Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." This was his last novel and he considers it his best. This is a fascinating allegory on good and evil, and the people we become as we choose one or another. Paperback – Deckle Edge, 14 February 2017, Audio Cassette, Audiobook, Unabridged, Import, HarperOne; Reissue edition (14 February 2017), Fascininating insights into the terrors of school for many boys, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 July 2019. Whilst I found it a bit interesting, I found it also rather dull and long winded. He became an influential defender of the Christian faith through writings such as Mere Christianity and the Screwtape letters, among others. This book is both a biography, and an anthology of writings selected by Lewis as best introducing us to this brilliant and deeply spiritual man of God. The first word, of the first Psalm of the Bible’s prayer book is Blessed. Surprised by Joy is a sort of autobiography of the famous writer C S Lewis, the author of the famous Narnia childrens books. ISBN: 9780062565440. He speaks to a doubting audience about good and evil, and God’s compassion and strength during times of darkness. Associated Press. Although he had a Christian upbringing, as a school boy he lost his faith and became an Athiest. 'Surprised by Joy' reveals both that crisis and its momentous conclusion that would determine the shape of Lewis's entire life. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. Surprised by Joy is essentially an account of those factors that brought Lewis to a mature, adult Christian faith. You don’t need a high vocabulary to read his books, and yet he breaks down extremely complicated concepts into simple explanations. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, knelt and prayed - C. S. Lewis Click To Tweet But, by Lewis’ own admission this was merely a conversion to theism. A repackaged edition of the revered author’s spiritual memoir, in which he recounts the story of his divine journey and eventual conversion to Christianity. Lewis was for many years an atheist, until his conversion, memorably described in his autobiography `Surprised by Joy': "I gave in, and admitted that God was God... perhaps the most … What Lewis originally termed as ‘romanticism’, he describes as Joy in his autobiography. Lewis, taught by Peter Meilaender. Surprised by Joy. United Kingdom - Google Play - iBookstore - Amazon. To continue our study of the 6 Essential Elements of your Daily Devotions, we are going to dig a little deeper in how and why we include individual worship in our daily spiritual practice. Much of our muddy thinking about love causes us confusion and disappointment. A number of events in his life however, brought him to believe that the Universe was created by an intelligence beyond human understanding. The autobiography of C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy outlines the occurrences of Joy in Lewis's life and how these accompanied him from his childhood to his conversion from atheism (or "anti-theism" as Lewis refers to it) to theism to Christianity. Lewis makes much reference to the idea of Joy. . But the evidence for the existence of God, and later for Christianity in the whole, made it impossible for His logical and consistent mind to resist. 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