If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis

May 15, 2014

McGrath (A Life of John Calvin; The Dawkins Delusion) is a busy and prolific writer on Christianity and a number of important Christian thinkers, including scholar and Narnia author C.S. Lewis (1898-1963). McGrath's most notable claim to public attention has perhaps come from his unashamed confrontation with the champions of the "New Atheism," particularly Richard Dawkins. This unassuming book is a very straightforward introduction to the Christian thought of the perennially popular Lewis. The author's rich familiarity with Lewis's work is beyond question; his expositions are most effective where Lewis's arguments are weak or inconsistent. VERDICT Lewis is such an effective writer that it is a challenge to come in his wake, but McGrath's affectionate treatment helps to set his subject in a contemporary context and should appeal to both reading groups and individuals going beyond the Narnia novels and into Lewis's apologetics.

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