How does C.S Lewis, in his last interview with Decision magazine, present the purpose of Christian literature as an approach to offer transformative views of faith for new generations?

Clive Staple Lewis, most commonly known as C.S Lewis was an Irish Christian scholar and author of a vast collection of books and novels. Although Lewis passed away over fifty years ago, his works are still impacting new generations, as he presented solutions to obstacles to faith faced by many today. His mission was to present Christianity's capacity to intrigue those who are seeking answers to big questions in life (Theroux, 2015). This raises the question: How does C.S Lewis, in his last interview with Decision magazine, present the purpose of Christian literature as an approach to offer transformative views of faith for new generations? By analyzing Lewis' response techniques and seeing how his use of comparison, appeal to reasoning and tone can encourage readers' faith, it becomes clear that Lewis simply wants to show that Christian literature is a tool rather than a resource when pursuing the purpose of "the gospel".

When asked about whether the aim of Christian writing should be to bring the reader to an encounter with Jesus Christ, Lewis responds "that is not my language, yet it is the purpose I have in mind". There is a difference between aim and purpose, which unveils through this contrast. An aim is centered around a targeted intention, a purpose is centered around the reason as to why something is aimed for. However, when Lewis expresses that it is not his language, he uncovers what seems to be a myth within Christian Literature: how Christian writers should write. He expresses at the beginning of the interview that he would "not know how to advise man how to write" and repeats this in a variety of ways throughout the interview. It seems to be a pattern in his answers, he claims it all depends on interest, engagement, temperament, etc. To illustrate this main idea, Lewis uses exemplification to create comparison between the purpose of Christian literature and what God establishes as purposeful. As an example, he uses a story in the bible of a man called Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet who is instructed by the King of Moab to malign the people of Israel.

On his way of doing this, God uses Balaam's ass to speak to him to prevent him from pursuing this (Numbers. 22: 21-41). To a nonbeliever, this would sound bizarre and a ridiculous approach to assert an argument, however, in this case, assuming the audience is Christian, the approach becomes effective. Lewis extracts the similarities between Christian writers being free to write however suits their affinity and God using any, as himself states "instrument".

Another example of using scriptures to exemplify his views occurs when he expresses "There are many accommodating preachers... who are not believers", he then refers to Mark 16:15 which says "Go all into the world and preach the gospel to all creation" and says it does not mean "go all into the world and tell what is quite right". He says Christians are in fact supposed to preach of what opposes the world, offering criticism. Despite Lewis' undeniable talent as an author, he remains humble when referring to God and His word (scripture) to compare to his viewpoint, but does not hold back from challenging the defects found in Christianity today. He offers transformational advice through comparison, such as when referring to Balaam's story, to show new perspectives on what needs to change in Christian practices that have been distorted in today's modern world, in order to strengthen faith in God, in order to strengthen devotion to Him.

The purpose of Christian literature is not only presented through comparisons but also through the tone of Lewis' responses. It fluctuates between being assertive and encouraging. Whenever the tone is assertive, Lewis presents critiques on how the purpose of writing is destroyed through declarative, simple statements. For example, when asked if Christian writers should attempt to be funny, he immediately says "forced jocularities on spiritual subjects are an abomination". When asked for his opinion on the kind of writing within the Christian church today, he says what is being "published by writers in religious tradition is a scandal". He even uses an analogy of a man writing ideas entirely opposite of the beliefs he "presupposes when putting on a surplice". He makes a note of the exaggeration of solemnity and intensity present when Christian writers deal with sacred matters. He says "Solemnity is proper in church, but things that are proper in church are not necessarily proper outside..". Lewis' assertive tone demonstrates genuine care for the pursuit of the purpose of Christian literature, it seems as though he believes there needs to be attentiveness towards the seriousness when dealing with venerated subjects. Not all types of writing invite comicality, but not all invite seriousness, the contrast between the two also represent two extremes that don't always fit into distinct writing techniques.

Inevitably, the contributions Lewis makes to present the purpose of Chrisitan literature are parallel to the purpose of Christians, which he also explores in the interview. Directly after having stated that his purpose is to create an encounter between the reader and God, he is asked how they as Christians can foster this encounter. The interviewer's questions assist Lewis in showing how similar these purposes are. In response to the question, Lewis claims that "you can't lay down any pattern for God", which is a parallel idea to "God can use many different instruments". Lewis seems to appeal to reasoning in order to redefine the concept of purpose both in writing and in devotional life within Christianity. Referring to a bible verse, the idea that God is the father of lights supports his claim about God being interested in all kinds of writing, and draws the conclusion that "calling is not limited to ecclesiastical functions". He metaphorically adds: "the man who is weeding a field of turnips is also serving God". Lewis seems to have an aspiration to transform the concept of calling. Calling within Christianity refers to the vocation towards as Christians call it "the kingdom of God". This vocation can take forms in numerous ways, which is not always acceptable by older Christian generations or those from more conservative denominations. Lewis, however, enlightens the readers with the idea that his talent or "calling" as a writer, is pursuing the purpose just as much as somebody else's aptitude is.

Repetition sparks Lewis' intention to empathize with the reader's struggles in faith, and through that, places new lenses on how to tackle these struggles. He comments on how Christians make "unnecessary concessions outside the faith". He then repeats "we must show" to indicate the ways in which this issue can change. The solutions include showing their Christian colors, showing that they disagree, he even adds that they "cannot remain silent". These instructive expressions demonstrate that he wants the readers to realize that in order to fulfill their purpose of bringing others to an encounter with God, they are obligated to consolidate their faith in order not to accommodate it to what the world preaches. A repetition of "we must" appears again, however, Lewis refers to how "neither Paul nor Apollos gives the increase". He alludes to biblical writers in order to exemplify that consolidating your faith cannot happen solemnly through Christian writing, that is simply a tool, a resource. Finally, he also repeats the word "every" to give intensity to his following examples, he says "every war, every shipwreck, every cancer case.." and so it goes. In this way, he appeals to emotions to make the reader relate to the problematic view the world has of "them", the Christians. He asserts again that "this calls for strong faith". This relates to his discussion that everybody in the western world, who has been introduced to Christianity, needs to come to terms with the teachings of Jesus Christ or be guilty of dodging that responsibility. And if this responsibility is ignored, he asserts Christians are guilty of being "bad philosophers and bad thinkers." The use of "bad" is visibly optimistic, still it encourages readers to make the decision to stand firm in their beliefs. It is not enough to solemnly believe bits of it, because it will not sustain itself in the long run. What Lewis wants to infer is the consistency in withstanding the whole truth of Christianity.

In conclusion, regardless of the individual success Lewis possesses, he leads by example. Claiming the importance of depending on God as a way of standing up for your faith and pursuing your purpose in Him, he seems humble enough to recognize that his talent is not more or less than the affinities others pursue. His choice of language in constructing arguments reveals firmness when needed, and indulgence when appropriate. His open-mindedness as a Christian author shows readers his capacity to advise them on present issues and to apply his experience to transform how they perceive faith in order to grow in their spiritual journey.

Epistleofdude. "C. S. Lewis' Final Interview." Epistle of Dude, 31 Jan. 2020, epistleofdude.wordpress.com/2019/05/01/c-s-lewis-final-interview/.

THEROUX, DAVID J. "Why C.S. Lewis Is as Influential as Ever." 3 Aug. 2015, The Independent Institute, www.independent.org/issues/article.asp? \(\mathrm{id}=7468\).