"The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis" by Jason M. Baxter. A Review

 

Most people see me as simply a Presbyterian minister; almost a one-dimensional character. Some, who have gotten to know me better, see me as a minister and a family man. That deepens their perception of me. But there's another level of me that swims in martial arts, woodworking, and hand-carving. To know that other facet of me enriches a person's awareness of who and what I am. This is the value Jason M. Baxter, associate professor of fine arts and humanities at Wyoming Catholic College, supplies us with in regard to C.S. Lewis, in his new 176-page paperback, "The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind". This is a delightful read that will warm the hearts of many Lewis fans.

Baxter spends time delving into the part of Lewis's life that most Christian readers are vaguely aware of: the man's passion for, and profession in, medieval literature, ancient languages, and premodern mindsets. This is what the author calls "the third Lewis" as a way of addressing a richer backdrop to the man. And so, he writes the book to "explore how this third Lewis is just beneath the surface even in his more appreciated imaginative and devotional writings" (6). It seemed to me, as I was reading the work, that the author hit his mark.

The book traverses different angles in Lewis's medieval approach to life, politics, social mores, etc. It breathes an ancient atmosphere filled with enchantment and a pre-enlightenment tang. It travels through flatland moving further up and further on. The author allows Lewis to bring us out of our illusionary perspective of cutting down jungles, to see that we are really about the business of irrigating deserts. He leads us to become, increasingly, with Lewis ""nostalgic for the future" (164). The volume feels well-rounded in its investigations and analysis.

Of the many aspects I appreciated, two stand out. One is how the author shows Lewis's dependence on Dante and Boethius, as well as his embrace of the preperatio evangelica in his reading and writing. Baxter spends time, as an example, explicating the way Dante's imagery and aura filed Lewis's heart, and his writings, such as in "Perelandra" or "Till We Have Faces." The other high point was the author's chapter "Deep Conversion and Unveiling: When the "It" Becomes a "You"". This chapter was a rich display, not only of Lewis's struggle for (and against) being unveiled, but even my own. In this chapter the reader is gently confronted, and, with Orual, can honestly say, "I was a craver" but then come to find that "Joy silenced me."

"The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis" is worth the time spent in reading. It would make a valuable addition to a college lecture series. But it would also add some much needed texture to the perceptions of C.S. Lewis fans. I highly and unhesitatingly recommend the book.

My thanks goes out to IVP Academic. They speedily sent the book used for this review, on my request. Further, they added no stipulations nor shackled me to any requirements. This evaluation, thus, is all mine, freely made and freely given.