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Scripture, revelation and Platonism in C. S. Lewis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2002

Andrew Walker
Andrew Walker
Affiliation:
Department of Education and Professional Studies, School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College, University of London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Road, London SE1 9NN, UK
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Abstract

Noting that C. S. Lewis's writings do not contain a systematic statement of his understanding of the relationship between scripture and revelation, this essay exposes the literary, theological and philosophical undergirding of his approach to scripture, which was neither fundamentalist nor modernist. It then outlines his treatment of six ‘modes’ of revelation: five general and incomplete (the numinous, the notion of Sehnsucht, conscience/the moral law, the election of Israel, pagan myths), the sixth particular and perfect – Jesus Christ. After considering Lewis's notion of ‘transposition’ and delineating the trajectory of his philosophical idealism, the essay contends that Lewis's tendency to Platonise reality leads him to articulate some unfortunate and unsatisfactory theological expressions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 55 , Issue 1 , February 2002 , pp. 19 - 35
Copyright
© Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd, 2002

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