C.S. Lewis wrote more than 30 books which have collectively sold over 100 million copies, including the Chronicles of Narnia series, “Mere Christianity,” and “The Screwtape Letters.” But of those thirty books, there was only one which Lewis described himself as “almost my favorite among my books,” yet he was disappointed that “in general [the book] has been almost totally ignored by the public.”
The book was his prophetic text titled “The Abolition of Man.” It’s an important book but one that many readers find dense and challenging.
Thankfully, Michael Ward, one of the world’s leading C.S. Lewis scholars, has stepped in to help. His groundbreaking new book titled “After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's ‘The Abolition of Man‘’ was just published by Word on Fire Academic.
Today, Brandon Vogt sits down with Michael to discuss Lewis' original text and how Michael's new guide and commentary help readers make sense of Lewis’s argument.
Learn more: www.wordonfire.org/humanity
5:03 - How did Michael first get into C.S. Lewis' work?
6:57 - What was “The Abolition of Man” about?
9:53 - Why is “The Abolition of Man” so important? Why is it still relevant?
13:21 - What inspired your new book, “After Humanity”? Why was it needed?
15:01 - How does “Abolition” relate to Lewis’s more explicitly religious writings?
19:33 - What are some important things in Lewis’s personal life that led to his writing of this book?
25:30 - What does Lewis mean by the term “men without chests”?
30:09 - What does Lewis mean by “The Way”?
35:26 - What should readers know about the third and final part of Lewis' book?
39:54 - What has been the impact of “The Abolition of Man”? What’s its legacy in the world of philosophy?
44:36 - What would Lewis think about the term “post-truth”?
49:04 - What was the most fun thing about putting together your book?
51:55 - If Lewis were alive today, would he think his prophecy had been fulfilled, or that it's closer to fulfillment than in his day? Would he issue the same warning now that he did in 1943, and with equal gusto?