The Weight of Glory

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Lewis's shorter works were generally originally composed as speeches or as articles for periodicals. Various sets of them were collected and published in book form both during his life and after his death. Trying to determine what works are in what collections is difficult - most works appear in more than one collection, some works appear under more than one title, and some collections appear under more than one title.

To aid readers, in this review I've listed the works in this collection, with notes indicating other collections they have appeared in.

Table of Contents:

"The Weight of Glory" (1), (2), (3), (4)

"Learning in War-Time" (1), (4), (5)

"Why I am Not a Pacifist" (4), (6), (7)

"Transposition" (1), (2), (3), (4)

"Is Theology Poetry?" (2), (3), (4)

"The Inner Ring" (1), (2), (3), (4)

"Membership" (1), (4), (5)

"On Forgiveness" (4), (5)

"A Slip of the Tongue" (2), (3), (4)

Notes:

(1) The original, 1949 version of this work included only these works. The other works were added in the 1980 edition. Also, the 1949 version was published in the U. K. under the title "Transposition and Other Addresses".

(2) also published in "They Asked for a Paper"

(3) also published in "Screwtape Proposes a Toast and Other Pieces"

(4) also published in "Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces"

(5) also published in "Fern-Seed and Elephants and Other Essays"

(6) also published in "Timeless at Heart: Essays on Theology"

(7) also published in "Compelling Reason"

Recommendations:

If you are interested in Lewis's shorter works, my best advice is to get "Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces", which, as of the time of this writing, is available from Amazon UK but not Amazon US. That collection consists of about 130 short works by Lewis. The works in that collection are mostly, but not exclusively, Christian.

If your interest in Lewis's shorter works is restricted to those on Christianity, and your budget or enthusiasm does not run to "Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces", then my second-best advice is to get any or all of the following (they don't overlap significantly, and between them they include most of Lewis's shorter Christian writings):

"God in the Dock - Essays on Theology and Ethics"*

"The World's Last Night and Other Essays"

"Christian Reflections"

"The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses"

* Be careful - there is a UK Fontana paperback lurking about called "God in the Dock - Essays on Theology" that is substantially shorter than the "God in the Dock - Essays on Theology and Ethics" collection. A full version of "God in the Dock - Essays on Theology and Ethics" was published in the UK under the title "Undeceptions - Essays on Theology and Ethics".

Lewis is at his best in this collection. As the preface mentions, the sermon "the Weight of Glory," deserves to be placed on the level of the Church Fathers' writings because of its elegance and insightfulness. In this sermon Lewis looks at the afterlife, which we get glimpses of while on earth. He makes some excellent observations, and I was left thinking, "Of course!" and "Why didn't I see that before?" One of the unqiue observations Lewis makes is that all humans are truly "immortals." Cultures and the earth are mortal, but your neighbor, children, etc, are all immortal, and we need to treat them as such. The other sermons are very good (though "The Weight of Glory" has to be the best). For instance "Is Theology Poetry?" examines a topic many of us probably have never thought of examining, i.e. is our theology poetry? The address "On forgiveness" separates forgiveness (which is totally undeserving) from excusing (which is where we did something wrong, but have some valid excuse) and goes from there. Overall the points Lewis makes are enlightening and useful to our everyday lives. These are some of the best sermons I have ever heard or read.

After reading this essay, I was convicted beyond imagination as to my responsibility as a school teacher. As Lewis says, there are no ordinary people, everyone I come in contact with is a eternal being who is on the path to either heaven or hell. Everything I do in the classroom is pointing my students either towards God or away from Him. And that, as Lewis states, is the Weight of Glory.

Lewis describes glory as not in being noticed by others and seeking their approval, but being noticed by God. To hear that blessed phrase "Well done my good and faithful servant". Not just in seeing God's beauty, but passing into it and being a part of it. The weight of it is my responsibility to bear witness of that glory to others and help to bring them into it. Their salvation is my weight, my burden to bear. Isn't that the reason why believers are on this earth? To honor God, and to serve Him?

Lewis is the master of imagery. He brings his readers to an either/or proposition. Either I am going to take responsibility for my neighbors salvation, or I am not. And once he gets you to that point, there is really no decision to make. Your neighbor's soul is your responsibility.

This essay, more than anything I have read to date, has brought me to the realization as to what my responsibility as a Believer is. I need to read this at least once a month to remind me of how I should be living my life before others. No Christian should go without experiencing this challenge to holiness.

The Weight of Glory is a book that is comprised of a series of unrelated essays. I was not convinced it was very important among his writings, so I put off reading it. When I finally got around to reading it, I was ineffably impressed. It is my opinion that this book has been underrated by many casual readers.

The Weight of Glory has penetrating essays on pacifism, transposition, forgiveness and other paramount issues for Christians. His argument "Why I am not a pacifist" is profoundly moving (and reminiscent of the Screwtape Letters). Likewise, one of the latter essays entitled, "On Forgiveness" takes a mundane Christian experience and (for me, at least) revitalized my conception of such a profound practice that I rely on everyday.

Even though I read this after encountering most of Lewis' other books, this could easily be understood without having read any of Lewis' previous works. These essays will provide encouragement, joy, and clarity to any Christian.

This book is a collection of lectures given Clive Staples Lewis. Lewis is one of the premier Christian thinkers of the twentieth century, and his words and ideas have given comfort and inspiration to many Christians throughout the years. C. S. Lewis is thoughtful, intelligent writer. He is a scholar and an intellectual. He is one of the most important Christian writers of the twentieth century.

There are several essays that have clear relevance today, both in our personal Christian life as well as in how we relate to the world. "The Weight of Glory" focuses on what it means to be children of God and that while cultures and nations are all mortal things (they will come to an end), it is humans that are truly immortal in that we will live with God long after this world is gone. Lewis speaks about how we should be like children, realizing how special everyone truly is, and that they too are immortals. Lewis explains it better. "The Weight of Glory" has been described as the best thing Lewis has ever written. While I haven't read everything Lewis has written yet, there is no question that this is one of his most important essays.

Other essays in the collection include "Why I Am Not a Pacifist" (giving a Christian viewpoint on the subject that I had not encountered before), "The Inner Ring" (dealing with cliques in general and in church), "Membership", and "On Forgiveness".

This is an important book to read as a Christian, and perhaps an interesting one to read if one is not a Christian.

C.S. Lewis has a tremendous capability to analyze facts of spiritual matters. After reading The Weight of Glory I was able to understand more fully what glory means; why I'm not a pacifist either; and why I shouldn't care much about being inside the inner rings of my life.

First of all, I learned that glory means good report with God. In other words, it means to be recognized by our creator. I appreciated Mr. Lewis' words, "The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledge, to meet with some response... is part of our inconsolable secret." I have often told my family and friends that even at times when everything is going well in my life, when things seem to be perfect to me, I still feel this preexistence nostalgia that makes me realize that I cannot be whole until I rejoin with my creator. Thus, Lewis's interpretation of glory helped me with validating and healing of that old ache.

I completely agree with Lewis's position of not being a pacifist. He states, "The doctrine that war is always a greater evil seems to imply a materialist ethic, a belief that death and pain are the greatest evils. But I don't think they are. I think the suppression of a higher religion by a lower, or even a higher secular culture by a lower, a much greater evil." This, I think, is very insightful. It makes me think of a country being under tyranny or any other dangers; how would I say that I would not fight evil? How can I be indifferent and not raise my hands against it? I believe in goodness, in freedom. Therefore, I would do anything to preserve these freedoms, even if it means a war.

Finally, The Inner Ring chapter was an eye-opener in helping me decide with some burdensome areas of my life. I was living my own example of "trying to get in the inner ring" few weeks before I read the book. A group of friends started a book club, and I was invited to be a part of it. After the first meeting, when we committed to read several books, I realized that my decision of joining the club was not a good one considering the amount of books I have to read already. I thought of withdrawing from the club, but I didn't want to "miss the fun." It wasn't until I read the Inner Ring chapter that I realized that I wasn't having any fun at all! I particularly related to the following words, "It is a terrible bore, of course, when old Fatty Smithson draws you aside and whispers, `Look here, we've got to get you in on this examination somehow' or `Charles and I saw at once that you've got to be on this committee.' A terrible bore... ah, but how much more terrible if you were left out!" After many nights of few hours of sleep, trying to catch up with my reading, I quit the club. The relief I felt after taking such decision helped me decide that I don't want to do something that will bring me more unnecessary stress in my life just for the sake of being "In" the Inner Ring.

It was very assertive for me to read The Weight of Glory at this point of my life. Being able to understand what glory means is very helpful in my everyday spiritual life. Incidentally, the day I started reading the Why I'm Not a Pacifist chapter was the day that the United States declared war against terrorism. And definitely, the Inner Ring chapter helped me make the decision of getting rid of unnecessary stress in my life.

This is an exceedingly well composed and thought provoking collection of essays by one of the truly great Christian apologists of the modern age.

"The Weight of Glory" considers "...our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off...", and how, through love, we must help one another reach the end for which we were made.

"Learning in War-Time" explains why the pursuit of learning in the midst of a temporal crisis is not an evasion, but a moral necessity. Lewis turns conventional thinking on its head.

"Why I Am Not a Pacifist" is a logical critique that demolishes the pacifist position.

"Transposition" is a deep theological reflection on how we are to understand and interpret miracles, and how we are naturally inclined to do it incorrectly.

"Is Theology Poetry?" discusses the relationship between the two, with Lewis making a surprising case for Christian theology being, at one level, very poor poetry. At the core of his argument is the fact that we are not drawn to religion by virtue of its poetic appeal--there are other, deeper reasons for faith.

"The Inner Ring" counsels university students to do what is right, not what is popular.

"Membership" explains the meaning of the term in the Christian sense of one body with many parts, as opposed to the more modern idea of membership as all people being equal. While Lewis commends the notion of equality in its proper place, he says that "[Christianity] is the hierachical world, still alive and (very properly) hidden behind a facade of equal citizenship..." A tremendous meditation on the complex interplay between religion and social institutions, on how we can remain truly human in a society that of necessity tends to suppress our humanity.

"On Forgiveness" highlights the easily glossed over distinction between forgiving sins and excusing them. With a personal frankness typical of all these essays, Lewis makes his point about how we tend to make excuses rather than accept responsibility by revealing his own shortcomings.

"A Slip of the Tongue" is about how we tend to compartmentalize our faith, how we try to keep our beliefs from intruding on the "real world" where we live except when we're in church.

Lewis tackles some very difficult problems, but if he does not completely solve them, he certainly puts them in a perspective we may not have considered.

"Transposition" and "The Weight of Glory" are absolutely classic essays detailing a side of Christianity too rarely seen these days--the sheer joy one should get from thinking about our eternal home with God, and the longing--both in mind and heart--to share this joy with others. Mr. Lewis once again "hit the nail on the head," as it were, with this masterpiece. Great insight into some confusing moments in his fiction, too!

A human life is a complex web of experiences, impulses of the will, impositions of culture, education, and family, etc. In "The Weight of Glory" Lewis effectively looks right through all of that haze to what it means to be human...a human created in the image of God.

He wrestles with some of difficulties of duty here and now, how to live justly and compassionately with one another, and fixes his gaze on the day when all under God will reach Glory. His discussion of Glory is both lucid and beautiful. It encourages, in the heart of the God-follower, perseverence, grace, and orientation toward our homeland, which is reached through the gate of death.

Mangificently uplifting, and written with Lewis' characteristic ease of style and keen insight, this book is a must read. Undoubtedly, in the humble opinion of a developing theologian/philosopher, this compilation pulls together some of Lewis' best.

C.S. Lewis is the best writer I've found to tackle the considerable task of explaining Christian philosophy. His writing is crisp, clear, and his use of metaphor excellent. Anyone (like me) who has ever wondered why Christians think and sometimes act the way they do will find his writing illuminating.

In this selection of unrelated essays, Lewis touches on disparate themes, from pacifism (you can be a Christian and support war), to suffering, to the value of being a Christian. Overall his writings illuminate for me just how little of Christianity can be easily understood without some kind of study on the subject. Lewis is a good starting point if you are curious about Christianity but unfamiliar with it. As a non-Christian, I don't agree with much of what he says, but I do appreciate that he explains the tenets of the faith in a way that is crystal clear and poetic.

This isn't for everyone -- at times his style borders on stuffy, but if you are intestested in Christian philosophy, this is one of the best writers around.

This is a collection of essays written around WWII. The focal point is "The Weight of Glory", which may be the best thing Lewis ever wrote. I have been touched deeply by Lewis' explanation of one of Jesus' important teachings, the importance of being a child. Read it for yourself. Every word will resonate deeply in your heart.

The keynote essay from which the book takes its title, "The Weight of Glory" is a mighty work, but reflecting and acting on one of the 'lesser' essays, "The Inner Ring" has the potential to empower, and change utterly the way you live and relate. Once grasped, the dynamics explored in this wise and wonderful talk seem blindingly obvious, and the insights you develop offer the confidence to be more fully yourself and make you just about impervious to manipulation or coercion.

I have to admit that the first time I read Weight of Glory was before I had read any of Lewis' other works. Since then I have had a chance to read many of his other works, both fiction and non-fiction.

I can say with certainty that having read Weight of Glory helped immensely with all of his other books. The same threads that Lewis weaves with throughout his other works in various degrees, all show up here in Weight of Glory, completely undisguised. In The Silver Chair Lewis talks about many issues using fictional characters and situations, and in the Abolition of Man Lewis again deals with some of these same issues in a very (overly???) analytical way, but in The Weight of Glory those same issues are presented in a way that is easy to understand and wonderfully illustrated by means of Lewis' amazing ability paint pictures with words.

This is a great book for anyone interested in understanding more of what Lewis is saying throughout his other books. One will find that Lewis keeps chasing many of the same subjects and ideas around throughout many of his books, and this is a great place to start the chase.

"The Weight of Glory", "Transposition", and other essays in this volume have been warmly received in the years since they were first preached. "The Inner Ring," by contrast, is less often cited. This is a pity, since "of all passions the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things."

It is a frightening picture of ambition twisted and run amok, destroying the human person whom it infests. "Aristotle placed [friendship] among the virtues. It causes perhaps half of all the happiness in the world, and no Inner Ringer can ever have it."

This book is an omnibus of sermons Lewis gave before his death, and provides a nice thumbnail of his thought. It would be a good book to read after "Mere Christianity." Two speeches have a sharper edge now: "Learning in War-Time," and "Why I am Not a Pacifist." In the former, he makes the case that even though we may be at war, we can't drop everything and wait for a "perfect peacetime," which will never happen this side of the Millennium. By the way, Lewis served in World War I, and read classics in the trenches.

In the latter, he give a long an complicated logical elaboration against pacifism. President Gordon B. Hinckley, world leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, summed up pacifism in three sentences: "We are people of peace. We are followers of the Christ who was and is the Prince of Peace. But there are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children, and the cause of liberty." (The Times in Which we Live)

Several other sermons are "Transposition," which discusses how God may have to use metaphors to speak to us so we can understand. "The Inner Ring" is British for "The Inner Circle" and discusses cliques in church. In "Membership," Lewis points out that "member" means "organ," as in members or organs of the body of Christ.

It is a nice survey of his thought. If you like this book, I would recommend "God in the Dock," British for "God takes the Stand," or "God on Trial," which is another whirlwind omnibus of Lewis's thought. In both of these books, you see the immensity of Lewis's wide-awake mind.

If you are looking for a book that consumes the spiritual and emotional imagination then you have found it. I am now reading this book for the 4th time. C.S. Lewis reflects on all sorts of ideas and relationships. If you are hungry for a fresh spiritual feast then this book is the banquet that has been prepared in your honor. Bon appetit!

I am ashamed to say it took me a couple months to get through this book. I have read lots of C.S. Lewis' other work, but for some reason the first few essays were a chore to get through. I was lost and confused, and no matter how slow I read it or how many times I read it, I just got more and more frustrated. I think I was kind of intimidated by it.

Finally I got tired of seeing this book lying around and paying overdue fees to the library, so I bore through and read the ones I was having trouble with, without fully understanding them. And then - happy light on the other side of the tunnel! I could not put the book down. My brain was working overtime with new ideas. My heart was comforted at the wisdom I was understanding.

Honestly, this was difficult for me to get through in some places, but it was definitely worth it! It was a challenge. It helped me to reason better. The things I learned are principles that help me spiritually. It's worth it!

The Weight of Glory gathers together several of C.S. Lewis's famous addresses on a variety of topics, ranging from continuing to live and learn in uncertain times to the moral uncertainties of pacifism. As to be expected from Lewis, the arguments are intellegently put forth and, no matter what side of the fence you happen to be, make you walk away with a better understanding of his side. Just about everything Lewis wrote on the subject of Christianity is essential to understanding the faith and reasoning of believers. Recommended.

The most thought provoking part of this book is "The Weight of Glory". It caused me to really think about some of my assumptions of my faith and come out with new insights. Lewis at his best.

In the title track of this book, a sermon, Lewis argues that the problem with humanity is not that we desire too much but too little. Should we pursue wholeheartedly the deepest desires of our hearts, we would be lead towards, rather than distracted from, God. He spends some time rebuffing the challenge that pursuing God for the sake of fulfilling our desires is immature. Instead, he says, we need to pursue temporary rewards at the beginning of our education in order to lead us to greater and more sublime fulfillment later on. What is promised in Scripture are five things: being with Christ, being like him, glory, entertainment, and position in the universe. He focuses especially on some misconceptions of "glory," preferring the idea of being acknowledged or recognized by God. He closes on the challenge that we spend time thinking about the potential glory of our neighbors, leading them, eternal beings that they are, to become what they are meant to be. For those who have not read this essay, it is a refreshing reversal of what many people think Christianity to be.

Of the remaining essays in the book, two of them, "Learning in War-Time" and "Why I Am Not a Pacifist," address issues that arose during Lewis' experience of WWII (having fought in the first war). He rebuffs pacifism in light of Jesus' teachings on turning the other cheek with an apparent intuitionism, suggesting that there are obvious exceptions. The other proposes that war does not bring to a halt the practices of a disciplined life that prepare us for a future without war. "Transposition" is an exploration of the phenomenon of speaking in tongues. "Is Theology Poetry" is a defense against the accusation that Christianity has no more substance than myth. "The Inner Ring" deals with developing the personal integrity and fortitude to resist trying to achieve status in a peer hierarchy, a clique. "Membership" is an introductory look at the necessity of Christian community. "On forgiveness" looks specifically at our desire not to forgive, and proposes the remedy of realizing that, one, God understands the things that lead us to sin, and, two, God really does forgive our sins, with or without reason. The book closes with "A Slip of the Tongue," in which he wrestles with his own temptation to hold onto the temporal and not renounce it for the eternal.

Lewis' work could be said to be prophetic, in the sense that he sees beyond the norms of the world around him, even the well-enforced norms, and draws our attention to an alternate kingdom. He vision is singular and clear, and he finds in this alternate reality a palpable attraction which he believes to be written on every human heart. Like Narnia, there is a world that we all most want, and Lewis is playing on our desires to get there in order to draw our attention to it. In a word, he makes stale old Christianity sound fun.

This book is actually a collection of essays. Lewis addresses various things such as, the glory of man as being a reflection of the glory of God, why he is not a pacifist (where he gives some pretty strong moral, biblical, and sensible arguments), speaking in tongues and various spiritual gifts (moreso on their implication, not on the technicality of each or what exactly each gift is), what he calls "is theology poetry" (or in other words, do we believe in theology just because the idea of a cosmic drama appeals to us), the affects of peer pressure and the gradual degradation of one's inner principles and also its positive affects when one surrounds him/herself with Christians, and forgiveness.

Overall a very enlightening read, in which many issues that are not commonly talked about are given attention. Not very long either, but packed full of insight.

There is a jacket blurb on The Weight of Glory from John Updike, who comments on both the comfort and pleasure afforded by Lewis. Neither should be underestimated. This is great devotional writing but it is also great writing, writing that is typified by Lewis' ability to deal with the weightiest of matters with a light touch.

It is a truism that our faith is reinforced whenever we see it embraced by great minds. Samuel Johnson believed that and it is interesting that Lewis often turns to Johnson for such reinforcement, as we turn to Lewis--one of the indisputably great intellectuals of the twentieth century. Part of that greatness comes from the stark clarity with which Lewis sees important matters. That makes his work accessible; it does not make it simplistic.

All of the lay sermons in this volume are trenchant, though 'The Weight of Glory' and 'Learning in War-Time' are exceptional. I especially like 'Is Theology Poetry?' and 'Membership' and find 'Why I Am Not a Pacifist' of particular interest and importance these days.

This is a book to be read, embraced, and shared.

This is one of my favorite C.S. Lewis books because there is a myriad of relevant and insightful statements about faith, love and even acts of defiance/war that will force the reader to genuinely consider what he or she believes and more importantly, why.

With elements of Lewis's examinations of humility and spiritual growth/maturity and the concept that one must struggle to achieve/save/defend what matters most to them in a world saturated with complacency, this book certainly inspires!

Along with new author J.G. Marking's work, "A Voice Is Calling," this book is a fantastic look into key elements of belief affecting and influencing how we live our daily life and why we should or would change because of it.

C.S. Lewis has a knowledge and comprehension of christianity that is unparalleled by other contemporary christian authors. His laconic, yet deeply insightful commentaries on the fundamentals of eternal glory can only be described as "inspired."

The book is a collection of short works, originally given as sermons, homilies, talks, or addresses. Each one is a gem. In Lewis's day, such oral presentations were written out ahead of time and then read. Thus, they were short but very "idea-dense." You had to listen carefully, but only for 20 minutes. (Modern-day pastors/speakers should take note!!) You can profitably read them as essays, but need to keep in mind that they were intended to be delivered orally by the author to a specific audience (sometimes with discussion to follow). My only disappointment is that Lewis didn't do this often enough. I wish there were four more volumes to buy.

For the serious reader of C. S. Lewis Christian apologetics, as opposed to his fiction and literary criticism, "The Weight of Glory" is Lewis at his deepest and best. The title essay alone is worth the price of the book.
And what is the weight of glory? "The load, the weight, the burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it.... All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one of the other of these detinations [heaven or hell]." (pp. 46-47)
But, wait, there's more!

The title essay is worth the purchase price of the book. All the essays in the book, however, are thoughtful and thought-provoking. Lewis has a way of taking time-specific situations, such as in "Learning in Wartime," and drawing conclusions that apply in all situations. His Christianity, in all these works, is well-stated and attractive.

Many of these nine speeches were originally delivered as sermons, including the masterpiece THE WEIGHT OF GLORY. This collection deserves a rating of 10+ and is among the very best of what Lewis ever wrote. Highly recommended.

The Weight of Glory is the title piece in a collection of addresses that C.S. Lewis gave to various audiences. Some were sermons in churches; others were addressed to academic or professional audiences. Regardless of their context, all rank as excellent theological discourses. It is not unusual for Lewis to plunge the depths of an issue far more effectively and profoundly than any Christian cleric I have ever heard, but then remark casually that he may not be qualified to go further, not being a trained theologian. I will venture to comment that this modesty, whether false or sincere, is quite mistaken, as there are few contemporary theologians who have been able to open up truths to me the way Lewis has.

The sermon "The Weight of Glory" is Lewis' brilliant effort to pull back the heavy curtain, if only a bit, that separates our present earthly existence, from a vision of everlasting life. Lewis takes up what for him is a central theme: that our desires in this life are clues of the joy that awaits redeemed mankind in the life to come. Our earthly desires can never be satisfied by their objects. The deep-seated longing we all feel for meaning and love, a longing that we satisfy in a variety of ways, both noble and base, is ultimately a longing for our Creator God or, in other words, our true homeland, God's country.

Lewis reviews five points about heaven that he finds in the Bible and focuses his remarks on one in particular, that those who receive eternal life will experience "glory." He defines this glory as being first the personal approval of God and second, a glorification or exaltation due to being in the very presence of God. Lewis in all his writings (and addresses) has a particular gift for the apt illustration, analogy and metaphor. In this case he declares that we as fallible, short-sighted and puny mortals would probably view a glorified man as a god and be "tempted to worship" this completed, glorified man. Regarding man's potential for glorification by God, as well as the sobering alternative for eternal corruption, Lewis remarks "there are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours." That fact that we were made for an eternal relationship with God confers an objective and substantial worth on every human being.

Examples of other speeches in the collection are "Transposition," an examination of the relationship between spiritual and physical realities, "Membership," a Christian view of the worth and place of the individual, "Learning in War Time," Lewis' understanding of the value of academic work and vocation, and "The Inner Ring," a warning against the lust for being part of the right group or privileged set. All are remarkable in their insights and could easily function as the premise for a fulfilling class, longer book, or deep discussion. Lewis again, astounds not only in his profundity, but his clarity and brevity.

The Essay "The Inner Ring" moved my youngest daughter from the margins of middle school to its social center. Six years ago when she was in the sixth grade, we talked several times about a group of three girls that were the most popular in her school. Because she was so curious about the subject, I read her "The Inner Ring." She loved it. She asked many good questions, related the essay to her situation, and to her friends. By the middle of her seventh grade year, the group had expanded to six and because four of the six members of the group had siblings in the high school, the "six pack" was the subject of high school gossip in addition to being the coolest clique in the middle school. My wife believes that in reading "The Inner Ring" to mathematically minded Lisa, I gave her the rules she needed to become a permanent member of a group who all were starters on at least one sports team and continued to be close friends in high school.

This is one of my favorite books by C. S. Lewis. The essays are all valuable in many ways; they all touch upon not just theology, but politics, science, life in general. Lewis packs down into uncomplicated prose some of the most profound thoughts I've ever considered in "Transposition" and "Is Theology Poetry?", and they have to be read several times to be understood. In some ways, all the essays are interlinked; it makes sense to read it--the first time--from start to finish. Those who have read only MERE CHRISTIANITY and SCREWTAPE will find here more personal, complex, and unsimplified Lewis.

This is a very fine set of sermons, short articles, and addresses by Lewis, each of them taking up a different and interesting topic but also somehow relating to its fellows. As much as I enjoy longer sustained pieces by Lewis, these little kernels of thought, so concise and self-sufficient, are especially pleasurable to read. Indeed, I found them a little addictive, which is no doubt why I read the book so quickly.

"The Weight of Glory" is C. S. Lewis considering heaven again, something he does very well (as in The Problem of Pain), here trying to make sense of the promises of the "glory" beyond earthly life. In some ways, a complementary piece with "Transposition."

"Learning in War-Time" and "Why I Am Not a Pacifist" were both delivered in the context of World War Two. Of the two I like the first best, which features Lewis arguments to students at Oxford why the crisis of war does not make their academic studies less important. A great celebration of learning and liberal arts, passions of Lewis which readers of his Christian works might be apt to overlook. The second piece is as it sounds, a defense of fighting for one's country from a Christian perspective. Less convincing, still stirring stuff.

"Transposition" is one of my faves in the book. Why do "religious" experiences yield themselves to other, simpler explanations so easily--why may not mystical experiences simply be erotic love mischanneled, and so forth? Lewis postulates the theory that we "transpose" higher emotional experiences into our only available means of expressing them, so that the same physiological signs are called upon to represent a wide range of experiences, including religious ones. This is an elegant, analogy-rich explanation of the sort that will keep the mind buzzing for days.

"Is Theology Poetry?" is another great essay, both clever and amusing. To the idea that Christian theology might "merely" be poetic feeling, aesthetic pleasure, Lewis cleverly notes that if it is, it is very poor poetry--not half so aesthetically pleasing as Norse myth, for instance. My favorite part of this essay is Lewis's parodic presentation of the Big Bang theory as a romantic story, demonstrating that the presentation of any theory of origins can be manipulated and diminished in dignity.

After the heady stuff of the beginning essays, "The Inner Ring" is surprisingly modest in scope. The ring of the title is the coveted, half-imaginary circle of confidence within any social group--the top group, the exclusive club, the most influential clique. Lewis here counsels a group of graduates not to spend their lives hankering after membership in these rings, pointing out the rewards of tending to one's affairs and passions to the best of one's ability. A satisfying and encouraging address.

"Membership" is another relatively simple idea that Lewis follows to very interesting places. He points out the typical secular understanding of "member," denoting a more or less uniform member of a set, and contrasts this idea with the Christian understanding of the "members" of the Body of Christ. Within Christianity, he is arguing, members are meant to differ, to have different traits and "functions," like the organs of a body. Elegant.

The last and shortest pieces in the set, "On Forgiveness" and "A Slip of the Tongue," were the least interesting for me, though certainly worth reading and reviewing. "Forgiveness" makes a distinction between what we ask from God and what we seem to expect (not to be forgiven but "excused"). "A Slip of the Tongue" shows how a misquotation in prayer leads Lewis to consider how believers reserve temporal, secular pleasures and comforts to themselves while ostensibly requesting/desiring eternal gifts. A good critique of complacency and "practical" Christianity.

Overall a very fine collection, and probably a great place to begin sampling Lewis's writings for Christians.

It's amazing how relevant Lewis' words written long ago are to today's issues. His writing style is pretty easy to read, but the arguements are weighty enough to stretch anyone's mind. I found his essay on military participation particularly useful given the matters at hand.

This volume contains nine of Lewis' brilliant essays. Every one of them is full of the flawless reasoning you can expect from anything by Lewis. Topics range from "Why I am not a Pacifist" to forgiveness, with a clear message delivered in each. A couple that particularly stand out are "Transposition", which helps to make clear why we can't understand very much about the supernatural in our current state, and "Is Theology Poetry?" which, despite the title, ends with a wonderful bit about why the beliefs of Christianity truly are superior to other world views. Definitely get your hands on this great set of essays.

Can't speak to the rest of the book, but the essay THE WEIGHT OF GLORY is purely edifying, greater than any other 20th century work I know of.

This book has proven to be useful for the class I am using for. It was delivered in a very timely matter and I find that I am very satisfied by the service provided by Amazon

C.S. Lewis' "weight of glory" is a MUST-READ! It is amazingly profound. I didn't care for some of the other articles in this book (i.e. some of the "On Forgiveness" article seemed odd), but the first article is fantastically deep and rich. I've re-read it probably 30 times over the years. I always find something new to think about.

The Weight of Glory is actually only one of nine addresses compiled within this work. While it certainly deserves its position as the leading address and as the compilation's title, each of the included addresses illuminate their intended subject with that inspiration and clarity common of Lewis. Other titles in this collection include Transposition (the title utilized for this collection when it was originally published in the U.K.), On Forgiveness, Membership, The Inner Ring, Is Theology Poetry, and A Slip of the Tongue. Two other addresses included in this collection which are particularly relevant to the current global environment are Learning in War-Time and Why I Am Not a Pacifist, both of which were prepared and delivered to audiences during WWII.

That which places this work and these addresses on par with Lewis' better known nonfictional endeavors is the idea of what Lewis refers to on several occasions as comparing notes. That is, while he was asked to address audiences and was, in some cases, provided with a question to be answered, he approaches each subject with personal relevance. In so doing Lewis manages to dedicate the clarity of his mind to issues that Christians do and have struggled with across both time and political borders. Sometimes this enables the reader to deeply contemplate an issue that has not as of yet arrived in their own life, perhaps preparing them with a basis of insight and understanding. Any opportunity to read Lewis' work is an opportunity to compare notes with an intelligent and mature Christian and The Weight of Glory is certainly not an exception.

Mr. Lewis, best known for his "Chronicles Of Narnia", must have had one of the sharpest minds in his day. In this collection of individual essays / lectures / papers, he addresses many issues that were hot buttons in his day...and continue to be in ours. But, I think that the power behind his words is equally in how he expresses them, not just in the the thoughts behind them. Mr. Lewis was a master at taking rather complex matters and making them understandable to the average reader.
While some of what Mr. Lewis writes I would not fully agree with, I give him much credit and am very lenient when I consider his personal background (atheist-turned-Christian apologist).
I highly recommend this, and other, books he has written.

The book arrived in great time and is another classic of this famous and amazing author. It is all that was expected and I highly recommend it to anyone who is now, a C. S. Lewis fan or will be upon reading any of his works. Thanks gain to Amazon for another honest and quick transaction. Gary Krei

I agree that this collection is often overlooked when considering the best works of CS Lewis. Among the essays, my personal favorites are Weight of Glory and Transposition. I highly recommend this book.

WEIGHT OF GLORY may be the greatest essay ever written. Stunning.

The Weight of Glory gives a probing analysis of the modern Christian perspective on material possessions and how Stoicism has altered the biblical view of wealth and profit. The essay is summed in "Our Lord would find our desires not too strong, but too weak..." and returns to a more Refomational perspective.