KKNOWINGNOWING A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind C. S. LEWIS INSTITUTE OINGOING &D&D Winter 2005 PROFILES IN FAITH IN THIS ISSUE Helen Joy Davidman 3 C. S. Lewis Institute Feature: (Mrs. C.S. Lewis) 1915-1960: A Portrait The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Lyle W. Dorsett by Art Lindsley Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, 7 Fellows Feature: Beeson Divinity School, Samford University Feeding the Five Used by permission of The Marion E. Wade Center, Thousand Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. by Jeff Lindeman 8 Special Feature: fter C.S. Lewis went public with Hunter College and an M.A. from Columbia Jefferson and his conversion and commitment University. From childhood Joy exhibited Wilberforce: to Jesus Christ, controversy marked intellectual prowess. She broke the Leaders Who hounded him until scale on an IQ test in elementary Shaped Their Times AAhis death. Fashionable agnostics school and as a youngster she – Part III dubbed him “Heavy Lewis,” lib- The brilliant loved books and typically read by Ray Blunt eral Christians reviled him for his numerous volumes each week. 10 Review and lack of theological sophistication, and attractive Obviously a prodigy, Joy mani- Reflect: and fundamentalists attacked his fested unusual critical and ana- Book Review: Art interpretation of scripture and woman Mr. lytical skills, as well as musical Lindsley’s C.S. his ecumenical charity towards Lewis married talent. Raised in a middle class Lewis’s Case for most Christian traditions. But Bronx neighborhood, Joy Christ neither these issues nor a host of in 1956 Davidman amazed even her by Dr. Jerry Root other contentions stirred up any- possessed a brilliant and demanding father 12 Guest Feature: thing like the furor that sur- by being able to read a score of Passion For Your rounded his marriage to Helen well-deserved Chopin and then play it on the Name Joy Davidman. In the minds of piano without another glance at by J. John many of C.S. Lewis’s friends it literary the score. Similarly she would was bad enough that a bachelor take her part in a Shakespeare 20 Growing in Christ reputation in Series: Maturity nearly sixty years old married a play and memorize her lines af- Can Be Measured woman of forty. But to make her own right ter the first reading. Howard by J. Oswald matters worse, she was an Davidman, Joy’s brother and Sanders American divorcee who also years before she her junior by four years, recalled happened to be Jewish and the that her striking intellectual 28 Upcoming Events mother of two boys. met the powers and aggressive personal- The brilliant and attractive celebrated ity elicited his devoted admira- woman Mr. Lewis married in tion but at the same time 1956 possessed a well-deserved Oxford don. inhibited him. To be sure, literary reputation in her own Howard was no intellectual right years before she met the cel- slouch. Indeed, he excelled at ebrated Oxford don. Born in the University of Virginia, be- New York City to well-educated Jewish par- came a medical doctor who practiced psy- ents in 1915, Joy Davidman attended public chiatry in Manhattan after serving in World schools and then went on to earn a B.A. at War II. Nevertheless, he confessed that he (continued on page 16) KNOWING & DOING Editor’s Note is a publication of the C. S. LEWIS INSTITUTE, INC. Editor, James L. Beavers It was a golden summer afternoon when we walked from the charming village of LI SENIOR FELLOW Leighlinbridge, Ireland, across the bridge over C. S. LEWIS James M. Houston, Ph.D. the River Barrow to the large stone home of INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW Douglas and Merrie Gresham. Douglas, son of Steven S. Garber, Ph.D. Helen Joy Davidman Lewis and stepson of ESTABLISHED 1976 SENIOR FELLOW C.S. Lewis, had invited our Oxford-bound group to his liv- Arthur W. Lindsley, Ph.D. ing room to hear some of his reminiscences of his mother SENIOR ASSOCIATE and step-father. One of the many subjects discussed was Greg Headington, D.Min. the 1993 film, Shadowlands, directed by Richard PRESIDENT Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Thomas A. Tarrants, III In the legacy of “Jack” Lewis and Deborah Winger as Joy. Douglas related EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT that the film had a number of factual inaccuracies, e.g., al- Thomas W. Simmons C. S. Lewis, though shown driving in the film, C.S. Lewis never COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR James L. Beavers learned to drive a car. However, he went on to say that the Institute “emotionally, the film was spot on.” ADMINISTRATOR Emily J. Roberts Joy was, as Lyle Dorsett’s portrait of her in this is- endeavors to develop sue indicates, an extraordinarily brilliant person. Douglas VOLUNTEERS shared that he believed his mother to have been one of the disciples who can OFFICE & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT few people who was on an intellectual par with—if not Karen Olink beyond—the enormously gifted Lewis, and therefore articulate, defend, SPECIAL PROJECTS someone with whom he could fully engage in an unfet- B.J. Blunt tered exchange of ideas. and live HOSPITALITY COORDINATOR What was missing from the film? “Laughter,” he Jennifer Collins faith in Christ told us. The most common memory he had of Jack’s talks CONFERENCE COORDINATORS with friends and colleagues was the presence and prepon- Jim & Cynthia Eckert through personal derance of laughter. “There was always laughter when- ever he met with friends.” BOARD OF DIRECTORS and public life. Kenneth W. Broussard I have always remembered that comment and so William R. Deven found it not surprising to read that C.S. Lewis’s recom- James W. Eckert Elizabeth B. Fitch, Esq. mendation to the readers of The Lion, the Witch and the Cherie Harder Wardrobe was, foremost, to enjoy it. I also think that is James R. Hiskey Dennis P. Hollinger, Ph.D. sound advice for watching the new The Lion, the Witch and Kerry A. Knott the Wardrobe film: rather than dissecting it to look for all of Arthur W. Lindsley, Ph.D. Carl R. Meyer its hidden meaning, first, simply enjoy it. John O. Renken, Esq. Enjoy this issue of Knowing & Doing, too. I pray Bruce M. Scott Thomas A. Tarrants, III that it will enrich your heart and mind. © 2005 C. S. LEWIS INSTITUTE. Portions of this publication may be reproduced for noncommercial, local church, or ministry use without prior permission. For quantity reprints or other uses, please contact the CSLI offices. KNOWING & DOING is published by the C. S. Lewis Institute and is available on request. A suggested annual contribution of $25 or more is requested to provide for its production and publication. An electronic version (PDF file) is available as well, and can be obtained via the web site: www.cslewisinstitute.org. Page 2 Requests for changes of address may be made in writing to: KNOWING & DOING C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE; 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 300; Springfield, VA 22151-2110 Winter 2005 or via e-mail to: [email protected]. C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Institute Lewis’s best-loved classic Feature by Art Lindsley, Ph.D. Senior Fellow, C. S. Lewis Institute inally, The Lion, the Witch and the through the generations. Lewis says: Wardrobe is coming to the big screen. The anticipation is great. The book Fashions in literary taste come and go F has already been at #1 on The New among adults, and every period has its own F shibboleths. These, when good, do not cor- York Times bestseller list. Many people, both believers and non-believers, will see the film, rupt it, for children read only to enjoy. Of and it will be an opportunity to speak to oth- course, their limited vocabulary and general ers about the film’s meaning as well as about ignorance make some books unintelligible C.S. Lewis. There are already plans for other to them. But, apart from that, juvenile taste is volumes of the Narnia series to be made into simply human taste. movies, so it is possible that all seven might Dr. Art Lindsley eventually be filmed. Any preparation we Lewis felt that to grow into adulthood Dr. Art Lindsley is a do now may prepare us for future opportu- without developing your imagination was to Senior Fellow with the nities, so it’s good to learn more about the be impoverished. One five-year-old boy who C.S. Lewis Institute where he has served since Narnia series and The Lion, the Witch and the visited Lewis’s home outside Oxford during 1987. Formerly, he was Wardrobe (LWW). the bombing of London in World War II, had Director of Educational never been exposed to fairy tales. Lewis la- Ministries of the Ligonier An Allegory? mented that “his poor imagination has been Valley Study Center and Staff Specialist with One of the first questions that arises about left without any natural food at all.” Lewis Coalition for Christian the series is: Are the books allegories, where felt that it was important (as Jesus taught) Outreach, Pittsburgh, each detail of the books has symbolic spiri- for adults to keep a childlike outlook on the Pennsylvania. He re- tual meaning? The answer is “No.” Lewis world: “Only those adults who have re- ceived his B.S. (Chemis- try) from Seattle Pacific stressed that each volume started with pic- tained, with whatever additions and enrich- University, an M.Div. tures in his mind, which he turned into a ments, their first childlike responses to poetry from Pittsburgh Theo- story.