Did you know that one of the most popular authors in Catholic bookstores is a non-Catholic?
I’m speaking of C. S. Lewis, the Anglican layman whose common-sense apologetics and visionary fiction has made him one of the best-selling Christians authors not only among Catholics, but among Christians of all stripes. And while I have a few philosophical and theological quibbles with the man, I continue to find reading his work to be enlightening and inspiring.
Lewis didn’t want to be called a mystic, and probably would not have been comfortable being described as a contemplative either. But his fiction — particularly visionary works like Perelandra or The Great Divorce — reveal a rich imaginative sensibility that shows a contemplative grasp of wonder. And while his non-fiction is often overly weighted toward the polemical — he wanted to make the case that Christianity remains a reasonable faith in the mid-twentieth century — his faith was so deeply imbued with a mythical imagination that a truly deep and wondrous spiritual sensibility permeates even works like Mere Christianity or The Abolition of Man.
But my purpose in writing today’s post has less to do with praising C. S. Lewis, and more to do with announcing that a great opportunity exists to get thirty of Lewis’s books — including all the ones mentioned above — in a digital format, at a special sale price.
Verbum — my favorite Bible/Christian study software, which has an assortment of literally hundreds of writings by great mystics and contemplatives available on its platform — also has a wonderful collection of C. S. Lewis books available as a downloadable library. Click here to see, and purchase, the C.S. Lewis library on Verbum.
If you aren’t familiar with Verbum, read my review of it here. It’s a professional-quality Bible study software application (anyone who preaches or teaches catholic Christianity ought to have this program). And while it does everything you’d expect a professional Bible software program to do — analysis of the text in the original languages, ability to compare different translations, to access a variety of commentaries, dictionaries, atlases, and other study aids — Verbum is so much, much more than just Bible study. It’s a program for accessing the mind of the body of Christ — the great intellectual tradition of western Christianity.
Verbum gives you access to great theologians like Thomas Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Augustine. You can explore the writings of great contemporary theologians and scholars, like N. T. Wright and Walter Brueggemann. And — if, like me, you have a heart for contemplative spirituality — it gives you access to writings by folks like Thomas Merton, Evelyn Underhill, Thomas Keating, and almost the entire Classics of Western Spirituality series of great mystical writings.
So Verbum is an amazing program to own, for anyone who truly seeks an informed spirituality. And now here is one more reason to use Verbum daily: it gives you the opportunity to access a broad collection of C. S. Lewis’s literary, theological and critical writings.
In the Verbum C. S. Lewis Collection, you’ll get:
- Some of his best works of fiction, including The Space Trilogy, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and an anthology of selections from The Chronicles of Narnia
- His classic works of apologetics, from Mere Christianity to Miracles to The Problem of Pain
- A generous selection of his letters, including The Collected Letters (three volumes) and Letters to an American Lady
- Two “daily devotional” books, A Year with Aslan and A Year with C. S. Lewis
- Collections of his essays, including God in the Dock, Christian Reflections, and The Weight of Glory
- And if you want to take a break from his religious writings, this collection also includes an assortment of Lewis’s literary criticism, including An Experiment in Criticism, Selected Literary Essays, The Discarded Image, and The Allegory of Love.
In short, it is a fabulous overview of Lewis’s writings.
But why buy the Verbum collection? Why not just download all these books on the Kindle? Getting them on Verbum means integrating your C. S. Lewis books with all the other books in your Verbum library — all the scripture passages will link back to your favorite Bible versions, which basically means you can consult Lewis when doing your Bible study. Although you can install Verbum on your phone or tablet and use it as an ordinary e-book reader, the fact that your Verbum library is integrated with the Bible, the Catholic Catechism, and other essential books on the faith means that you can read Lewis alongside many of the great authors who inspired him.
If you already own and use Verbum (or its Protestant cousin, Logos), this is a no-brainer. But if you’re not currently using Verbum, I’d encourage you to download the free “Verbum Basic” to get you started with Verbum — including the ability to download, study and read all these C.S. Lewis books (and the Evelyn Underhill books, and the Thomas Keating books, plus the mystics…).
Here are the C. S. Lewis books you can get at 30% off, now through September 24, 2018:
- A Grief Observed
- A Year with Aslan: Daily Reflections from the Chronicles of Narnia
- A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works
- An Experiement in Criticism
- Christian Reflections
- George MacDonald
- God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics
- Image and Imagination: Essays and Reviews
- Letters to an American Lady
- Mere Christianity
- Miracles
- Out of the Silent Planet
- Perelandra
- Selected Literary Essays
- Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature
- Studies in Words
- That Hideous Strength
- The Abolition of Man
- The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition
- The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Volume 3
- The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature
- The Great Divorce
- The Pilgrim’s Regress
- The Problem of Pain
- The Screwtape Letters
- The Weight of Glory
- Words to Live By: A Guide for the Merely Christian
- Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S. Lewis
Click here to purchase the Verbum C. S. Library.
Disclosure of Material Connection: The links on this post are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products or services I believe will benefit my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
