The death of writer C. S. Lewis 50 years ago this coming November 22nd was overshadowed at the time by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy the same day, but the impact of the Irish thinker on Western culture in general and on the Church in particular is immense. Included in his collection of over 60 books, which have been translated into 41 languages and have sold over 100 million copies, are the 7-volume children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia, a space trilogy and works articulating Christian theology such as The Case for Christianity, Miracles, The Problem of Pain, God in the Dock and The Screwtape Letters.

In 2000, more than 100 church leaders and contributors to Christianity Today identified Lewis’ Mere Christianity as the best “must read” religious book of the 20th century, most relevant to its time and retaining significance and influence for Christianity today, and “the best case for the essentials of orthodox Christianity in print.” He was celebrated as the most popular author of the century by far.

This week in Adult Ed we will examine why Lewis was and continues to be such a dynamic force in the Church, and what his writings and life have to teach us in the current generation. The PowerPoint for this week can be found here.

While Writing About Underdogs, Author Rediscovers Faith

Malcolm Gladwell became a bestselling author by writing books about unexpected twists in social science research, not books about religion. But his newest book, released this month, while still in the social science field, also speaks of the power of faith. And while writing the book, Gladwell found himself drawn to the Christian faith in which he’d been raised, but from which he’d departed. He now has re-embraced that faith and identifies himself as a Christian.

Gladwell’s story gives us an opportunity to think about the nature of our own interaction with faith, which may ebb and flow with the passage of time or the vicissitudes of life. Even committed Christians can have times when their faith struggles with uncertainty and belief in God comes down to a decision of the will rather than an assurance of the heart. So faith, as it comes and goes over the long haul, will be the topic of this week’s Adult Education. The PowerPoint for this week can be found here.