"Every year you grow, you will find me bigger." --Aslan to Lucy in Prince Caspian C. S. Lewis was, of course, a brilliant apologist, and his books contain much to feed your intellect. But Lewis was also very concerned about Christian formation and strongly desired to help believers deepen their faith and broaden their vision of God. In this book Peter Schakel opens to you the more practical parts of Lewis's wonderful writings. Covering areas of potential struggle such as prayer, suffering, doubt and love, Schakel draws principles from Lewis's nonfiction as well as illustrations from the Chronicles of Narnia to stir your imagination and soul so that you might see God in new ways. In addition, the author quotes from contemporaries of Lewis, showing how their thinking fit with Lewis's. With reflection questions included, this deeper look at Lewis's formational writings is valuable for your personal devotions or for group discussions. Either way, as you read you will find God bigger and bigger.

How did a middle-aged professor with no children write books that have become beloved classics of children's literature? What is the best order for reading the Chronicles of Narnia? Whatever one's question, "The Way into Narnia" offers valuable guidance for first-time visitors to Narnia and fresh insights for those who have already traveled there often. Exploring ideas from Lewis's friend J. R. R. Tolkien, Peter Schakel shows that the best way to enter Narnia is to read the Chronicles as fairy tales. After walking readers through each of the books, he concludes the tour with a unique section of annotations that clarify unfamiliar words and unusual passages.

The first study of C.S. Lewis to offer a detailed examination of "Till We Have Faces," Peter J. Schakel's book is also the first to explore the tension between reason and imagination that significantly shaped Lewis' thinking and writing. Schakel begins with a close analysis of "Till We Have Faces" which leads the readers through the plot, clarifying its themes and it discusses structure, symbols and allusions. The second part of the book surveys Lewis' works, tracing the tension between reason and imagination. In the works of the thirties and forties reason is in the ascendant; from the early fifties on, in works such as the Chronicles of Narnia, there is an increased emphasis on imagination - which culminates in the fine "myth retold," "Till We Have Faces." Imagination and reason are reconciled, finally in the works of the early sixties such as "A Grief Observed" and "Letters to Malcolm." PETER J. SCHAKEL is Professor of English at Hope College, Holland, MI. "This book is what Lewis scholarship ought to be. It is the most thoughtful, careful Lewis study yet." - Peter Kreeft "Reason and Imagination" is a remarkable achievement, literary criticism that is both wise and moving." - Margaret Hannay "Peter Schakel brings to C. S. Lewis scholarship what has often been lacking, namely rigorous scholarly method and real critical detachment. His study of "Till We Have Faces" is a major contribution to Lewis studies." - Thomas Howard

This text offers an array of essays that consider literary, intellectual, political, theological and cultural aspects of the years 1650-1800, in the British Isles and Europe. At the centre of the book is Jonathan Swift; other essays discuss Alexander Pope, 18th-century music and poetry, William Congreve, James Boswell, Samuel Richardson, and women's novels of the 18th century.