The Most Reluctant Convert

April 1, 2002
Since C.S. Lewis himself wrote two accounts of his conversion to Christianity (one being allegorical), is there any need for another? Downing, an English professor and noted Lewis researcher, answers this question well in the course of this very thorough work. While covering the same ground as Lewis's own Surprised by Joy, Downing focuses on the interior developments in Lewis's thought rather than retelling his conversion story. This difference in intent makes for a drier tone, but it also allows for a much deeper analysis. Downing's careful research uncovers many relevant passages for Lewis's various stages of thought, particularly from unpublished letters. He convincingly shows how reflective themes from Lewis's earliest days—imagination and analysis, progress and tradition, flesh and spirit—were developed, challenged, held in tension and resolved. In exploring the impact of Lewis's mother's early death and his strained relationship with his father, Downing keeps closely to the primary sources. This spiritual biography will function as a series of excellent explanatory notes alongside Lewis's narrative account, giving the sort of detail that true fans delight in. A pleasant surprise awaits readers at the end of the book, as Downing abandons his unadorned tone in favor of an imaginative exploration of Lewis's actual "final" conversion. Although he admits to its speculative nature, the narrative's firm foundation in Lewis's thoughts makes it a plausible and joyful creative journey.

A C.S. Lewis scholar and professor of English, Downing offers a thoughtful examination of the great man's journey from disbelief to eloquent proponent of Christianity. The cultural and religious climate in his native Northern Ireland, his childhood and boarding school experiences, and the loss of his mother at age 9 all affected Lewis emotionally and complicated his ability to settle into a religious faith. Filled with interesting detail about the intellectual and spiritual communities that surrounded Lewis, the analysis is impressive without sounding academic or intellectual. A degree of suspense pervades the narrative as Lewis bobs and weaves around his conflicts, eventually finding his life's passion and purpose. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine