C.S. Lewis, well-known and well-loved for the “Narnia Chronicles,” is not as well-known for his radio broadcasts in England during World War II.
Justin Phillips presents Lewis during the prewar and war years in a different light as he reached out to the devastated population of Great Britain with a series of messages that later were published as “Mere Christianity,” a book that ranks among the great classics of religious literature.
A well-known and popular lecturer at Oxford, Lewis was asked in 1939 to present a series of five 15-minute speeches for the BBC about what Christians believe.
This proved to be a greater challenge than the author ever expected. Lewis admitted, “Any fool can write learned language. The vernacular is the real test. If you can’t turn your faith into it, then either you don’t understand it or you don’t believe it.”
Lewis became known as one of the great Christian apologetics, which is a branch of theology concerned with the intellectual defense of Christian truth.
Not yet famous for the “Narnia” series, Lewis had published “The Problem with Pain,” a book that caught the eye of BBC executives who determined that he was a writer who was prepared to grapple with the tragedy of war – the inexplicable loss and suffering at the hands of evil. In asking Lewis to present a series of lectures, they had no idea of the impact he would make reinventing religious broadcasting.
When the war began in 1939, broadcasting was toned down and cut to basics that included news bulletins, classical music and sermons or church service broadcasts.
Newspaper publishing was curtailed and television had not yet become popular. Radio brought the only communication to most households. However, the BBC struggled at the beginning of the war determining what was appropriate to send out to the public.
Christianity was central to the BBC. Its purpose was to “sow the good seed of Christian values as far as the radio would carry them.”
By 1940, BBC’s focus became that of lifting the spirit of the nation. As England was being bombed continually by the Germans, people had to endure blackouts, rationing and being cut off from each other.
Thousands were killed and much of England was left in ruins. The citizens needed to be encouraged to carry on, and the BBC was the lifeline that could do that.
This decision resulted in a search for the right person to deliver words of comfort with a talent for doing so on the radio. It was determined that a layperson would be preferred over a minister so that the messages would be delivered in the language of the common man, rather than that of the King James Bible. Producer Eric Fenn, a Presbyterian minister, called on Lewis. They shared a desire to find the common ground in Christian belief that would unite Britain rather than divide it.
Transferring from the written word to broadcast was a challenge that proved much more difficult than Lewis had imagined. Live broadcasts were required and had to be timed to fit into 15-minute windows. Lewis had no idea how his talks would be received. His audience would include those who were ignorant of Christian beliefs and those who were well-versed in Christian thinking. Since he had been a non-Christian for many years, he felt that he could relate to the ordinary person. After many letters and much discussion, it was decided that Lewis would broadcast five lectures on the topic of “Right and Wrong.” He later broadcast a series on “What Christians Believe.” Evidently, he accomplished what he intended. It was reported that in an RAF officer’s mess, everyone froze when Lewis’ broadcast came on the radio. It was so riveting that talking and movement ceased.
He sought criticism from his producer and ministers prior to his broadcasts so that any offensive or incorrect information could be removed. Lewis did not see this writing as creative. He felt that God created it and his writing was merely a “process of rearranging elements that God has provided.” He simply pointed out that the human idea of decent behavior is universal and that all people have that in common. His appeal was his ability to identify with the listeners and not sound like a preacher.
Lewis broadcast a few more times, always to eager audiences, but eventually, he gave it up because of a lack of time, as he was a busy university lecturer and writer.
After reading this book, it is clear why his popularity and appeal never declined. This is an interesting and inspiring book.