"The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (Full Version)

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solomonsprayer -> "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (8/31/2008 7:46:20 AM)

I am just beginning to read C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. I just recently found out about this book from reading Peter Kreeft's website (www.peterkreeft.com) and his articles about what is in Heaven and Hell.

There is much classic and contemporary Christian literature on the topic of Heaven and Hell (some of the best and most respected from Kreeft and guys like William Lane Craig and from the Lee Strobel books), but few have looked at the side of Heaven and Hell that C.S. Lewis does. There is a lot of debate about whether Heaven and Hell are fair (of course they are) and what it is like in each place (notwithstanding the ridiculous books by guys like Bill Wiese), but I love the unique slant that Lewis places on the topic....

He writes about what the souls in Heaven and Hell are like and how they got to each place through choices and attitudes they had throughout life. ...It's fascinating!....Like a little guide to understanding human minds/hearts. He writes of a fictionalized account of riding on a bus that takes a tour through Heaven and Hell (it's kind of cool and fun actually) and then being able to meet different people in each place. In talking to each person and seeing each person's heart, C.S. Lewis shows the eternal conditions of their souls and how each person got to that point and why, even when given free choice to choose the other place, the people would not go there. ...It's a good look, for example, at why even in Hell, people freely choose not to leave and forever reject God despite being allowed to leave Hell (something William Lane Craig often mentions - that Hell is locked from the inside out through freely and continually sinful and rebellious hearts).

It's also very humorous and touching in a lot of ways. You get to see how people feel about their place in Heaven and Hell and what they think of people in the opposite places (there were two stories, in particular, that really made me want to cry). But most important, I liked how Lewis shows how people end up going to each place through all the little little choices and attitudes they have and build on throughout life....That's the most surprising part. It's not the murderer, who's crime is the worst that consigns him to Hell (in fact, he actually goes to Heaven...though there are some that go to Hell), but the "decent" guy who thought himself so great and looked down on others in very very subtle ways. ...It explains why Hell is truly in the heart (which is scary).

This is a great recommendation of yet another classic C.S. Lewis work for those interested in learning more about the psychological/spiritual/mental aspects of the souls who inhabit Heaven and Hell. It's a very unique read on the subject that makes you really think. [:)]



solomonsprayer -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (9/1/2008 4:51:14 PM)

Officially done! ..

Fastest and easiest read I've had in like 5 years.....I couldn't put this down and it was amazing! Finished it in two days. [:)]



Auben -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (9/1/2008 8:31:44 PM)

What I liked most about it was how subtly funny it was. Lewis manages to keep from hitting you over the head with it.



solomonsprayer -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (9/2/2008 8:00:59 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Auben

What I liked most about it was how subtly funny it was. Lewis manages to keep from hitting you over the head with it.


Yeah, that was one of my first thoughts. I thought the characters in Hell were kind of "cute" and "funny," though in a sad way. They felt like little children that were very ignorant and stubborn...and the characters in Heaven seemed more like adults and free in spirit (not locked into their selfishness and own way of thinking).

I can't put my finger on it, but you are very right imo....there's something subtly humorous about it. Some of the characters were so loveable and you wanted to help them. I wished so bad to just help the selfish woman who loved only her son and couldn't understand that true love means letting go and not being so possessive (and also loving others equally). In fact, the narrator says that was one of the sadest souls seen in Hell. It made me want to cry. She felt like a little girl, who was stubborn and selfish and ignorant, but that had a partially good intention. You wanted to help her and yet saw how stubborn and oblivoius she was to her own condition. [:(][sm=icon_smile_cry.gif][sm=crystreams.gif]

So I think part of what make it humorous for me on some level is that these are very real free souls, who have very understandable human flaws and desires that you want to help them with. The part where it moves from funny and cute to sad is when you realize how stubborn they are and for all eternity freely choose not to give in (as the book says they cannot enjoy the light, because forever their hands and face and clenched and closed shut and they will and cannot hear the truth and light anymore).

....One of the few bright spots that was equally funny was the Hellish guy who had the lizard on his shoulder (which the Teacher said symbolized sensual sins - like lust) and when he finally gave it up and allowed the angel to kill the lizard, the lizard became a beautiful stallion and he himself grew into one of the beautiful, radiant Solid People (souls in Heaven) and rode off into the Heavenly Realm. I thought his conversion process was rolling-on-the-floor funny! ....You could tell he had the right desires and a good heart, but just needed a little courage and trust to zap that lizard (even if it temporarily hurt).

More comments please! ....Which characters were most memorable and what thoughts overall did people have?

I loved also the description at the end of the beautiful Heavenly woman, who had a party thrown for her. [:)]



Nocturnalux -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (9/8/2008 1:48:37 AM)

It has been many a year since I read it so I am not too sure how much I can comment on it without being perhaps overly vague but I remember I enjoyed how different it was. The idea that souls can be brought to heaven and be unable to experience any joy whatsoever simply because they are not prepared and thus end up giving up altogether was very novel and not something I had ever encountered.
With that said, the thing I loved the most was probably the shout out to Blake that Lewis admits.



flemdawg1 -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (9/12/2008 11:26:09 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: solomonsprayer

...notwithstanding the ridiculous books by guys like Bill Wiese....


What's so rediculous about Wiese's book? If I wanted to read about the Bahamas, I'd prefer an author that actually went there instead of performing a mental excercise. Either you believe his story or don't?



solomonsprayer -> RE: "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis (souls in Hell and Heaven) (10/6/2008 11:28:01 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: flemdawg1

quote:

ORIGINAL: solomonsprayer

...notwithstanding the ridiculous books by guys like Bill Wiese....


What's so rediculous about Wiese's book? If I wanted to read about the Bahamas, I'd prefer an author that actually went there instead of performing a mental excercise. Either you believe his story or don't?


Well...I guess that's a different post....I'd like to make a separate Wiese post debating the merits of his Hell account. It feels a bit too long to post in this thread topic (look for my separate response later this week).

But also, I don't think C.S. Lewis was merely performing a mental exercise. True, his book was meant to be a fictional account of going to Heaven and Hell, but C.S. Lewis used the theology of prominent Christian thinkers (from his time and before) to support his story....He didn't just come up with any Heaven or any Hell. Part of the book does use metaphor, but I think that those instances are clear for the most part. ....Like the example I gave of the lizard thing representing lust.....the narrator makes many of these things clear. But the more important truths about Hell in the book are of a spiritual level. ...The spiritual decay of the human mind and soul that is seen in unrepentant and selfish individuals in Hell...those parts are wonderful examinations into people's inner minds. There's also lots of other cool stuff too.

I still say give Lewis' book a try and see what you think. I think you'd really like it. Interestingly, Lewis himself says it's one of his favorite and underrated works. He felt it was underappreciated in his time.



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