Scott Freeman

Reading C.S.: George MacDonald, Essays Presented to Charles Williams and The Arthurian Torso

Yes, I know I have read 6 C.S. Lewis books in the last 3 days. Does that make me a geek? Important to know is that these works are relatively brief.

George MacDonald: An Anthology

Lewis did not write this book. Instead he provided a preface and assembled 365 excerpts from the writings and preaching of the great 19th century writer George MacDonald. If there has been any benefit to me reading the works of Lewis like I have the further exposure to MacDonald would be at or near the top of that list.

This is a book that everyone should read. Better yet, it’s good to own and go back to again and again. It’s brevity is surpassed by its depth and richness. Rather than a review, here are some great sayings of George MacDonald:

A man may sink by such slow degrees that, long after he is a devil, he may go on bein a good churchman or a good dissenter and thinking himself a good Christian.

The notion that the salvation of Jesus is a salvation from the consequences of our sins is a false, mean, low notion…Jesus did not die to save us from punishment; He was called Jesus because He should save His people from their sins.

When we say that God is love, do we teach men that their fear of Him is groundless? No. As much as they fear will come upon them, possibly far more…The wrath will consume what they call themselves, so that the selves God made may appear.

But Herein is the Bible itself greatly wronged. It nowhere lays claim to be regarded as the Word, the Way, the Truth. The Bible leads us to Jesus, the inexhaustible, the ever unfolding Revelation of God. It is Christ “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” not the Bible, save as leading to Him.

I could go on but I will be coming back to MacDonald soon. Grade: A

Essays Presented to Charles Williams

To be able to read these next two works I had to take a trip to the Baylor library and dig in their archives. It made for a pleasant afternoon of reading is some mighty comfy chairs.

This book was intended to be a gift to Charles Williams from several noted authors on the occasion of his return home to Oxford after WW2. Instead, his surprise death led it be serve as a tribute and memorial instead. Lewis wrote the preface and a tremendous essay “On Stories.” Author authors included Lewis’ brother Warren, J.R.R. Tolkien and Dorothy Sayers. I will comment further about “On Stories” when it is re-released posthumously in 1982.

The Arthurian Torso Containing the Posthumous Fragment of The Figure of Arthur

When Williams died he left uncompleted a treatment on the legend of King Arthur. Because so much of the surviving work was read during the weekly meeting of the Inklings Lewis was able to publish what was left including his commentary on the work. If interested you can read the entire text online here.