Changing Models of the Universe and CS Lewis's Defence of Truth And
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ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following work: Adam, Brenda (2016) Cosmic warfare: changing models of the universe and C.S. Lewis's defence of truth and meaning. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: https://doi.org/10.4225/28/5ab33140faf9b The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owner of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please email [email protected] Cosmic Warfare: Changing Models of the Universe and C.S. Lewis’s Defence of Truth and Meaning Thesis submitted by Brenda Adam BA (Hons) in November 2016 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts, Society and Education James Cook University i Abstract C.S. Lewis’s interests and arguments range widely across the arts and the sciences. He noted the transience of models of the universe and described them as representations of current knowledge; composites of science, philosophy, theology and culture. He observed how they communicate meaning and influence popular thinking, and used them as a backdrop to his art. This thesis is an analytical and interpretive reading of his worldview expressed in various genres. His fantasy stories are evidence of his claim that the imaginative man within him was older and more basic than the religious writer or critic. The research investigates his fusion of intellect and imagination for dialectic, aesthetic, ethical and spiritual ends, at a time of conflict and uncertainty. Against the tide of materialism and secularism, Lewis set out to explain and clarify Christian cosmology as a rational alternative to the seemingly purposeless and meaningless emptiness of Space. Models are big picture metaphors and the research explores Lewis’s prolific use of metaphor, intrinsic to his method in elucidating the complexities of philosophy and theology to the wider public. The thesis does not attempt to fit him into a particular theoretical framework, in deference to his many-sided approach to various subjects, and his dislike of restrictive labels. The ‘warfare’ theme in the thesis title relates to Lewis’s engagement with progressive philosophies and man-centred epistemologies. The aggressive tactics of ‘New Atheism’ in the twenty-first century have given his apologetic texts even greater relevance. His books and essays challenge the assumed ‘conflict narrative’ regarding science and religion, encouraging dialogue rather than inflammatory rhetoric. His arguments speak for themselves, not as relics of a past age but as valuable insights into the issues of the here and now. ii Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Contents ................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. vi Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 Origins, Existence and Meaning ............................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................................................ 12 The Power of Words and the Role of Metaphor .................................................................. 12 1.1 Philosophers and Scientism ....................................................................................... 15 1.2. Progressive Philosophy and Theology ..................................................................... 22 1.3. Contemporary Gnosticism ........................................................................................ 27 1.4. The Sacred Feminine ................................................................................................ 32 1.5. Lewis’s Creative Use of Metaphor ........................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................................................ 41 The Language of Theology and Physics.............................................................................. 41 2.1. Knowledge, Imagination and Meaning .................................................................... 45 2.2. Insignificance and the Image of God ........................................................................ 52 2.3. The Anthropic Principle ........................................................................................... 56 2.4. Science and the Arts ................................................................................................. 60 2.5. Future Visions .......................................................................................................... 64 CHAPTER 3 ........................................................................................................................ 70 ‘Of This and Other Worlds’................................................................................................. 70 3.1. The Science-Fiction Genre ....................................................................................... 72 3.2. Exploring Space ........................................................................................................ 76 3.3. Life-Force Theory, Eden and Theology ................................................................... 80 3.4. Good, Evil and the Politics of Power ....................................................................... 87 iii 3.5. The Sacrament of Marriage and the ‘Sacred Feminine’ ........................................... 95 CHAPTER 4 ........................................................................................................................ 99 A Personal Perspective:Lewis’s Spiritual Journey .............................................................. 99 4.1. Lewisian Theology ................................................................................................. 105 4.2. Motivation and Aims .............................................................................................. 110 4.3. The Elusive Lewis .................................................................................................. 115 4.4. Ideological and Spiritual Warfare........................................................................... 119 4.5. Crusader or Evangelist? .......................................................................................... 124 CHAPTER 5 ...................................................................................................................... 128 Apologetics: In a Modern and Postmodern Climate. ........................................................ 128 5.1. Literary Criticism ................................................................................................... 132 5.2. Higher Criticism ..................................................................................................... 136 5.3. Twenty-first Century Apologetics .......................................................................... 138 5.4. Unlikely Allies ........................................................................................................ 142 5.5. The ‘Uncertainty Principle’ and Demise of Metanarratives? ................................. 146 CHAPTER 6 ...................................................................................................................... 156 The Nature of Cosmic Warfare: ........................................................................................ 156 Are Religion and the Sciences in Opposition? .................................................................. 156 6.1. The History of the Myth ......................................................................................... 158 6.2. Science and Scientism ............................................................................................ 161 6.3. Changing Models of the Universe .......................................................................... 166 6.4. The Not so New Atheists ........................................................................................ 172 6.5. In Defence of the Faith and Towards Convergence ............................................... 176 CHAPTER 7 ...................................................................................................................... 187 Divine Monarchy and the Republic of Heaven ................................................................. 187 7.1. Milton, Eden and the Origins of Evil ..................................................................... 189 7.2. Many Worlds .......................................................................................................... 194 iv 7.3. Parallels and Fantasy Literature ............................................................................. 197 7.4. Once Upon a Time .................................................................................................. 201 7.5. Dark Side ...............................................................................................................