C.S. Lewis -- "Conversations with Clive"

Last night my dear friend Andrea Green and I had the opportunity to speak to a group at Highland View Church of Christ on C.S. Lewis.

Lots of great discussion on things such as:

1. Is Lewis for everyone?
2. What was the "Trip to the zoo?"
3. The phases of Lewis' life (as evident in his works)
4. The 'Lewis Trilema'
5. Favorite work of Lewis
6. Single most important work of Lewis
7. Why A Grief Observed is so important
8. Why Lewis' work (now 50 years after his death) is still so relevant, so sustainable

One of the best points that many people have asked about is the fact that we both agreed you simply can Not read 1 Lewis work.  Nor can you pick and choose a completely random order in which to read them.  Lewis' life goes through distinct phases, as we all do (as does all of our walks with God):  Atheist, curious, Logical, Faith based (honey moon phase), doubt-pain-fear-anger-grief.  You simply can not choose 1 piece of that life and get an idea of the cycle that we all (not many so honestly and raw as Lewis) go through.  A Huge part of his work is seeing his life, his walk with God, as this truly raw ebb and flow - up and down - positive and doubtful - joyful and grief stricken - faithful and angry - logical and relational.

If you had to choose an order, and focused solely on his 'major' works, the most important thing is for the works to be book-ended with Mere Christianity first and A Grief Observed last (A Grief Observed always last....).

The order, should you desire, would look something like this:

Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, (The Abolition of Man), The Great Divorce, (The Problem of Pain), (Surprised by Joy), (Miracles), and A Grief Observed.