)2016 Saint Benedict Press

An Excellent Read about A Well Known Christian

“C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church” was an excellent read. Brings together the life, Christianity, and writings of C.S. Lewis in an informative and readable book. The author has provided me with better understanding of the “big” differences between the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church thru the life and writings of C.S. Lewis. The introductions were very good in their respective in preparing the reader for the this highly readable book. This is an excellent source for additional reading references. Highly recommend. Experienced as an Audio book.

Great listen

Learned a lot about how Lewis’s theology accord with the Catholic position.

Answer was surprising and really put me ease regarding how much I like the man.

HIDEOUS READER !!

So many mispronounciations : Chow sir for Chaucer, Bon Who fur, milloo for milieu etc

The Song of the Strange Ascetic

Would you consider the audio edition of C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church to be better than the print version?

About the same.

What was one of the most memorable moments of C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church?

It is hard to choose, but I enjoyed the narration and discussion surrounding Lewis’s relationship with the Catholic poet Roy Campbell.

Which character – as performed by Kevin F. Spalding – was your favorite?

They were all non-fiction characters, but since the book focused on the life of C.S. Lewis, then...Lewis.

Any additional comments?

If I might invoke the spirit of William Carlos Williams here, “this is just to say” that I enjoyed this book. It is well-written, and Joseph Pearce illuminated me on a few aspects of Lewis’s life that I did not know.

I have often wondered if Lewis was considering membership in the Roman Catholic Church during the early years of his conversation, and then changed his mind. That might account for something of the ‘cooling off’ period that Lewis seems to have experienced in his friendship with Tolkien (at least for some time anyway).

I appreciate Pearce's clarification on G.K. Chesterton's ideas of 'distributionism' and how it differs from the view of many Christians who bow before the altar of the welfare state in the US and the UK. I remember someone in an online forum saying that Chesterton’s 'distributionist' philosophies were a Catholic-like theory in the same vein of the modern socialist dogmas of Bernie Sanders and his ilk.

Fabulous

An incredibly detailed delve into the life of an incredible author. Joseph Pearce did an amazing job. C.S. Lewis's teachings were closer to Catholicism than he was ever willing to admit. You read his work and you're either on your way to Rome or atheism.