C. S. Lewis as Spiritual Mentor by Mail

Abstract

Lewis’ published correspondence provides a kind of autobiography-in-progress, and it offers a revealing glimpse of his opinions as a literary and culture critic. But perhaps the letters of most permanent value are those which Lewis saw as a part of his Christian vocation: his insights to friends, casual acquaintances and complete strangers about questions of theology, faith, spiritual formation, and even marriage and family relationships. In his later years, letter-writing became a burdensome task for Lewis. In one note, he mentions that he had composed thirty-five letters that day. In another, he mentions that he had just spent nine hours catching up on his correspondence. Yet, for Lewis, answering letters and inquiries, even from children, was not just a courtesy; it was a part of his Christian calling. Noting to one friend that many of those who wrote to him were “in great need of help and often in great misery,” Lewis felt it a duty and a form of ministry to respond to each and every individual inquirer. In another letter, Lewis explicitly identified letter-writing as a part of his vocation, explaining “every human being, still more every Christian, has an absolute claim on me for any service I can render them without neglecting other duties.”