Beloved by children and adults worldwide, the writings of C.S. Lewis have a broad and enduring appeal. Although he is best known for the iconic Chronicles of Narnia series, C. S. Lewis was actually a man of many literary parts. Already well-known as a scholar in the thirties, he became a famous broadcaster during World War Two and wrote in many genres, including satire (The Screwtape Letters), science fiction ( Perelandra), a novel (Till We Have Faces), and many other books on Christian belief, such as Mere Christianity and Miracles. His few sermons remain touchstones of their type. In addition to these, Lewis wrote hundreds of poems and articles on social and cultural issues, many books and articles in his field of literary criticism and history, and thousands of letters. At Oxford University he became a charismatic lecturer and conversationalist. Taken together his writings have engaged and influenced, often very deeply, millions of readers. Now Lewis societies, television documentaries, movies, radio plays, and theatrical treatments of his work and life have become common, and he is frequently quoted by journalists, critics, and public thinkers. This Very Short Introduciton delves into the vast corpus of C. S. Lewis' work, discussing its core themes and lasting appeal. As James Como shows, C. S. Lewis' life is just as interesting as his work. A complex man, he came to his knowledge, beliefs, and wisdom only after much tortuous soul-searching and many painful events. Moving chronologically through Lewis' life, Como provides throughout a picture of the whole man, his work, and his enduring legacy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Reading WHY I BELIEVE IN NARNIA provides a panoramic view of C. S. Lewis' multi-faceted genius and its application in fields as diverse as social criticism and children's literature. WHY I BELIEVE gathers reviews and essays that span Prof. James Como's many years as a preeminent Lewis scholar, to which the author of Remembering C.S. Lewis and Branches to Heaven has added several new entries. Chapters range from reviews of critical books, documentaries and movies to evaluations of Lewis's books to biographical analysis. In addition to close-up looks, Como reflects on the "big picture" of the most important contributions Lewis has made, not just in literature, but as a social philosopher and reformer. For the serious student of C. S. Lewis, WHY I BELIEVE IN NARNIA is an invaluable tool for appreciating the breadth and depth of Lewis' thinking.

C. S. Lewis: Views From Wake Forest is a collection of sixteen insightful essays that will delight both Inklings scholars and C. S. Lewis readers of all ages and opinions. Walter Hooper, for example, the man most responsible for preserving, publishing, and promoting Lewis' many works after Lewis' death in 1963, shares stories from his work with Lewis, Owen Barfield, Lady Collins, and other friends of Lewis in his essay 'Editing C. S. Lewis, ' an inspiring tale as well as a landmark event in Lewis scholarship. James Como, author of Why I Believe in Narnia and a Keynote Speaker at the international conference from which these essays were collected, reveals the neglected C. S. Lewis, the cultural critic and public philosopher whose insights and thinking give Lewis' more popular novels and apologetic works their weight and value. Fourteen more Lewis scholars explore Lewis' invaluable social criticism, his philosophical and theological insights, his Narnia books and Ransom Trilogy, as well as his medieval imagination and mythological artistry. For the serious student of C. S. Lewis as well as for anyone wanting to understand the Narnian novelist and Christian genius more profoundly, C. S. Lewis: Views From Wake Forest is a book that will open up new dimensions and ways of appreciating his multi-faceted brilliance.