C.S. Lewis on the Fathers & Why You Should Read Very Old Books
According to C.S. Lewis + The First C.S. Lewis Reading Day! (11-29-23)
C.S. Lewis once wrote a Preface to “On the Incarnation” by St. Athanasius the Great where he makes the case that it is better to read very old books tested by time (like the church fathers) compared to many modern works. He writes,
“There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books…. The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him… This mistaken preference for the modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant than in theology. Wherever you find a little study circle of Christian laity you can be almost certain that they are studying not St. Luke or St. Paul or St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or Hooker or Butler, but M. Berdyaev or M. Maritain or M. Niebuhr or Miss Sayers or even myself.
Now this seems to me topsy-turvy. Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old. And I would give him this advice precisely because he is an amateur and therefore much less protected than the expert against the dangers of an exclusive contemporary diet. A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light.”
I would venture to say that much of the modern crisis within the family, society, and even the Church itself is a result of neglecting the ancient wisdom of the past. We prefer pop entertainment and quick, self-help methods over the imaginative poetry of St. Ephrem of Syria or the meaty homilies of St. John Chrysostom. This is why C.S. Lewis’ advice is so wise for us today. “Go straight to the source and drink from the ancient wells!' “ Like his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, he is well aware that his writings have no value unless they ‘tap’ the Barrel Aged Faith and bring people closer to it. The reason why philosopher Charles Taliaferro can write a whole book about the ‘Atonement’ theology in Narnia* is because Lewis was well acquainted with the atonement theology of St. Athanasius within ‘On the Incarnation’* and the ransom theory among the church fathers. (*affiliate links)
Although our modern world is filled with endless distractions, we should be thankful that it has also made it possible to read much of the church fathers for free and in English. This luxury was not available to most Christians throughout history even up to the time of C.S. Lewis. Here is an online resource that I discovered 16 years ago that introduced me to these ancient writings: https://ccel.org/fathers So go ahead and find a very old book to read. It may challenge your whole way of thinking and living in a good way. This is what Barrel Aged Faith is all about: Equipping people to embrace the Ancient Faith and Ancient Christian Living.
Lastly, do not forget about the first C.S. Lewis Reading Day this Wednesday, November 29th! I will be interviewing Dr. Steven Petersheim about Lewis’ Ransom (Space) Trilogy on my channel, and I will also be included on a guest panel on Pints with Jack 7pm Eastern Standard Time. I hope you will join us!
Interested in experiencing a course on the Eucharist through the eyes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, and the church fathers? Then become a paid subscriber today ($5 a month) and begin ‘The Altar Above the Worlds.’
