Customer Reviews

The Screwtape Letters: How a Senior Devil Instructs a Junior Devil in the Art of Temptation

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The Screwtape Letters is Lewis's classic collection of diabolical correspondence. In it, a senior devil gives continued advice to his protégé on how best to tempt his victim and keep him from salvation.

Lewis does not propose any concrete doctrine on devils here, and this is not his point. Rather he focuses on highlighting the ways, both large and small, that Christians are distracted from God. Lewis explores the dangers of not being purposeful toward God and life, as well as what happens to people when they give in to temptation.

The book is presented as a collection of letters, all from Screwtape to Wormwood. But Lewis does a good job of making the conversation not feel one-sided, and he does a fantastic job with the devils' personalities. In fact the book is rather deeper than this, as there are two other plots going on. First is the fate of Wormwood's man. Second is the relationship between the devils, and the fate of Wormwood.

The Screwtape Letters is deeper than it appears, and is thoroughly thought-provoking. Most every reader will find elements in it to which he or she can relate. Christians of all maturity levels can benefit from this book.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." -- Luther
"The devill... that prowde spirite... cannot endure to be mocked." -- Thomas More

Here Lewis does his best to make fun of the devil by means of an imagined exchange of letters between an "apprentice" devil and his mentor, an old seasoned demon named Screwtape. The letters tell as much about human beings as they do about the wiles of the devil, and have been justly famous and loved by Christians since their first publication in 1943.

The Screwtape Letters is Lewis's classic collection of diabolical correspondence. In it, a senior devil gives continued advice to his protégé on how best to tempt his victim and keep him from salvation.

Lewis does not propose any concrete doctrine on devils here, and this is not his point. Rather he focuses on highlighting the ways, both large and small, that Christians are distracted from God. Lewis explores the dangers of not being purposeful toward God and life, as well as what happens to people when they give in to temptation.

The book is presented as a collection of letters, all from Screwtape to Wormwood. But Lewis does a good job of making the conversation not feel one-sided, and he does a fantastic job with the devils' personalities. In fact the book is rather deeper than this, as there are two other plots going on. First is the fate of Wormwood's man. Second is the relationship between the devils, and the fate of Wormwood.

The Screwtape Letters is deeper than it appears, and is thoroughly thought-provoking. Most every reader will find elements in it to which he or she can relate. Christians of all maturity levels can benefit from this book.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Actually, I read this book many years ago, and I wanted to read it again. However, when I went to look for my old copy, I couldn't find it. I searched everywhere that I could think of, but no luck!

In desperation, I chose my trusted friend, Amazon.com, to come to the rescue, and it seems that I can always find old books and at a very reasonable cost. That was the case with this book.

For many Christians, C.S. Lewis is the newly discovered hero for the modern film goer with the whole series of works that have been turned into movies, such as the "Chronicle of Narnia" series. But, many may not know that the "Screwtape Letters . . . " is also a classic that is really important in ones spiritual journey through life. The devil and his minions are really out there trying to draw unsuspecting souls away from Heaven. But, the world would have you to believe that "he doesn't exist."

This novel by C.S. Lewis really blew my mind. It had me sitting there and pondering upon my own life. It took me a long time to read because I kept stopping to think about my own life. It is great for someone who is a fresh Christian because it follows the temptations of a man who had just become a Christian. I loved it!

I belong to a discussion group at Church and was now able to have my own copy to write in and underline at a very reasonable -price. Like new...page for page with the others in the group

"The Screwtape Letters" is one of the most profound and unique works by C.S. Lewis, himself a profound and unique author. The startling originality of "The Screwtape Letters" remains as fresh today as it did when Lewis first published it in the 1940s. Every C.S. Lewis work I've ever read is filled with amazing spiritual insights expressed in memorable and forceful language, but in "The Screwtape Letters" Lewis is at his best. As most readers know, "The Screwtape Letters" consists of letters written from a superior devil (Screwtape) to a junior devil (Wormwood) about how to lead a subject away from The Enemy (God).

Some may choose to read "The Screwtape Letters" for entertainment, and it is a quite entertaining book. The task of reading what Screwtape writes and then reversing its meaning to be able to apply it to one's life is a delightful process. But I find that the book is best read in small doses, a chapter at a time, and in a devotional way. Each chapter has at least one spiritual truth that it would be good for us to eat and digest slowly. Because of both its literary and spiritual genius, it will forever remain a classic of the English language. If you have not read "The Screwtape Letters" before, you owe it to yourself to read it slowly and with great relish.

Here are some of my favorite insights from the book:

In Chapter 2 Lewis dissects the way Satan uses the disappointments in our lives to lead us away from God. Screwtape writes: "If once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion and therefore much harder to tempt."

Lewis continues to reveal the temptation to rely on emotions and our inner states in Chapter 3. Screwtape counsels his junior devil to keep the mind of the man on the inner life so that his mind is turned to something inside him. "Keep his mind off the most elementary duties by directing it to the most advanced and spiritual ones." I know many Christians who have been tempted in this way.

In Chapter 4 Lewis addresses the subject of prayer through the pen of Screwtape. The first goal is to distract the man from prayers, but if this fails, he should "Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce feelings there by action of their own wills."

It's amazing how often Lewis (through Screwtape) attacks our dependence on our emotions. Chapter 6 finds Screwtape counseling Wormwood to keep the "patient" in states of uncertainty, suspense, and anxiety. This plan appears to be working all too well in the lives of the Christians I know. Fear, in particular, is useful to the Enemy: "It is your business [Wormwood's] to see that the patient never thinks of the present fear as his appointed cross, but only of the things he is afraid of." The key Spiritual Law we may derive from Chapter 6 (translated into the positive) is "be self-unconscious with things of God; be self-conscious with things of sin or devil."

Chapter 7 is one of the most important. Lewis' discussion of the "Materialist Magician," the man worshipping what he vaguely calls "Forces" while denying the existence of "spirits," is a very timely one for our culture today. It reminds me of the theology of Star Wars. Screwtape believes that when the demons can produce such men, then the end of the war is in sight. Lewis' discussion in this chapter of how temporal affairs are the primary material for obedience was also a very important one.

Chapter 8 is another brilliant one, in which Lewis describes the Law of Undulation - that life has ups and downs. There are peaks and troughs in life, and God uses the troughs more than the peaks. One of the most profound and useful things of all that Lewis says is that the best prayers are those carried out when one is no longer desiring but still intending. I find this concept very helpful in the spiritual life, and not just when it comes to prayer.

Along the way, Lewis also deals with moderated religion, humor and flippancy, gluttony, love, sex, hopelessness, and feminine beauty.

By presenting truth in such a remarkable manner, Lewis allows his reader to apprehend some of the most important spiritual truths we all need to learn. This is one of the few books in life that bears repeated reading!

The Screwtape Letters is unique in the universe of Christian literature. Totally ficticious, but based upon eternal fact.

If you like to be challenged this is a good read for you. What at first seems to be "black" is actually "white." The collection of correspondence in entertaining, thought-provoking, and would be perfect for an individual or a study group.

This title should be on the must read list of all who seek greater understanding of what seem to be mysteries of the God of the Bible. Each chapter is written as a letter so one can read a bit at a time or devour the entire volume at one sitting. Lewis provides a look at humans from the dark side of the spirit world not found elsewhere.

If you want to just read through a book, turn the pages, then close the back cover without having to stop and back up a few times, then this is not the book for you. If you are more adventurous you will love this.

Although this book is fiction, two demons writing letters back and forth to each other, there is a lot of truth in this book. Lewis manages to use the ploy of these to demons Screwtape and Wormwood writing on how humans can be manipulated to sin, to good measure. He knows people and where our weaknesses are and points out how easy it is for us to sin. The reality of demons aside, I personally believe in both the good angels of God and the fallen ones, Lewis explores how little by little a human being can fall. It is a magnificent piece of writing and also quite amusing to read. I highly recommend this truth filled work!

The book appeared to be in good condition, but when I took it out of the wrapping, it reeked. It smelled like one of those tacky car airfresheners had been stored inside. I left it in the garage for a week, hoping the smell would go away, but no luck. I will have to return it.