First Line Friday #10: The Romantic Rationalist

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

 

Title:  The Romantic Rationalist
Editors/Contributors:  John Piper, et al.
Genre: Biography / Theology

 〰First Line〰

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For those of you who may wonder why we would devote a book to a mere mortal like C. S. Lewis, let’s begin with an accolade from Peter Kreeft from a book chapter titled, “The Romantic Rationalist: Lewis the Man.”

Once upon a dreary era, when the world of . . . specialization had nearly made obsolete all universal geniuses, romantic poets, Platonic idealists, rhetorical craftsmen, and even orthodox Christians, there appeared a man (almost as if from another world, one of the worlds of his own fiction: was he a man or something more like elf or Angel?) who was all of these things as amateur, as well as probably the world’s foremost authority in his professional province, Medieval and Renaissance English literature. Before his death in 1963 he found time to produce some first-quality works of literary history, literary criticism, theology, philosophy,  autobiography, biblical studies, historical philology, fantasy, science fiction, letters, poems, sermons, formal and informal essays, a historical novel, a spiritual diary, religious allegory, short stories, and children’s novels. Clive Staples Lewis was not a man: he was a world.

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Synopsis:  (From Goodreads:) 

"We are far too easily pleased."

C. S. Lewis stands as one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century. His commitment to the life of the mind and the life of the heart is evident in classics like the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity—books that illustrate the unbreakable connection between rigorous thought and deep affection.

With contributions from Randy Alcorn, John Piper, Philip Ryken, Kevin Vanhoozer, David Mathis, and Douglas Wilson, this volume explores the man, his work, and his legacy—reveling in the truth at the heart of Lewis's spiritual genius: God alone is the answer to our deepest longings and the source of our unending joy.

 〰First Thoughts〰

Until I studied for my Theology degree, I'd not given C. S. Lewis or his writings the attention they deserved.   I'd only known him as the "Narnia guy" and had made attempts to read some of the series, but came away dissatisfied and feeling a bit stupid (I'm not great with allegories in general).  After my courses introduced me to Lewis' nonfiction writings, I was eager to read and study more.  After partaking of several biographies and articles on Lewis, I wasn't sure there was anything else to tell.  Well, this volume popped up in my recommended readings on Hoopla Digital, so I thought, why not? 

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?