Lewis' most famous work is a series of letters from a senior devil to a junior "agent in the field," instructing him in the arts of temptation. 2 cassettes.
Who among us has never wondered if there might not really be a tempter sitting on our shoulders or dogging our steps? C.S. Lewis dispels all doubts. In The Screwtape Letters, one of his bestselling works, we are made privy to the instructional correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his wannabe diabolical nephew Wormwood. As mentor, Screwtape coaches Wormwood in the finer points, tempting his "patient" away from God.
Each letter is a masterpiece of reverse theology, giving the reader an inside look at the thinking and means of temptation. Tempters, according to Lewis, have two motives: the first is fear of punishment, the second a hunger to consume or dominate other beings. On the other hand, the goal of the Creator is to woo us unto himself or to transform us through his love from "tools into servants and servants into sons." It is the dichotomy between being consumed and subsumed completely into another's identity or being liberated to be utterly ourselves that Lewis explores with his razor-sharp insight and wit.
The most brilliant feature of The Screwtape Letters may be likening hell to a bureaucracy in which "everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment." We all understand bureaucracies, be it the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, or one of our own making. So we each understand the temptations that slowly lure us into hell. If you've never read Lewis, The Screwtape Letters is a great place to start. And if you know Lewis, but haven't read this, you've missed one of his core writings. --Patricia Klein
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
The Screwtape Letters:
The book arrived in good time and in good condition. Am pleased with the total transaction.
The Path to Hell:
For a bit of 'inspirational' reading this Christmas, I picked up _The Screwtape Letters_. I've read some of the Narnia series as well as _Mere Christianity_ by Lewis and I knew the basic gist of Screwtape, but still wasn't 100% sure what was in store for me. The book is a series of letters written by the demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood. Both are demons of Hell and the letters are discussions of the practices used to tempt humans and lead them down to Hell rather than letting them make it to... more info
Incredible, Unique, Compelling:
In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis has presented to us one side of a correspondence between two fictitious demons. Screwtape, a demon with a high position and good standing with the one they name as their 'Father below', writes to his younger nephew Wormwood, teaching him in the methods of temptation. In this unique way, Lewis reveals not only temptations themselves, but also the way to overcome them through Jesus Christ. In addition, it is a highly entertaining read, sometimes depressing, at many times... more info
Try it; you'll like it!:
Read this book for entertainment, great writing, its original premise, or whatever, and you won't be disappointed. If spiritual thoughts start sneaking up on you somewhere along the way, I promise it won't spoil the fun.
