C.S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian, by Gregory Cootsona

Gregory Cootsona gives us a glimpse at the life of C.S. Lewis and the profound writing that he brought to our world. He also gives us his story, his journey through crisis and how reading the works of C.S. Lewis he was able to navigate a path through the wilderness of evil, doubt and meaningless to find the true path of righteousness, mercy, grace, salvation and the way to God and a meaningful life.

Throughout the book Cootsona will refer to the many writings of C.S. Lewis to explain the issues of our day and why so many people can't seem to get a handle on things and find that they need a guide. For Cootsona and many of the rest of us that guide is C.S. Lewis. Lewis brings us a proper view of Good vs. Evil, Morality vs. Immorality and the answer to 'Why or how can a loving God allow suffering and evil in the world that He created.'

Probably one of the best quotes form the works of C.S. Lewis sums up the purpose of Cootsona's book. In Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis writes, "A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading . . . God is, If I may say it, very unscrupulous." In my own words I might paraphrase this to say, "If you are an Atheist you better watch out what you read because God cannot be hidden in the words of ill informed, He cannot be buried in the verbose words of the moralist, He cannot be dismissed in the tomes of science. God will get you in whatever you read with an open mind, because God has informed it all and it all points to Him."

C.S. Lewis started out his life as an Atheist, he then progressed to becoming an Agnostic and finally had not option but to turn his life over to Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Even though Lewis saw the horrors of mankind in the trenches of WWI, he still came to realize that man has a moral code that guides him, some of evil, but most for good. It is this moral code that Lewis determines is woven into the very fabric of every human by God Himself. There is no denying this moral code and thus in the long run there is no denying God.

Cootsona will take you on a journey through the writings of C.S. Lewis that you will thoroughly enjoy. If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis you will find this a comfortable book that reminds you of the truth you found in the writings of Lewis. If you are not a fan of C.S. Lewis and have never read his works then you will find yourself thinking, I really need to put this book down and start reading C.S. Lewis himself. Bravo, that would be a wise choice. Then you can come back to this book and smile, nod your head and find yourself agreeing with everything that Cootsona has to say about Lewis.

So, where to start? Maybe with Mere Christianity, the most profound apologetic book of the 20th Century. Or maybe a fun read such as the Chronicles of Narnia where you will find the epic battle of good and evil and a God who loves His creation enough to provide a plan of salvation. Or maybe you might want to read the science fiction trilogy that many people forget C.S. Lewis wrote. Out of the silent planet, Prelandria and That Hideous Strength.

Maybe my favorite though is "Surprised by Joy," in which C.S. Lewis gives his exclamation of what he discovered through all his searching.

Whatever you do just know that this work by Gregory Cootsona will give you a good glimpse into the life and writings of C.S. Lewis and apologetics master who has given us classic volumes of work to help us find our way in a world of corruption and evil.

Enjoy!