Customer Reviews

C.S. Lewis Bible, The

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Like millions of other readers, I've loved C.S. Lewis books all my life. As a teen-ager, I devoured "The Screwtape Letters," "The Great Divorce" and the Narnia novels. As a parent, I read the entire Narnia series to my children. Quite simply, I am thrilled to have this new devotional Bible with these 600 passages from Lewis' thoughts about scripture. In this way, Lewis becomes a companion in my own daily Bible readings. Here are a few key distinctions that will help you in deciding whether this Bible is right for you:

DESIGNED FOR PROTESTANTS: This 1,500-page inspirational Bible is designed for its core audience among the hundreds of millions of English-speaking Protestants around the world. There is no expanded Catholic or Orthodox edition of this Lewis Bible. (Catholic and Orthodox Bibles contain more books than the Protestant Bible.) Of course, Lewis crosses many religious boundaries with his work so this may not be an issue for most readers.

THE TRANSLATION: This is the easy-to-read New Revised Standard Version. This translation is quite popular in mainline Protestant churches---and some of the NRSV texts even appear in official Catholic worship resources.

NO NARNIA: The 600 passages included in this devotional Bible come largely from Lewis' great body of personal correspondence with friends and his books like, "A Grief Observed," "Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer," "Mere Christianity," "The Screwtape Letters: With Screwtape Proposes a Toast," "Reflections on the Psalms: Library Edition" and "Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life." There are a few pieces from Lewis' science-fiction books and a single passage from "The Magician's Nephew," which is included in Genesis. So, other than that one Genesis reference, this is a Narnia-free book.

NOT A BIBLE SCHOLAR? Lewis famously joked that he was merely an "amateur" in Bible scholarship. In fact, Lewis was a world-renowned expert in medieval literature and worked as a scholar in various languages, including ancient Greek. He did publish a book interpreting the Psalms, during his lifetime. But he always saw himself---as a writer---in the role of a companion to other Christians. He read the Bible on a daily basis as a guide to his own life and prayers, pulling out various nuggets of wisdom that struck him along the way. That's the overall tone of these Lewis excerpts. His comments throughout this Bible are not historical or scholarly annotations as you'd find in a "study Bible." These are the thoughts of a wise companion enjoying the scriptures with you.

With hundreds of study bibles available today, why do we need another one? And what good is a study Bible whose commentary is filtered through a single person or theme? I've long been leery about these types of study bibles. Whether it be the Joel Osteen bible or the American Patriot bible, the Reformation study bible or the Grandmother's bible, you can find a study bible centered around many religious celebrities and themes.

(Check out this blog for a whole list of crazy-themed bibles.)

In one sense, these bibles can be beneficial. They recall the ancient Jewish tradition of following a particular Rabbi, diving into his school of thought, and adopting his interpretations as your own. Focusing on a singular teacher or theme can advance you far in the spiritual life if that person or theme offers deep of truth.

But this can also be dangerous. Our diverse selection of study bibles allows anyone to personalize their Scripture study to their own tastes. Instead of grasping the dens texture of Scripture--as Fr. Barron is fond of saying--we are left with a filtered, partial faith. Instead of receiving the Word of God as it is, we become consumers who pick and choose interpretations that satisfy our own tastes.

Lewis, of all people, understood this well. I think Lewis would be somewhat embarrassed to have a study bible with his name on the cover. He had a profound love and honor for the Bible, but never would have considered himself enough of a theologian to provide worthy commentary.

With all of that said though, the "C.S. Lewis Bible" deserves to be reviewed on its own terms. Despite my general concern toward study bibles, this really is one of the better ones I've come across--truly an impressive effort. The book's advisory board is a "who's who" of Lewis experts, and it's clear that they combed each of Lewis' works to unveil each reference to Scripture.

The "C.S. Lewis Bible" includes over 600 readings from Lewis' works, and also a scriptural index in the back. The index makes it easy to find what Lewis had to say about different scriptural passages.

Interestingly, the "C.S. Lewis Bible" doesn't just include selections from Lewis' non-fiction works, but also his Narnian chronicles and personal letters to friends and strangers. Narnia's creation story is highlighted alongside Genesis' and Lewis' personal letters are juxtaposed with Paul's.

In terms of design, this is one of the most beautiful books I've read recently. The typography and page design give the book an antiquated, literary feel, recalling Lewis' post as an English professor at Oxford. You can almost picture Lewis sitting in his study, Bible on one side of his desk, ink and blank paper on the other, jotting down his commentary with exquisite penmanship.

If you're hunting for more serious theological commentary, you should definitely look elsewhere (I strongly recommend the Ignatius Study New Testament as an excellent alternative). But if you are a fan of Lewis' writings and appreciate his unique thoughts on Scripture, you will surely be intrigued by the "C.S. Lewis Bible".

I'll list the good and the bad, starting with the bad.

The bad:

The only thing I do not like is the color scheme and design on the cover. I bought the hardback version (mainly because I've never owned a hardback Bible) and was hoping that once I removed the dust cover there would be a blank book underneath. No such luck. There was the same horrible colors and design underneath on the book itself. Of course, someone might like it, but I'm very put off by it. I now wish I'd have gone with the leather-bound version.

Now for the good:

Inside the book it gets better--way better. The font style, design, and layout of this Bible are the best I've ever seen. Why they did not keep it that classy on the outside I'll never know. The book titles are stylishly written, not quite Celtic or Medieval, but just very tasteful with an old-world look and appeal; and there is ornamentation in various places on the pages. I'm not sure what to call it but I like it.

The pages have plenty of blank space left on either side, as well as above and below the text. Many Bibles have the pages crammed and crowded, but this one seems to let the text breathe; it just makes it more appealing and readable to my eye. And the pages are so beautiful that for the first time in my life I hesitate to mark it up and make my own notes.

Then there is Lewis sprinkled here and there. Never too much, but just about as many "notes" as I wanted and hoped to see. The publishers kept it to where you could reference Lewis if you wanted, or just choose to leave him out entirely for a given session in the Bible.

There's a preface written by Douglas Gresham, and there is an informative Introduction and detailed notes to the reader by other Lewis scholars--all of which I found interesting and helpful.

I've never owned an NRSV Bible before, but I'm enjoying the flow and feel of the translation.

This is not C.S. Lewis "teaching you the Bible." If you're looking for a "Study Bible" where the scripture will be explained and broken down for you, this is not the route to take. But if you're interested in some of the thoughts of C.S. Lewis to go with your Bible reading, this is perfect. And if you're looking for something of quality, that is aesthetically pleasing, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better, in my opinion.

I will be spending a lot of time with my copy.

I read the Bible everyday and get through it each year

I had been reading the NKJV for the last 4 years - wanted a change. I also wanted a "theme" Bible and was delighted to find this one as I have been a lifelong fan of CS Lewis

Very happy with purchase. The snippets from his works and letter add another dimension to my devotional times

Very very fast delivery to NZ too - less than a week from pressing the button!

This is a new idea for presentation with Scripture and a good one.

This is not a commentary on verses at the bottom of each page.

It is a block of C.S. Lewis' thought positioned on a page of Scripture.

It is something to read and think about from the mind of a great thinker and writer.

It will sometimes make you read it a second and third time and then ponder it.

I have many editions of the Bible but no others like this.

I am combining this with also reading the volumes A Year with C.S. Lewis and the one harking back to the Narnia Chronicles called A Year with Aslan. Makes a good combination.

This is a wonderful study Bible (though I find myself reading a lot more of C.S. Lewis' excerpts than the actual Bible), and there are already plenty of excellent & thorough reviews.

My only addition is to help any prospective buyers (like me) who wanted the leatherette bound version but were leery of the term "Paperback" in Amazon's description.

Yes. The leather bible is indeed listed above as "paperback." (That's why it's more expensive!)

I would have preferred something with larger type and heavier paper, but for the price, how can I complain? It works!

I've been a C.S. Lewis fan for years and have even spent 2 weeks in Cambridge and Oxford with a like group. Additionally, I've studied and read a number of Bibles over the years and this one with excerpts from his various writings is excellent. His comments open new insights on familiar passages and many "aha" moments. I'm an Episcopalian and have recommended this to my (female) Priest friend and she will be purchasing it soon. Whether for personal or group study use I recommend this as another guide in your walk with Christ.

I bought this for my husband as a wedding gift and it's absolutely beautiful. Definately a must have book for the big fans of C. S. Lewis!

Many study Bibles produced today have so many special features, notes, etc. that can become distracting from one's reading and meditation upon the Word. That is why I find this Bible edition rather refreshing. I grew up reading the RSV and internalizing its syntax and cadences, and no other translation since has ever seemed natural to me since I recall the verses in the RSV wording. Thus the NRSV, as an updated version of the RSV, seems to me like coming home.

Reading this particular edition is a special pleasure due to the many short quotes from CS Lewis which are sprinkled throughout in relevant sections. Many of these quotes are from letters or other documents which are not widely available, making this Bible a good resource just to read them. I find the quotes well-suited to stimulate reflection, in a way as though CS and I are sitting by the fire together, discussing the passage and reflecting. I find it to be a very pleasant and engaging experience.

This edition also has an index of CS Lewis' quotes, by source and also by Biblical text. In addition there is a concordance to facilitate looking up familiar verses. While there are no maps or other study aids, these are readily available from other sources.