- Lewis speculates that 80% of suffering is the result of human wickedness. Would you agree or change the percentage, etc...?
- Why is self-improvement not enough? What does it look like to "lay down our arms"?
- How does pain lead to surrender?
Notes for Ch.6
John Henry Newman (1801-1890): Anglican who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. Known for his spiritual autobiography Apologia pro Vita Sua (1864); a leader of the Oxford or Tractarian movement in 1833; made a cardinal at the age of 74.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679): English political philosopher and author of Leviathan,which introduced the social contract theory.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928): English novelist of the naturalism movement. Raised Anglican, the seeming unfairness and struggles of life caused Hardy to question the Christian view of God. A clergyman asked him how to reconcile the human experience of pain with the goodness of God. Hardy wrote back:Mr. Hardy regrets that he is unable to offer any hypothesis which would reconcile the existence of such evils as Dr. Grosart describes with the idea of omnipotent goodness. Perhaps Dr. Grosart might be helped to a provisional view of the universe by the recently published Life of Darwin and the works of Herbert Spencer and other agnostics.Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936): English classicist and poet, best known for a cycle of poems called A Shropshire Lad.Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): English writer best known for Brave New World. Lewis's reference to "non-attachment" in chapter six, refers to Huxley's book Ends and Means, wherein Huxley writes, "The ideal man is the non-attached man . . . non-attached to wealth, fame, social position. Non-attached even to science, art speculation and philosophy." Lewis, Huxley, and John F. Kennedy all died on the same day-November 22, 1963.
William Paley (1743-1805): a Christian philosopher and apologist best known for his "watchmaker analogy" regarding the existence of God, as set forth in his book Natural Theology. He had some political views that were out of step with his generation, such as the right of the poor to steal if in need of food, a graduated income tax, and a woman's right to pursue a career rather than be dependent upon male relatives. These views are believed to have kept him from advancing in church hierarchy.
C. C. S.: stands for Casualty Clearing Station -small mobile hospitals used during WWI. If sepsis and gangrene were treated within 36 hours, survival rates improved.
William Cowper (1731-1800): English hymn writer and poet. He was a friend of John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") and contributed to the hymnal Newton was compiling. Cowper suffered from depression throughout his life, including several suicide attempts. Inkling member Lord David Cecil wrote a biography of Cowper titled The Stricken Deer (1929), which is still in print.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928): English novelist of the naturalism movement. Raised Anglican, the seeming unfairness and struggles of life caused Hardy to question the Christian view of God. A clergyman asked him how to reconcile the human experience of pain with the goodness of God. Hardy wrote back:Mr. Hardy regrets that he is unable to offer any hypothesis which would reconcile the existence of such evils as Dr. Grosart describes with the idea of omnipotent goodness. Perhaps Dr. Grosart might be helped to a provisional view of the universe by the recently published Life of Darwin and the works of Herbert Spencer and other agnostics.Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936): English classicist and poet, best known for a cycle of poems called A Shropshire Lad.Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): English writer best known for Brave New World. Lewis's reference to "non-attachment" in chapter six, refers to Huxley's book Ends and Means, wherein Huxley writes, "The ideal man is the non-attached man . . . non-attached to wealth, fame, social position. Non-attached even to science, art speculation and philosophy." Lewis, Huxley, and John F. Kennedy all died on the same day-November 22, 1963.
William Paley (1743-1805): a Christian philosopher and apologist best known for his "watchmaker analogy" regarding the existence of God, as set forth in his book Natural Theology. He had some political views that were out of step with his generation, such as the right of the poor to steal if in need of food, a graduated income tax, and a woman's right to pursue a career rather than be dependent upon male relatives. These views are believed to have kept him from advancing in church hierarchy.
C. C. S.: stands for Casualty Clearing Station -small mobile hospitals used during WWI. If sepsis and gangrene were treated within 36 hours, survival rates improved.
William Cowper (1731-1800): English hymn writer and poet. He was a friend of John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") and contributed to the hymnal Newton was compiling. Cowper suffered from depression throughout his life, including several suicide attempts. Inkling member Lord David Cecil wrote a biography of Cowper titled The Stricken Deer (1929), which is still in print.
HW: Chapter 7 - Human Pain, continued
NotesMarlowe's lunatic Tamburlaine: refers to Christopher Marlowe's 1587 play Tamburlaine the Great.
Farewell, my boys! My dearest friends, farewell!
My body feels, my soul doth weep to see
Your sweet desires depriv'd my company,
For Tamburlaine, the scourge of God, must die.
My body feels, my soul doth weep to see
Your sweet desires depriv'd my company,
For Tamburlaine, the scourge of God, must die.
1. "If suffering is good, ought it not to be pursued rather than avoided?" What part of suffering is good?
2. List the four steps that occur in a fallen and partially redeemed universe?
3. Explain how a person may serve God as a son or as a tool.
4. What conclusions does Lewis make about ascetic practices such as fasting?
5. Why does Lewis believe that utopia will not be ushered in through social or economic reform?
6. What does Lewis mean when he says: "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."?
7. In his final point (#6), Lewis claims that pain is the only type of evil that is disinfected or sterilized-in other words, it is not contagious. He explains that error and sin can breed more trouble, but pain usually solicits pity from spectators. Do you agree/disagree?
No comments:
Post a Comment