C.S. Lewis in America: Readings and Reception, 1935–1947

Historian Noll (America’s Book) and contributors Johnson, a professor of history at Wheaton College; Farney, vice president for advancement and alumni relations at Wheaton College; and Black, a professor of political science at Wheaton College, take a fine-grained look at the U.S. reception of C.S. Lewis’s works between 1937 and 1947 to “gain deeper insight into both Lewis and America” during a period of “pervasive national crises.” Combing through book reviews and writings by academics, journalists, and religious thinkers, Noll posits that “the deeply learned” and “unusually creative” author was able to garner overwhelmingly positive reception in an America riven by religious and cultural divides. Farney attributes Lewis’s success to his focus on exploring Christian religious truths, which appealed to audiences amid the Great Depression and WWII, as the public sought “something into which they could place their trust.” The book also explores how today’s Christians might communicate “God’s truth” using Lewis’s creativity, whether that entails “visual arts, musical compositions and performances, mathematical equations, historical analyses, and more.” Supported by meticulous historical context, this anthology provides insight into an influential thinker’s faith and its relevance today. Believers curious about Lewis’s legacy will be fascinated and inspired. (Nov.)