TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 2: Book Discussion – SA212

till_we_have_faces_1_0_by_bilquisevely-d5tt26wFinally, Strangers and Aliens takes on the topic of a book that is at the top of all of their lists of favorites: TILL WE HAVE FACES by C.S. Lewis!

The first of two parts, this episode features backgrounds to the book, exploring the sources C.S. Lewis was inspired by, his time in his life when he wrote the novel, and how it fits into his body of work, while also looking at when the Strangers and Aliens hosts discovered the book.

You can purchase the TILL WE HAVE FACES here and support the podcast: http://amzn.to/2ffeScC (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Links mentioned in this episode:

Music provided by Heath McNease at http://heathmcneasemusic.com. The music for our Till We Have Faces episodes comes from his album The Weight of Glory Second Edition, featuring hip-hop remixes of his music.

Artwork for the podcast provided by Bisques Evely at http://bilquisevely.deviantart.com.

Contest Sponsor: The Wood Print Shop – http://www.thewoodprintshop.com – turn your art or photos into one of a kind rustic wood artwork!

orual_and_psyche_by_bilquisevely-d51i4ob

Some links to our other C.S. Lewis Coverage:

OUR COVERAGE OF THE SPACE TRILOGY
OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET (C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy Part 1) – SA344
PERELANDRA (C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy Part 2) – SA372
THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH (C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy Part 3) – SA386
THE DARK TOWER (C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy Part 4) – SA405
The first time we started a podcast series and forgot that we even did it – Ep. 47 — Into the Silent Planet (an introduction to C.S. Lewis’ “science fantasy” novel)

OUR COVERAGE OF TILL WE HAVE FACES
TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 1: The Origin of the Book – SA211
TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 2: Book Discussion – SA212

THE “IS IT WORTH READING?” SERIES COVERING THE SPACE TRILOGY ON YOUTUBE
OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET: Is It Worth Reading? (Exploring Christian Sci-Fi) – VIDEO
PERELANDRA: Is It Worth Reading? (Exploring Christian Sci-Fi) – VIDEO
THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH: Is It Worth Reading? (Exploring Christian Sci-Fi) – VIDEO
THE DARK TOWER by C.S. Lewis: Is It Worth Reading? (Exploring Christian Sci-Fi) – VIDEO


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3 responses to “TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 2: Book Discussion – SA212”

  1. Thomas Kolar Avatar
    Thomas Kolar

    I’m glad I got to finally listen to this and I’m glad you guys finally got to cover it. I think Till We Have Faces is arguably the best book CS Lewis wrote, and is the magnum pus of his career, summing up so many of the major ideas of his work. It has the psychological insight of Screwtape, the allegorical power of Narnia, and one of the most thorough working outs of his thinking about the relationship between classical pagan culture and Christianity. And that last point is one that I have to argue with Evan about. He seemed to be saying that Lewis was advancing the idea that the pagan worship and mythology of Glome was demonic, and that’s why Lewis described them in terms like “darkness” or “blood.” I think this frankly a misreading of Lewis’s whole approach to paganism. He never saw it as entirely evil or demonic, but took a more medieval anglo-catholic approach that emphasized the potential goodness and truth contained in classical greek or norse paganism that was ultimately “baptized” in the faith. He of course never denied the darkness or evil that was potentially present in paganism, but he argued that under the faith, pagan culture and mythology could be purified and enjoyed. I mean, he had Bacchus in Prince Caspian, for heaven sakes. As Edmund said, you wouldn’t want to be around Bacchus without Aslan, but with Aslan you were safe to revel. The description of the priest and the holy places in Faces is not, I think, presenting it as demonic but is presenting the aspects of classical culture Lewis described as “Thick.” the Fox and classical skeptical philosophy is the “Clear”- philosophy, art, and ethics. However the “Thick” is sacrifice, blood, and mystery. The holy place of Glome isn’t demonic, but a place of religious mystery. Lewis would argue that Christianity is the perfect merging of Thick and Clear, but that both are necessary for religious life. The pagan religion of Glome is one of the best tools those people have to try to understand God and a moral life. There is a number of evil and terrible errors mixed in, but also a surprising amount of truth. Even the sacrifice of Psyche is both a terrible evil and at the same time a kind of blind groping toward the future coming of Christ. It’s not purely demonic as much as incomplete, crude, and flawed, but with the potential for true moral and spiritual growth
    toward God (per Romans 2:14-16, a passage Lewis specifically references in Last Battle).

    1. Sean Durity Avatar

      I agree with your reading of Lewis’ intent with the religion of Glome. Both the Fox and Bardia (a follower of Ungit) represent a level of truth, but not complete. Christianity bridges the gaps and unites the two into one Truth – the person of Jesus, as the end of the story reveals.

      I am very thankful for these episodes. They made me buy and read Till we Have Faces (and I held off on the 2nd part until I read the book completely). I enjoyed the book very much. In fact, it looks like I will be leading a class/reading group on this book at my church in the spring. Thank you for inspiring me to read this one!

  2. […] CS LEWIS EPISODES:TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 1: The Origin of the Book – Episode 211TILL WE HAVE FACES Pt. 2: Book Discussion – Episode 212A Celebration of C.S. Lewis – Episode 101The Silver Chair and the Red & Blue Pills – […]

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