The Serpent and the Saint: What C.S. Lewis Wrote About Eternity

Luke Nelson

Dr. Starr

C.S. Lewis

4 May 2015

The Serpent and the Saint:

What Lewis Wrote about Eternity

Introduction

        Clive Staples Lewis was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. He wrote many books that inspired young and old readers. In those books he wrote many things about what he believed about eternal life. Being a Christian, he believed in Heaven and Hell and that when the body dies the soul makes its way, depending on whether or not it was saved, to one of these eternal resting places.

        Lewis wrote a great deal about Heaven, so much in fact that one could write a lengthy dissertation over this topic alone. Two things Lewis discussed are Heaven as an ultimate reality and the longing soul of man to go to Heaven. These two categories are only a small piece of the large puzzle that Lewis created in his writings about Heaven, but they are important nevertheless.

        For Hell, it is the same in comparison to Heaven. What that means is there are many things that Lewis wrote about Hell, and his theology is so extensive it would take months, or years, to acquire everything Lewis wrote about Hell and compile it into a great work. That being said, the first point is that Hell is opposite of Heaven’s ultimate reality and is that of a selfish one. The second is the judgment, mercy, and separation that Hell creates from its very existence. Lewis wrote with conviction about Heaven and Hell and made very hard points at times while rejecting popular theologies like Universalism and Hyper-Calvinism.

        Lewis maintains his theology and philosophy consistently throughout all of his books whether they are allegorical or parallels to Heaven and Hell, writes them in such a way that the reader walks away with more knowledge whether he knows it or not. Studying Lewis and reading his insightful books about these eternal resting places gives a joy and comfort that can only be surpassed by reading the Bible itself. With all of that said, let us first ascend into what Lewis wrote about the Heavenly realm, and then delve deep into his writings of Hell.

Heaven: The Ultimate Reality

        The sorrow of living on the earth does not compare to the eternal glory of Heaven. Lewis maintains that men tend to shy away from mentioning Heaven because they are afraid of being made fun of and looked at as if they are escape artists waiting to leave this wretched world (Lewis Pain 149). This is not an uncommon fact; most believers are persecuted in worse ways than a snide remark, being made fun of, or a rude comment about their faith like those in America face. Some are losing their lives for the defense of Christ and of the eternal home that Christians will inhabit after God says, “’…Well done, good and faithful servant’” (English Standard Version Matt. 25.21).  There is a longing for Heaven. The human soul wants nothing more than to go there. There are trials to be faced but at the end of it all Heaven is the ultimate reward, and the most real reality that is ever faced. Jesus said, “‘blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’” (Matt. 5.8). The reality of Heaven is to commune with God in and see his face. When a soul sees the face of God it is made whole because God is beauty, and all of creation is a reflection of Him. Lewis contends that, “It is safe to tell the pure in heart they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to” (Pain 149). The reality of Heaven is far greater than anything on this earth. Since God is infinitely and purely beautiful, Heaven can only be imagined. It cannot be attained on earth.