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| The Weight of Glory | 
 enlarge | Author: C. S. Lewis
Publisher: HarperOne
Category: Book
List Price: $11.95
Buy Used: $3.98
You Save: $7.97 (67%)
New (41) Used (37) Collectible (3) from $3.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 7632
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0060653205
Dewey Decimal Number: 252.03
EAN: 9780060653200
ASIN: 0060653205
Publication Date: March 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Very good paperback.
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| Customer Reviews:
Potent, Powerful Punch in a Short Collection of Works January 26, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
Great Collection of Short Works January 10, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
The Weight of Glory January 4, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
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.
 Worth It October 17, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
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!
How could you NOT give it 5 stars? January 7, 2006
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
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.
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