There are several essays that have clear relevance today, both in our personal Christian life as well as in how we relate to the world. "The Weight of Glory" focuses on what it means to be children of God and that while cultures and nations are all mortal things (they will come to an end), it is humans that are truly immortal in that we will live with God long after this world is gone. Lewis speaks about how we should be like children, realizing how special everyone truly is, and that they too are immortals. Lewis explains it better. "The Weight of Glory" has been described as the best thing Lewis has ever written. While I haven't read everything Lewis has written yet, there is no question that this is one of his most important essays.

Other essays in the collection include "Why I Am Not a Pacifist" (giving a Christian viewpoint on the subject that I had not encountered before), "The Inner Ring" (dealing with cliques in general and in church), "Membership", and "On Forgiveness".

This is an important book to read as a Christian, and perhaps an interesting one to read if one is not a Christian.


A clear examination of some Christian viewpoints...   September 16, 2002
 13 out of 15 found this review helpful

C.S. Lewis is the best writer I've found to tackle the considerable task of explaining Christian philosophy. His writing is crisp, clear, and his use of metaphor excellent. Anyone (like me) who has ever wondered why Christians think and sometimes act the way they do will find his writing illuminating.

In this selection of unrelated essays, Lewis touches on disparate themes, from pacifism (you can be a Christian and support war), to suffering, to the value of being a Christian. Overall his writings illuminate for me just how little of Christianity can be easily understood without some kind of study on the subject. Lewis is a good starting point if you are curious about Christianity but unfamiliar with it. As a non-Christian, I don't agree with much of what he says, but I do appreciate that he explains the tenets of the faith in a way that is crystal clear and poetic.

This isn't for everyone -- at times his style borders on stuffy, but if you are intestested in Christian philosophy, this is one of the best writers around.


Lewis is the master of 'deep, thought-provoking' writing.   May 1, 2002
 7 out of 9 found this review helpful

If you are looking for a book that consumes the spiritual and emotional imagination then you have found it. I am now reading this book for the 4th time. C.S. Lewis reflects on all sorts of ideas and relationships. If you are hungry for a fresh spiritual feast then this book is the banquet that has been prepared in your honor. Bon appetit!


Lewis' Most Underrated Work   January 16, 2002
 45 out of 47 found this review helpful

The Weight of Glory is a book that is comprised of a series of unrelated essays. I was not convinced it was very important among his writings, so I put off reading it. When I finally got around to reading it, I was ineffably impressed. It is my opinion that this book has been underrated by many casual readers.

The Weight of Glory has penetrating essays on pacifism, transposition, forgiveness and other paramount issues for Christians. His argument "Why I am not a pacifist" is profoundly moving (and reminiscent of the Screwtape Letters). Likewise, one of the latter essays entitled, "On Forgiveness" takes a mundane Christian experience and (for me, at least) revitalized my conception of such a profound practice that I rely on everyday.

Even though I read this after encountering most of Lewis' other books, this could easily be understood without having read any of Lewis' previous works. These essays will provide encouragement, joy, and clarity to any Christian.


Omnibus of the Omni-Mind!   November 10, 2001
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This book is an omnibus of sermons Lewis gave before his death, and provides a nice thumbnail of his thought. It would be a good book to read after "Mere Christianity." Two speeches have a sharper edge now: "Learning in War-Time," and "Why I am Not a Pacifist." In the former, he makes the case that even though we may be at war, we can't drop everything and wait for a "perfect peacetime," which will never happen this side of the Millennium. By the way, Lewis served in World War I, and read classics in the trenches.

In the latter, he give a long an complicated logical elaboration against pacifism. President Gordon B. Hinckley, world leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, summed up pacifism in three sentences: "We are people of peace. We are followers of the Christ who was and is the Prince of Peace. But there are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children, and the cause of liberty." (The Times in Which we Live)

Several other sermons are "Transposition," which discusses how God may have to use metaphors to speak to us so we can understand. "The Inner Ring" is British for "The Inner Circle" and discusses cliques in church. In "Membership," Lewis points out that "member" means "organ," as in members or organs of the body of Christ.

It is a nice survey of his thought. If you like this book, I would recommend "God in the Dock," British for "God takes the Stand," or "God on Trial," which is another whirlwind omnibus of Lewis's thought. In both of these books, you see the immensity of Lewis's wide-awake mind.