C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a book made up of 31 letters of teaching, communication, and familial advice communicated with the only two physical tempters in the book, Screwtape, the mentor, and his young eager to learn “nephew” or mentee, Wormworth. Screwtape uses the letters to aid him in influencing his nephew to do as he does in actions, thoughts, and in his work and convinces him to follow the way of Satan, their “Father” and to follow in both Screwtape and the Devil’s path. Wormworth’s “patient” is a young male who has newly tried to connect with the “Enemy”, God. Screwtape uses very common flaws, some of which are, materialism, physical attraction, and gluttony to try to draw him away from God, and brainwash him into believing all of his thoughts and detesting all outside sources as much as he can.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a book of thirty –one letters in which a retired, senior demon named Screwtape coaches his newly educated nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood is quite troubled when it comes to tempting his “patient.” Nevertheless, he need not fear because faithful uncle Screwtape has offered his services. A unique character featured in the letters is, “The Enemy.” This character refers to God, the natural enemy of Satan. Of course Satan is referred to as “Our Lord.” In the letters, and Wormwood and Screwtape try their very best to please Satan and bring him glory. Although the book is written from the demons’ perspective, Lewis naturally uses it to highlight important truths of the Christian faith.

Have you ever wondered how demons try and lead us away from God and begin to sin? In the Screwtape Letters C.S Lewis shows us how a demon named Screwtape guides his nephew Wormwood on how to make sure their “patient” stays away from Christianity. The Screwtape Letters is an Epistolary novel that was written during World War II. In this novel God is considered “The Enemy” and Satan is “Our Father.” The main characters in this novel are Wormwood, Screwtape, and the patient. Screwtape is a demon who writes his nephew Wormwood from hell. Screwtape teaches his nephew the different steps of keeping his “patient” away from God. Humans are called patients by demons because they are trying to lead humans away from God. In this novel we don’t really

With social media at the people’s disposal, users are able to share their thoughts and to keep up to date with current events. Its no surprise to find issues trending on social media every now and then; this year’s election was no exception. Politics are without a doubt a greatly debated topic. Millions of post and articles taking sides flew all across social media; some were true while others were not. A supposed satire letter written by author C.S. Lewis became popular throughout social media during the campaigns. Letter is as followed:

Could anyone feel sympathy for a groveling, sly demon? The demons did have a hard job, but it was a despicable job of choice. In The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, Screwtape busily instructs his nephew, Wormwood, who scrambles to trip up his “patient,” and bring the man to hell. Throughout the book, everyone should plainly realize that neither Screwtape nor Wormwood deserved pity or sympathy in the least. The first reason for this is that the demons’ malevolence revealed itself plainly in the book. Secondly the demons’ hate for all that is good and innocent reared its ugly head, snarling in the reader’s face. Finally, the pitiable, vile, cruel plans of the demons wiped out any lingering sympathetic feelings in the reader. The demons were purely cruelty.

Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, is an interesting novel containing the interaction between a devil named Screwtape and his young nephew Wormwood. The book is comprised of letters corresponding between the two devils. Screwtape is a senior devil and is tasked as a mentor to his less experienced nephew. Screwtape instructs Wormwood on how to tempt a new Christian, or "patient". He suggest many different intricate ways of using human emotions, thoughts, and weaknesses to tempt their faith, and keep them from the kingdom of heaven. The ultimate goal to attain humans for their master in hell. Wormwood is at first encouraged by his uncle Screwtape, but is later criticized because he can't control his patient, and fails at keeping him from church.

C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest spiritual writers the world has known, wrote the Screwtape Letters to mock the evil works of the devil and give us an understanding of spiritual warfare that is constantly going on all around us. Many people refuse to believe their lives are being interfered with by spiritual forces, but it is not something that should be ignored. Lewis saw the importance in recognizing spiritual warfare in order to learn how to fight it, and that is one of his inspirations for writing this book. Although we aren’t sure how demons attempt to lead us away from God, Lewis gives a detailed account on what he believes is a way they could go about it.

In The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis utilizes his character Screwtape to depict and essentially recommend three specific categories of temptation that humans typically fall into, which are the World, the Flesh, and the Spirit. In that order, the three categories overlap, meaning in the World is the flesh and in the Flesh is the Spirit. The Bible, my strongest point of reference, bares insight into what the temptations of the World are and why God considers them to be fatally corrupt. 1 John 2:15-17 reads “don’t love the worlds ways. Don’t love the worlds goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world- wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important- has nothing to do with the Father. It just

One aspect that influenced Lewis’s works was religion. After Jack's mother died from cancer when he was nine, Jack started to walk away from Christianity. Ellaine Murray Stone explains that at one of the boarding schools Jack attended, a staff member nurtured his interest in atheism (Stone 21-22). C.S. remained an atheist and published Spirits in Bondage during that time, but Hugo Dyson and J. R. R. Tolkien were able to draw him back to Christianity. Stone describes Lewis’s conversion back to Christianity as one night when Hugo Dyson, and J.J.R. Tolkien, both Christians, and Lewis were together, the talk came to religion. The result was Lewis converting back to Christianity (Stone 44-45).

I chose to do my research and reading on The Screwtape Letters written by C.S Lewis, which is a novel written in unique perspective of a Senior Devil named Screwtape who writes thirty-one letters to his nephew Wormwood who can be considered somewhat of a novice devil or demon of some sort. In these letters, as readers, we find that they are undated and that they are meant to offer advice to his younger demon nephew as he attempts to steal the soul of a human, referred to as “the patient”. We are first introduced to the concept of “the patient” rather than “the human” when Screwtape explains to Wormwood about one of his first experiences with one. In his first letter, Screwtape explains that the best way to lose the human is if the human somehow decides to use reason because at that point, his reason will take him to God. He does this by teaching his nephew that, “Your business is to fix his attention on the stream. Teach him to call it “real-life” and don 't let him ask what he means by real” (2). Ironically, the devil 's resort to calling God, “the Enemy”. We are first introduced to this idea in the introduction on the first letter when Screwtape states that “The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle on to the Enemy 's ground” (2). Wormwood must find his opportunities by getting his patient to make unwise choices or let his emotions get the best of him. When the patient turns to

According to an article by Larry D. Harwood , “Lewis’s Screwtape Letters: the Ascetic Devil and Aesthetic God”, he states The Screwtape Letters portrays Lewis’s evil character and the principles of the “realism, dignity, and austerity of Hell” (2004). “In The Screwtape Letters Lewis portrays God as a lavish materialist affirming delight in a sensual as a part of being human. Lewis depicts the pleasures of sense...To Screwtape it appears that God took a gamble that not only makes little sense, but also appears to have come with costs to himself.” (Harwood, 2004). According to the article “Lewis's Screwtape Letters: the Ascetic Devil and the Aesthetic God” the mood of The Screwtape Letters is dusty, gritty as Lewis depicts Hell, due to the tone

C.S. Lewis stands proudly amongst other keenly lauded authors in my near bursting “to be read” bookshelf. After my experience with Screwtape Proposes A Toast- I believe I’ll amend that. I’m sure my local library will appreciate the donation. I sincerely appreciate the craftsmanship of his premise, and engaging characterization. It is undoubtedly well written. That being said- Its politics irritated me no end. In the course of toast to the underworld’s best and brightest- the author attacks The Church, unions, modern young women at large , public education, the concept of the noble everyman...and more. After reading and re-reading Adam’s Peace - Screwtape Proposes A Toast seemed almost an antithesis to Mr. Nouwen’s worldview.

The Screwtape Letters is an inverted approach to Christianity that parallels the ideals in Ignatian spirituality. In a discussion of hell as a means of business, an Uncle, Screwtape, writes letters of psychological insight for his nephew, Wormwood, to coax his subject into turning towards Hell. Though C.S. Lewis writes from the perspective of demons, this organically highlights the truths of Christianity. Screwtape pushes Wormwood to have the patient discover evil in every dimension of his life as the patient begins to become a follower of Christianity. To note, the Christian God is labeled as the “Enemy” whereas the Devil is labeled as “Our Father Below”. In order to turn the subject away

Born in Ireland, Clive Staples Lewis, also known as CS Lewis, was a Christian fiction author. He wrote many books, including: The Chronicles of Narnia series, Screwtape Letters, Miracles, God in the Dock, and Prince Caspian. Lewis started college at Oxford University, and transferred to Keble College after serving in the United States Army. In the year of 1924, he served as a philosophy teacher at University College, during E.F. Carritt’s absence. As his book, “Screwtape Letters” began being published on May 2, 1941, CS Lewis was compensated 2 pounds of sterling each letter, which he donated to charity. At the age of 56, on December the third, Mr. Lewis gave his last tutorial at Oxford University. Due to kidney failure, on November 22,

While the thought of reading letters written by demons, may have seemed odd, Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis was excellent. It helps to give a deeper understanding of their thought process. It is applicable to Christians, as it can help show them they are constantly under attack.