Phillips, Justin. C.S. Lewis in a Time of War. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2002. 324pp. $21.95.
Introduction
The Radio Broadcasts that would become Mere Chrsitianity were broadcast during World War II through the British Broadcasting Company. More than fifty years after their first recording, Justin Phillips, a radio journalist with the BBC sat down to write about the time period at the BBC and in the life of C.S. Lewis during which he first spoke to the British peoples about the love of God and the great doctrines of the Christian faith. Phillips was an elder in his local church and was a frequent preacher and speaker about “Christianity, the media, and the relationship between the two” (from dust jacket). Phillips died in 2000 prior to his fiftieth birthday and prior to the publication of C.S. Lewis in a Time of War. His oldest daughter submitted the manuscript. The forward was added by
Adding literary weight to this volume is the forward by Walter Hooper. Hooper was a personal secretary to Lewis late in his life and currently serves as a trustee and literary advisor to the C. S. Lewis estate. The fact that Hooper would lend his pen to compose a forward for a book about Lewis should serve as an encouragement for any fan of C.S. Lewis. Hooper points out that Lewis had to be groomed for broadcasting, but that he was pliable, primarily because he was such a natural writer, “As unfamiliar as he was with the microphone, writing was for Lewis as natural as breathing. ‘I don’t know what I mean,’ he once said, ‘till I see what I’ve said(v).’”
Overview
C.S. Lewis is arguably the most influential apologist of the Twentieth Century, and one of its most important Christians overall. Few people in the history of the Christian faith have been able to impact as many people at such a distinct level as has C.S. Lewis. Known to those close to him as “Jack” (because he announced as a child that it was his desire to be known as such), Lewis converted from atheism to become of one of Chrsitianity’s most ardent defenders and icons. Lewis most significant work is Mere Christianity serves as both a small theology book and an apologetic for the Christian faith.
In C.S. Lewis in a Time of War, Justin Phillips describes the time period and the eventS surrounding the writing and radio broadcasts of Mere Christianity. As many lovers of Lewis are no doubt aware, Mere Christianity was first written for broadcast on the Britich Broadcasting Company (BBC) by Lewis during World War II. What many do not know is chronicled by Phillips.
The book is laid out in a somewhat expected fashion. Serving dually as a brief biography of Lewis during the time of World War II and as a history of the BBC during the same time, Phillips does a good job of laying the book and chapters out chronologically. Philips begins the book by focusing primarily on the BBC. The first chapter, titled simply, “September 1939,” speaks of the void in Religious broadcasting during the early days of World War II and moves toward the vision of Jack Welch to fill this void.
After describing the position of the BBC during this time, Phillips moves toward the heart of the book which focuses on Lewis and his relationship with the BBC. Interestingly, and a times frustratingly, Phillips includes much tertiary information about Lewis. Some reviewers have found this aspect of Phillips’ work to be especially aggravating as it seems at times that his Attention Deficit Disorder is running the show. It seems rather obvious at times—for instance during an entire chapter devoted to Dorothy Sayers and her play The Man Born to be King (199)—that C.S. Lewis’ name was attached to a book that may just as easily been titled, The BBC in a Time of War. That withstanding, Phillips does focus the majority of his attention on Lewis.
Phillips is careful to point to some of the more odd and meritorious traits of C.S. Lewis that distinguish him as a more than a writer, but as an exceptional man. For instance, Phillips points out that Lewis was a generous man and refused to receive a salary from his broadcasts, “Lewis never kept the fees for himself, but always gave them away” (131). He accepted only enough money to cover his train rides to and from the BBC, and on at least one occasion, had his check forwarded to, “Miss Whitty of 7 Chertsey Road, Bristol 6” (131). Prior to his marriage, Lewis had a charitable trust created called the Agape Fund where two-thirds of his royalties were sent (132). In addition to his charity, Lewis was a man committed to the British cause in World War II. His rationing of paper—which included writing notes on small scraps of paper and responding to correspondence in the margins of the original letter—is mentioned time and again in this book.
After tying Lewis into the book throughout its midsection and focusing primarily on the writing and delivery of Lewis’ radio addresses, Phillips closes with two chapters about Lewis’ end in broadcasting and about his lasting legacy. C.S. Lewis apparently had all he wanted of broadcasting by 1944, and when approached for a new series, flatly and easily declined the offer. Phillips writes, “After four series, he had said all he wanted to say and broadcasting had lost its allure for him” (261). Lewis was, after all, a teacher first and foremost, and as a result of his broadcast success, students came in larger number. After four series, it was necessary for Lewis to focus on his students and his personal life.
Phillips closes the book with a chapter on the legacy of C.S. Lewis. Phillips argues for more than a literary legacy for Lewis. In addition to his impact on literature, Phillips points to his impact on the minds of millions through the incessant re-printing of his books, to his wartime innovations that led to the powerful broadcasts through the BBC, and to the fact that Lewis broke the “ecclesiastical tyranny” (285). Lewis was special, in large part, because he spoke to people in a way that was completely different from the clergy of his time. Lewis spoke in language the people could understand and appreciate. Lewis was a scholar no doubt, but he was a people’s scholar and a lay clergyman for lay people.
Critical Review
The title of this book is a bit deceiving because much of it focuses more on the BBC in a time of war than it does on C.S. Lewis, nevertheless, the picture of the man and the circumstances surrounding the writing of his most significant work are important for both students of Lewis and contemporary apologists. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that Mere Christianity was not the brainchild of Lewis, but had its birth instead as a result of the desires of James Welch, the Director of Religious Broadcasting for the BBC during WWII. Welch, who was impressed by The Problem of Pain and was looking for a person to give voice to his vision. Welch felt that Lewis was the kind of communicator he was looking for and contacted him to accomplish the task of giving Britain a “positive restatement of Christian doctrines in lay language (v).” Phillips writes that
Welch felt strongly that the divisions of war did not diminish the relevance of the word of God or its direction. If anything, it made the gospel more important than ever. Christ’s offer of forgiveness to all who turn to him in repentance and faith is universal. The claim of Christ to be the route to God himself–the Way, the Truth, and the life–applied in all times in all places. It applied equally to men and women of all nationalities. Germany might be the enemy, but the Christian gospel had equally to speak to Germans as to the English. Religious broadcasting ‘has had to speak the word of God who is Lord, Judge, and Father of all men, of Germans equally with the British, of Japanese equally with the Americans. For religious broadcasting is, fundamentally, the broadcasting of the truth about God and of the truth given by God (35).’
When one considers the role of the apologist, it is interesting to note that the believer does not stand alone in defending the Christian faith. It is also important to note that one’s opportunities to speak Christ into the lives of others often comes as a result of one’s previous attempts to love people in the name of Christ. The Problem of Pain is C.S. Lewis’ attempt to answer one of the greatest questions about God in the entire world—namely why is it that pain and suffering exist. The apologist willing to engage in the questions of society that are most pertinent and most difficult to explain away may be given the opportunity to speak into other situations. Further, the respect shown to Lewis for his treatment of this delicate and difficult situation shows the necessity of ethics in apologetics.
Lewis never denies the reality of suffering or the pain of suffering, both of which would be unethical. Instead, Lewis merely argues that the reality of suffering does not preclude the existence of a loving God and that suffering well can lead to a positive end. In the midst of a tragic war that was destroying Europe, Lewis was called upon again to show the citizens of Great Britain that God could still care for them and that God was still an answer. Lewis is also called upon to show that the God who could save Britain through the Gospel was the same God who could save Germany and indeed the entire world. Because he faced the brutal facts of pain and suffering, Lewis was trusted to handle the truths of the gospel during war. But if it was the ethics of Lewis that earned him the opportunity to speak in to the lives of Great Britain’s citizens, Phillips shows it was the manner of his presentation that endeared him to his audience and his producers.
The ethic of Lewis produced a man who was unapologetically honest. He saw God even in the midst of war and desired to show God to others during this time as well. In stark contrast to other intellectuals of his time (and many of the current era as well), Lewis wanted to reveal God to people in a way that the general populace could understand and appreciate. He set out this theme in his first broadcast this way,
Everyone has heard people quarrelling…’that’s my seat,, I was there first’ – ‘leave him alone, he isn’t’ doing you any harm’ – ‘why should you shove me in first?’ – ‘give me a bit of your orange, I gave you a bit of mine’ – ‘How’d you like it if anyone did the same to you?’ – ‘Come on, you promised’ (120).
The purpose, according to Phillips, was to make the point “that each of us appeals to or falls back upon a standard of behavior to which we hold others to account” (120). This standard makes no sense unless there is an underlying and overarching standard of right and wrong upon which all other concepts of ought and naught point. Lewis set out to do more than simply speak words of encouragement into the religious vacuum that was Great Britain during this time, Lewis wanted to show a country—maybe even a continent—that God did exist and there was reason to believe in His existence.
Lewis’ insisted that proving God’s existence to common folks was incredibly important and was possibly the key to his success. Notice that this is a rendering of the Moral Argument for God’s existence in language that was appropriate and approachable to common men and women. Lewis’ effort in this regard should serve as a prominent reminder for apologists who follow Lewis to engage not only academic, but lay people as well who are in need of a relationship with the God of the universe. Lewis made special efforts to not talk down to his listeners. He even went as far as to invite his listeners to “switch on to another station” (121) if they felt that they were not in need of hearing his words. Humble as he may have been, however, Lewis was outspoken and authoritative with the message of Christ.
Lewis tactfully crafted his messages to fit the times. In the midst of incredible attacks from the Germans, Lewis used the German oppression as an illustration of the point he sought to drive home about the standard of right and wrong which comes from God, “What is the sense in saying the enemy are in the wrong unless right is a real thing which the Germans at bottom know as well as we do and ought to practice” (120). In the academy, apologetics can be rooted in theory, but for the populace, it is imperative that the apologist root his message in practical application. Lewis was uniquely able during this period of time in history to relate the fall of man and the morality of God in current news.
Another aspect of Lewis’ writing and broadcasting during this time that no doubt did much to increase his appeal and his effectiveness was his humility. During the height of his popularity as a broadcaster and in high demand from the BBC, Lewis submitted some of his writing (which according to Walter Hooper was almost never in need of revision) to theologians for review,
My dear Fenn,
I’m plugging away at the 5 talks and have nearly finished. I’m thinking of sending copies to 3 theologians (C of E, RC and dissenting) to see if there’s any disagreement. Let us at least be ecumenical. Sorry I couldn’t do anything on worship. It’s in the church of Michael Robarts that Dr. Thorne marries Miss D – either Framley Parsonage or The Small House (139).
Recognizing his role as primarily one of apologist, Lewis was willing to seek the input of those in other fields for the good of his arguments. Again, it is wise for apologists to follow Lewis’ lead in recognizing the benefit of reaching out to others outside of his discipline and relying on outside input to strengthen one’s argument.
Lewis takes responsibility for engaging in appropriate and responsible discourse. He takes care to show the fruits of the Christian system and the failures of non-Christian systems. It was Nazism, not Christianity that led Hitler and his followers to murder the Jews and launch their crusade. The Christian ethic, on the other hand, demanded value for life and established appropriate understandings of right and wrong. Christianity, rightly understood and adhered to, led to moral societies with order and uprightness.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, this book does not stand on its own very well. It is an enjoyable read, but only as a companion volume to Mere Christianity. There is not enough history of World War II to make this book valuable to the historian and not enough about Lewis to consider this a biography. However, for an in-depth look at the creation of one of the Twentieth Century’s most important books, this book serves its purpose well. Without an appreciation for Mere Christianity, I am afraid that this book would be worthless, but for the Lewis fan and for so many in the world who have been influenced by Mere Christianity, this book serves as a good insight into the man and the process. Further, the very process that led to the creation of Lewis’ most popular work is a beautiful reminder that God works through many to accomplish his purposes, and even his most gifted leaders stand on the shoulder and alongside others who play significant roles in the communication of the gospel.
