Dr. Rigney returns to talk with Matt about his book, “Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God”.
S7E8 – AH – “Lewis on the Christian Life” (Download)
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Show Notes
Introduction
Quote-of-the-week
The choice… begin where you are. God is not just here and now. He is here and now, pursuing us… this [ever-present] God makes demands of us… He is not a tax collector, asking for a percentage of your time and resources and leaving the rest to you. As your Creator and author, he demands all of you… He is the Maker; you are the made. He is the Potter; you are His pot. He is the Author; you are his character.
Dr. Joe Rigney, Lewis on the Christian Life
Biographical Information
Dr. Joe Rigney is a former guest-of-the-show. He is a fellow of theology at New St. Andrew’s College. He is the author of five books, including Live Like a Narnian, and Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God, which is the book we will be discussing today.
Chit-Chat
–
Toast
- Matt: Nothing!
- Guest: Diet Coke, although he recommended Teeling whiskey
Discussion
01. “Life Updates”
Q: What have you been up to since our last conversation?
- Moved family to Moscow, Idaho, becoming Professor of Theology and Literature at New St. Andrew’s College and now serves on staff at Christ Church (Doug Wilson etc.)
- Courage: How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude, was released this past August and a book on Jonathan Edwards’ dissertation The End for Which God Created the World released in September.
- More books to be released soon, including Little Book on Leadership: Leading in an Age of Anxiety and Agitation, as well as another on Puddleglum’s faith.
02. “Origins and Goals”
Q: What was the Origin of Lewis on the Christian Life and what did you hope for readers to gain from it?
03. “The Choice”
Q: Can you unpack Lewis’ concept of “the choice,” and describe it in relation to principles of God and who we are in relation to Him?
The [flawed] attempt is based on the belief that reality never presents us with an absolutely unavoidable “either-or”…
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
Every time you make a choice, you’re turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature; either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
Matthew 6:34
04. “The Good Infection”
Q: I’m glad you brought up Ransom, and you mentioned the “free will, predestination” side of things. Can you talk about “the good infection” and its relation to the daily choices as well?
For you will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (Chapter 7)
- Matt mentioned Augustine’s works City of God, Confessions, and The Trinity, and Dr. Rigney quoted an opening section of Confessions:
“Give what you command [O Lord], and then command whatever you will.”
St. Augustine, Confessions
05. “Privatization of Religion, Collectivization of Secular Life”
Q: Switching gears to one of the other concepts in the book, “the privatization of religion and the collectivization of the secular life…” can you explain what you mean, and how you’re connecting it to Lewis?
“I hate the collective as much as any man can hate anything.”
C.S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy (Chapter 11)
06. “Christian Hedonism”
Q: Now probably my favorite part of the section: Christian Hedonism. I think some people might even be surprised by that concept, because God is a lover of pleasure. Can you unpack that idea of Christian hedonism?
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
John Piper
- Lewis’ essay, Hedonics
- Christian Reflections
07. “The Outer Darkness”
Q: You have a chapter on heaven and the outer darkness. How does Lewis’ understanding of those help us in our spiritual life?
“The question is whether she is a grumbler, or only a grumble. If there is a real woman – even the least trace of one – still there inside the grumbling, it can be brought to life again.”
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (Chapter 9)
Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (Chapter 6)
The Christians describe the Enemy as one “without whom Nothing is strong” [as the Book of Common Prayer says]
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #7)
08. “The Heavenly Light”
Q: Turning to the heavenly side, the reality, the ultimate truth, the thing we’re working on becoming more further up and further in with, what are some of the things that you discuss from that side?
09. “The Key to Till We Have Faces”
Q: Final question, because you finished the very last section of “Till We Have Faces”. You wrote some great stuff that was actually quite helpful. What’s that key thought for understanding “Till We Have Faces”?
- Reading The Four Loves helps one understand Till We Have Faces
Wrap-Up
More Information
- Dr. Joe Rigney – Twitter
- Dr. Joe Rigney – Desiring God
- Canon+
- New St. Andrew’s College (Undergraduates)
