Mere Christians: Inspiring Stories of Encounters with C. S. Lewis

Andrew Lazo, a close friend and much valued contributor to the C.S. Lewis Foundation, and Marion E. Wade Center docent Mary Anne Phemister have gathered an amazing collection of stories of how C. S. Lewis continues to radically change people’s lives.  In their new book, Mere Christians: Inspiring Encounters with C. S. Lewis, (released 2/12/2009 ) they have collected fifty-five accounts from people from all walks of life who have witnessed the works of C. S. Lewis impacting them in the profoundest of ways.

Contributors include several notable friends of the C. S. Lewis Foundation, including Michael Ward, Phillip Yancey, Earl Palmer, John C. Lennox, Francis S. Collins, Joseph Pearce, Atessa Afshar, and Chuck Colson, Jerry Root, and Walter Hooper, who writes the Foreword.  Accounts also come from a number of important figures in the Lewis world such as Clyde S. Kilby, David C. Downing, Lyle Dorsett, Don W. King, Ronald Bresland, Joy Davidman, and, for the first time, Merrie Gresham (wife of Lewis’s stepson, Douglas Gresham), whose remarkable stories you’ll surely want to read.

Other contributions include accounts from such notables as singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis, Domino’s Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan, pollster George Gallup, Jr., and novelist Anne Rice.  Equally fascinating are the stories from people from many walks of life (Lewis would call them “no mere mortals”), dozens of whom first heard about the project while visiting the Marion E. Wade Center, the world’s greatest repository of materials related to C. S. Lewis and several other like-minded writers.  In fact, the whole book began on a quiet Saturday morning when co-editor Mary Anne Phemister began asking people what brought them to the Wade Center and, specifically, to C. S. Lewis.  And you will likely see some of the editor’s own story in the pages of Mere Christians.

Along with Walter Hooper’s engaging Foreword, Andrew Lazo has written a brief biography of Lewis, arranged by decade, compiled a categorical list of Lewis’s works, and assembled a short list of the most important resources for those interested in deepening their knowledge of the twentieth century’s most important Christian writer.  In addition, the co-editors have set up an email account, merechristians@gmail.com, in hopes of gathering enough interest to publish a second volume.  Stan Mattson, Phil Keaggy, Diana Glyer, and Bruce Edwards have all been approached and have expressed early interest in contributing their own stories to the next volume.

Millions have had life-changing encounters with C. S. Lewis.  Read Mere Christians to see how much you have in common with people from all over the world who have come to treasure the light from the pages of this most inspiring man.

If you’d like to order this book from Amazon.com, please make your order through the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s new and improved bookstore, by clicking here.  Every purchase from our online Amazon Affiliates bookstore earns us credit towards purchase of our own books for the Foundation library.  You can find the book on our main bookstore webpage as a feature title or under the side navigation bar category “Lewis’ Legacy”

Tags: amazon.com, Andrew Lazo, Anne Rice, C.S. Lewis, Chick Colson, Earl Palmer, Francis Collins, George Gallup, Jerry Root, John Lennox, Joseph Pearce, Jr., Marion E. Wade Center, Mary Anne Phemister, Mere Christians, Phillip Yancey, Thomas Monaghan, Walter Hooper

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To find out the latest news on the mission, work, and events of the C.S. Lewis Foundation, download the pdf version of our print newsletter by visiting our newsletter page here.

Included in the newsletter are articles on Oxbridge 2008 Summer Institute, the Summer Seminars at The Kilns, Camp Allen, the Blue Plaque ceremony at The Kilns, our Faculty Forum awards, and profiles of some of our volunteers and supporters.

As a special preview, we’ve posted one article from our newsletter on this blog — Debbie Higgens’ Scholar-in-Residence report from The Kilns Study Centre: “A Ph.D. Journey by Way of Narnia.”

Tags: Blue Plaque, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis blog, C.S. Lewis Foundation, Camp Allen, Debbie Higgens, Faculty Forum, newsletter, Oxbridge 2008, Summer Institute, The Kilns, The Kilns Study Centre

Debbie Higgens at the Thames Country Show

Debbie Higgens, Ph. D., is a Professor of English at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee.  She wrote this article describing her experience as a 2007 Scholar in Residence at the C.S. Lewis Study Centre at The Kilns (the former home of C.S. Lewis), Oxford, England.  An edited version of this article also appears in our Winter 2008/2009 Newsletter, which can be found by clicking here.

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“A PhD Journey by Way of Narnia”

by Debbie Higgens, PhD

Once upon a time a middle-aged lady arrived at the Sheldonian theatre for her first Oxbridge conference.  It was the summer of 2002, and as Stan Mattson took her hand offering a warm greeting, he glanced down at the embroidered print name on her shirt and questioned, “Did you really attend the Gleneagles School of Falconry?”  “Sure did,” she replied, and thus began years of friendship and support not only from Stan but from those at the C.S. Lewis Foundation.

With that greeting of Stan’s, my mind flashed back to 1994 when I paid my first visit to the Kilns.  I walked up Lewis Close to the sound of hammers and the sight of people of various ages and types, all working together to restore C.S. Lewis’s beloved home.  I had noted the progress on my next visit in 1997, and now I was attending the dedication ceremony celebrating the committed spirit of so many volunteers.

However, my story with the Foundation was just beginning.  With names like Bruce Edwards, Hal Poe, and later, Joseph Pearce, I was quickly surrounded with support as I plugged my way through the upper end of my doctoral program: comprehensive exams and the ever-foreboding dissertation.  Stan and the others encouraged me, prayed for me, pounded out ideas with me, and advised me through the process.  All of this became especially important as I continued my recovery from brain surgery, worked back into full-time teaching, and then, later, struggled through Lyme disease treatments.  Returning to full-time teaching and with Lyme treatments looming in front of me, I reached an impasse with my dissertation writing.

Then one day while catching Stan up on my progress, or rather lack of progress, he proposed the God-sent question, “Debbie, do you think you could get a sabbatical and live at the Kilns as a scholar-in-residence?”  Stan then proceeded to explain to me the unique role of the C.S. Lewis Study Centre and the opportunities for research and writing while in Oxford.  Subsequent events that I would label as miracles led to my Academic Dean’s approval of the sabbatical for the winter semester of the 2006/2007 school year.

Two weeks after completing the extensive three-month treatments for Lyme disease, I caught a flight to Oxford to begin my adventure of study, new friends, and new-found faith.  I walked into the Kilns, suitcases in tow, and was immediately invited into the dining room for a wonderful lunch prepared by the warden, Teresa Kipp.  At the table sat the rest of my new family: Chelsea, an Oxford student, and Bill Barryman from Holy Trinity Church, a frequent guest at the Kilns.  Within the hour we had been joined by our next new Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: C.S. Lewis Study Centre, Debbie Higgens, England, Oxford, Scholars in Residence, The Kilns

The Christian world has lost a true and noble friend.  Father Richard John Neuhaus, 72, died on January 8th, from complications of cancer. A leading public intellectual, Fr. Neuhaus was the founder and editor-in-chief of the journal, “First Things” and co-founder (with Chuck Colson) of the ecumenical forum, “Catholics and Evangelicals Together.”

His most influential book was The Naked Public Square, in which he contended that banishing religion from the debate of American public life amounted to excluding the voices of millions of Americans.  Particularly in his popular monthly Public Square column, he carried on a brilliant engagement with all comers, a living out of his lifelong attempt to teach religious people how to bring their convictions to bear with people with whom they disagree.  As a man of very deep faith, prayer, and devotion, Fr. Neuhaus lived his life as a witness to the truth, and he knew that God would take care of the rest.

After he almost died in the mid-90s, Neuhaus wrote, As I Lay Dying: Meditations upon Returning, a very honest yet hopeful reflection on his own experience.  There he writes, “We are born to die.  Not that death is the purpose of our being born, but we are born toward death, and in each of us the work of dying is already underway. The work of dying well is, in largest part, the work of living well.”

Fr. Neuhaus supported the work of the C.S. Lewis Foundation which shares many of his core principles.  He participated as a plenary speaker in the Summer Institutes of 1988 (”The Naked University”) and 1998 (”The Politics of C.S. Lewis”).  These outstanding lectures are available for purchase in CD format for $8.00 each + tax (within California) + $2.00 (S/H within the U.S.).  If interested, simply contact us here.

Tags: C.S. Lewis, Fr. Neuhaus, Oxbridge, Richard John Neuhaus, Scholar, Summer Institute