Hey, everybody! Welcome back to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books buy and about CS Lewis and the land of Narnia. For today’s review we will be looking at “God in the Dock” by CS Lewis.
Title: God in the Dock
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1994)
ISBN-10: 0802808689
ISBN-13: 978-0802808684
Summary:
God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, is a collection of essays written by CS Lewis over the course of his life that examine a wide range of issues, ranging from the ethical issue of vivisection, to the importance of mythology, to the celebration of Christmas, to the reading of old books, to the still divisive issue of women as clergy.
Review
God in the Dock is another discussion worthy collection of essays penned by CS Lewis. Much like Christian reflections, God in the Dock, and Of Other Worlds, was published posthumously by the Lewis Estates, collecting several of his essays that he wrote through out his life-time.
This book’s title comes from the eponymous essay, “God in the Dock”. The term comes from the courtroom usage of a trail. The Bench is where the judge sits, while the witness or person accused sits in the dock. In the essay, Lewis argues that in our day in age, we find ourselves examining God in the same way, wondering how a God who is good, and wonderful, and loving and merciful and compassionate can allow things like war , famine, disease, and poverty to exist.
It is certainly question that bears asking and that is the very same subject that many of these essays tackle. From essays on pain, to prayer, to the deity of Christ, to the incarnation, Lewis not only examines God and Christianity and touch ethical issues like vivisection. This book also features and essay looking at the issue of Priestesses in the church, written back in 1948, an issue that still remains a hot-button item in many churches as they debate the role of women in the church.
Well some of the essays aren’t’ nearly s divisive, there are three that deal with the subject of Christmas and commercialism, and one on the importance of reading of old books, they all offer some food for thought. A few of the essays are even written in a dialogue style similar to the works of Aristotle and Plato where a “teacher” is having a discussion with a “student”. Another satirical essay, “Xmas and Christmas” is written like a lost chapter from a book by the historian Herodotus on the celebration of Christmas in England and brilliantly shows the juxtaposition or the “commercial” holiday versus the “true” holiday.
Two other unique essays in this book are the “short bits” which is a collection of essays Lewis started but never completed, and a reprint of a discussion Sherwood E. Wirt of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, that looks at the claims of Christ, the importance of coming to him, space travel, and the then emerging Evangelical movement in America. The Discussion with Mr. Wirt also briefly highlights a meeting between CS Lewis and the Reverend Billy Graham and Lewis’s impressions of him.
Their certainly are some areas of controversy with this book. Perhaps the most controversial is that he also argues that mythology can help provide a good starting point for those who do not know Christ in his essay “The Grand Myth” as the myths contain many symbols that can point to Christ. Also he warns in his essay, “ The Dangers of National Repentance” that national repentance may actually be dangerous, as individuals may neglect to repent of their own personal sins and focus only on the much larger societal ills. In his essay on women clergy he also speaks out against the issue of having them serve in such a position. These areas of controversy are certainly helpful s it can get us honestly talking about such things.
While to some there is certainly plenty of material in this book that is covered in some of Lewis’s other works, these essays are merely the framework for them. By reading this we get a much fuller picture of some of Lewis’ ideas. Once again, Lewis perfectly demonstrates in God in the Dock just why it is he is the undisputed “arm-chair theologian” of the 20th century. His words in these essays are clear, concise, and still thought provoking and just as relevant today as they were when he first wrote them.
4 1/2 out of 5 shields.
