Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at Miracles by CS Lewis
Title: Miracles.
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: HarperOne
ISBN-10: 0060653019
ISBN-13: 978-0060653019
Summary of the Book
In an age where skepticism rules, and everything has to be rationally reasoned away with logic, CS Lewis’s book Miracles seeks to reinstall a sense of belief in the unbelievable in a world that looks only for reasons. From examining the place of miracles in the laws of nature, to miracles in the Old Testament, to examining the Great miracle that is the Life of Christ, Lewis makes a case to believe in that which cannot be explained.
Review:
The word miracle is probably one of the most over-used expressions both in and out of religious circles. Everything from cures to diseases, to a modern convenience like the indoor toilet, to winning the lottery, to falling in love, is referred to in some from or another as a “miracle.” Even the triumph of the 1980 USA Men’s Olympic Hockey Team over the Soviet Union is referred to as the Miracle on Ice.
What is a “Miracle” exactly? Webster defines it as an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature but comes about through supernatural means. In Miracles, CS Lewis sought to examine just what is a miracle exactly in terms of scripture.
To his credit Lewis does not examine any claims of miracles that could have occurred in the 1930s and seek to either support such claims or debunk them. Lewis seeks to properly define what a miracle is in accordance to the scriptures and more importantly understand the greatest miracle of them all, the incarnation and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As he is versed in mythology, folklore and stories he is able to help distinguish true miracles from the ones that would occur in Greek Mythology. One thing that he points out that so many fail to realize is that the miracles of the New Testament largely still follow the “natural order of things” such as a divine conception will still be followed by a nine month gestation or divinely created wine will still cause drunkenness.
As usual, Lewis not only writes very analytically and scholarly, but he writes with a very generous does of wit, a trait that is so often missing in such books as these that are written today. His arguments are fairly well founded, and ,most readers will have little problem grasping the gist of it. Even someone with no knowledge of the examples from Greek Mythology or Classical Literature that Lewis uses will get the point.
The only “flaw” to the book, if it can even be called that, is mostly in a small stylistic manner. Unlike Mere Christianity, which was originally a series of broadcast talks, Miracles has a much less “conversational” tone and more of the tone of a lecture. However in that regards, it is more like hearing a lecture from a well polished and professional sounding speaker who does not talk down at you.
Do miracles happen every day? That will always be up for debate based on what we perceive a “true” miracle to be. However after reading Miracles, it is much easier to believe in the Greatest Miracle of all, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If anything can be gained form this work, that is the most important treasure to take from it.
5 out of 5 shields.