Biographical Information on C.S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis, known as C. S. Lewis and simply “Jack” to his friends, was born in 1898 in Northern Ireland and died one week before his 65th birthday in 1963. Among some he is known as the man behind the popular Chronicles of Narnia novels, of which the recent movies were modeled after. Among others, Lewis is commonly referred to as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Christian apologists and thinkers of the twentieth century.
Just before turning ten years old, Lewis’ mother died from cancer. This tragic event along with his subsequent estrangement from his father left a young Lewis struggling to accept that the God he had grown up with could be as good as people said. Only a few years later in boarding school, Lewis rejected Christianity, becoming a professing atheist. In 1917, he began attending Oxford University as a student, and this became his functioning home for practically the rest of his life. He published his first book in 1919, essentially a collection of poetry, under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton. His second work, which was also poetry, was also published under a pseudonym.
Lewis, being an avid and constant reader, began to come across enjoyable works in Christian literature, such as George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton. These works truly began to challenge Lewis’ atheism. Along with his readings, many of Lewis’ friends and respected fellow students and colleagues began to challenge his atheism. These were not just random people, but ones he truly admired and respected. After much conversation and searching, Lewis converted first to theism in 1929, and eventually, after converting to Christianity over the next couple of years, joined the Church of England.
His conversion led to a new pursuit in his writings. Within two years, he had written The Pilgrim’s Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason and Romanticism. This short work led to a lifetime of books and works on Christian apologetics and discipleship, including his fictional works. Most notable of his works are The Screwtape Letters (1942), the Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956), The Great Divorce (1946), Abolition of Man (1943), Mere Christianity (1952), and the work in review here: Miracles (1947). His growth in Christian maturity can be seen in the progression of his literary works. Lewis, more than likely, never knew the extent of influence that his works would have on so many lives and on the defense of the Christian faith.[1] [2]
An Overview of Miracles
Lewis opens Miracles by pointing out the fact that we all come to the table with presuppositions. This is an important introduction, not because it introduces the theme of the book, but because it introduces the major problem that Lewis will subsequently address through a large portion of the book. I see the book from here on as broken into three main sections: (1) the argument against naturalism, (2) the argument against pantheism/deism/’religion’, and (3) an examination of the Christian case for miracles.
Following the introduction, Lewis, in expected classical apologetic method, embarks on a ten-chapter breakdown of common presuppositions brought to the subject of miracles, seeking to dismantle them before building the Christian case for the reality of miracles. A common element that runs through many of these chapters is an analytic philosophical approach to the issue. Time after time, Lewis seeks to analyze the language we use when talking about the ‘natural’ and ‘supernatural’ (or ‘nature’ and ‘supernature’) and this is most apparent in chapters two through four.
Lewis believes that naturalism is a major issue to tackle and spends a good deal of time showing its inconsistencies. Taking a minimalistic approach, he aims to find just one example that will prove naturalism false before moving on to show all its other inconsistencies, and that example is that of the mind. In chapters three, four, and six Lewis shows that our reasoning seems to be something other than nature, ‘invading’ or ‘illuminating’ nature. If this is, in fact, true, that there is something beyond or other than nature that acts upon it, then the whole foundation of naturalism crumbles. Then using an Occam’s Razor-like approach, Lewis shows it more simple and believable that God invented all things and placed our minds in nature than that nature created God or that nature produced rational thought. In chapter five, Lewis shows us an abridged version of another example, moral law and consciousness, ‘invading’ nature. Continuing his criticism on naturalism, Lewis then takes to some common red herring attacks on miracles in chapter seven. What is appealing here is Lewis’ readiness as a philosopher to put himself in his opponents’ shoes (which may come easier to him since he would have once been an opponent to his current position) and to anticipate some counter arguments before they are made. He essentially raises two red herrings: (1) that miracles are contrary to the law of nature and (2) that we are too small and insignificant in the universe for God to be concerned with us. Concerning the first red herring, Lewis points out that for miracles to be possible, we must assume that there are laws and regularities first. Concerning the second one, Lewis argues that we are in no position to say what sort of universe we should expect for God to interact with us and, further, that Christianity actually does tell us that the universe is not about us, but God. Even further than that, the wonder and awe of the universe is actually derived from the minds of men. Finally, Lewis rounds out his attack of naturalism and using ‘Nature’ to argue against miracles in chapter eight by going back to an analytical approach, reassessing what the laws of nature and miracles actually are. He concludes that, at the end of the day, miracles do not suspend the laws of nature and the laws of nature do not eliminate the possibility of miracles. Instead, miracles add to the pattern of nature from without it and nature receives the miracle, proceeding with the new event with the regularity we would expect.
Taking a brief interlude in chapter nine, “A Chapter Not Strictly Necessary,” Lewis takes a few pages to describe his personal experience. I found this short chapter to be quite profound, and one of my favorite chapters of the book. Lewis here reflectively thinks back to a reason he once objected to the supernatural ‘interfering’ with nature. At the end of the day, he had an emotional preference for nature to be enjoyed without there being something else. He didn’t want something supernatural stepping in. Then, almost as a foreshadowing of the last section of the book, he states that once he was able to step out of nature and take a supernatural look at it, he was actually more equipped to truly enjoy it for what it was.
In chapters ten through thirteen, I believe Lewis takes us through a second argument, this time against a deistic/pantheistic approach to miracles which says that God wouldn’t do this sort of thing and that early Christians were simply mistaken. Through these four chapters, Lewis follows a logical train of thought starting with the main argument, that the supernatural wouldn’t invade nature, and breaking it down point by point. He first dismantles the idea that the early Christians were primitive and unenlightened. He shows the absurdity of this by showing that the nature of language is to speak in metaphor, so that many things that we think ridiculous are really metaphorical. Further, it is unfair to think that the early Christians were incapable of discerning a break in the regular course of nature when they saw and experienced it just as we do. From here he moves on to dismantling the idea of a God which arises from nature as some indistinctive ‘Thing’, or Pantheism. He shows that Christianity is way more profound, having a concrete and real God, and is able to explain reality much more attractively. He goes on to show that if God is concrete and ‘living’ then he might actually do things! We shouldn’t see miracles as a cheap trick or an inconsistency, he says, because we are in no position to see the big picture of things. Perhaps it is the nature of ‘Nature’ to be invaded with acts of God, he posits. Perhaps the living law of the whole picture of things is more complex than we can imagine.
Before moving on to the Christian case he states that we must have a criterion of probability to distinguish miracles from non-miracles. The ordinary procedure in historical analysis, abundantly apparent in Hume’s Essay on Miracles, is to avoid calling something a miracle at all costs because it is always the least probable explanation. Lewis points out the circular reasoning of this procedure in that it presupposes the uniformity of the laws of nature when it is just that, the uniformity of the laws of nature, which is in question. At the end of the day, when you try to make ‘Nature’ absolute, you end up with a philosophy that makes uniformity uncertain (along with everything else). You must accept a supernatural worldview to make uniformity a general rule at all, even if you don’t get absolute uniformity. But then, you allow the possibility for God to invade. I think Lewis shows that it better to have that than nothing at all. He finally shows that ultimately our criterion is simply our “innate sense of the fitness of things.” This is not neat and clean, but it is universal and all we really have it.
The last section of the book, chapters fourteen through sixteen, finds Lewis not exactly making an argument for Christian miracles, but simply examining the case for Christian miracles and their implications. He breaks Christian miracles into three categories: (1) the grand miracle, which is the incarnation of God, (2) miracles of the old creation, and (3) miracles of the new creation. He states that the incarnation is the grand, or central, miracle because on it every other miracle depends, and because if it is true then it integrates and illuminates all other miracles. He shows that in the incarnation (the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus) we find the ultimate miracle: God himself coming into his creation and interacting with it. While he was here, he did miracles that show us that there are much better and fuller things in store for nature. In the miracles of the old creation (of healing, fertility, destruction, and dominion over the inorganic) we see Jesus proving that he is the creator, the one that holds all things together, and, at the same time, that this old creation, this fallen world, isn’t how things should be. In miracles of the new creation (of reversal, perfection, and glorification) we see pointers to the kind of nature we should expect in the future. Jesus shows us glimpses of what is to come in his risen state. He shows us that the natural and supernatural will be intertwined in ways unimaginable. This last section, I believe, is an attempt by Lewis to show not only the rationality of the Christian case for miracles but, even more, the hope and full life that they bring.
Lewis’ Aim and Purpose in Miracles
The overall structure of the book tells me that Lewis sought first to dismantle the worldviews that seek to exclude miracles and second to show how Christian miracles offer us something far better than any other worldview could. This is certainly a classical apologetic approach, reasoning away the alternatives before making a case for Christianity. I find it interesting that his main method of building a case for the legitimacy of miracles is to show that all other options are not viable leaving us with no choice but to accept them as possible. He then skips right over an attempt at building their positive case, going straight to showing the attractiveness of Christian miracles. It seems that he thought that this was enough. Or perhaps not, given the subtitle, A Preliminary Study.
His purpose was, as always, mainly to make you think rationally and creatively about the subject. He doesn’t much hint at his reason for writing the book in the first place, except perhaps in chapter nine where he informs us how accepting supernaturalism and the reality of miracles brought him great joy. Perhaps his purpose was to help others come to experience the same joy that he has. Also, as he hints at in the epilogue, this book is really just a primer. He encourages the reader to further his study into the historical evidence, especially in the New Testament Gospels.
I think that ultimately, he does well to accomplish this purpose. If nothing else, he makes you want to examine this subject more thoroughly, Christian or not. I find his arguments against naturalism and the non-interfering-God to be compelling and mostly based in common sense that would appeal to the common man.
Critical Evaluation of Miracles
First of all, my overall evaluation for this book is a positive one. I found myself at times impressed with Lewis’ creative thinking and logic, in that he put an argument in a compelling way that I had never heard before. At other times, I found myself full of excitement and joy in the way he described the hope and potential that miracles offer to the world (especially Christian miracles, of course). I would highly recommend the book to anyone, Christian or not, seeking to study or look into this subject.
I will say that this is one of Lewis’ more difficult works. It is more involved in philosophical talk than many of his other works, such as Mere Christianity, which brings the topic down to a level more accessible by common people. That being said, Lewis’ work on this subject is surely more accessible than most others’ would be. He has a way of speaking and analogizing that brings the loftiest of subjects down to earth.
There were a few little things about the content which I found lacking in the book. Some of these are simply due to the time that Lewis wrote it in. In 1947, there was not the extensive experimentation and study that we have today in the field of Quantum Mechanics. Thus, in chapter eight when he says, “There is, in this discussion, no question of mere failure or inaccuracy to keep these laws on the part of Nature, no question of chancy or spontaneous variation,” and in the footnote, “If any region of reality is in fact chancy or lawless then it is a region which, so far from admitting Miracle with special ease, renders the word ‘Miracle’ meaningless throughout that region,”[3] he simply was not aware of what scientific endeavors would bring. Quantum Mechanics is by no means a field where matters are simple and matter-of-fact, but it is a well-tested and established theory, which brings up many questions in the field of miracles and the supernatural. I would be interested to see what Lewis would have to say on the subject if he had access to the knowledge we have today.
Another weakness that he is more responsible for is that Lewis occasionally generalizes a view when he argues against it. However, I think this is simply the nature of writing a concise “preliminary study” where there is no time to get into the intricacies of each view.
There was one other area of the book that I found difficult. The last three chapters (fourteen through sixteen) where Lewis examines the Christian case for miracles was a bit muddy for me. I found it at times to be exciting, but there were many times where I felt that he was speaking right over my head. I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly what it is about this last section that I find difficult. Perhaps it is the loftier language that he uses. It seems that in this last section, in contrast from the rest of the book, he begins speaking in language that is not quite as down to earth or relatable, and it is ultimately the relatability of this last section where I think Lewis fails the most. I think he ultimately failed in showing how the Christian miracles were far better than the alternative positions at the end of the day. He explained the potential and hope that was in them, yes, and in that sense this section was powerful. I do not think he landed the plane and showed us concretely how the Christian miracles were far better than anything else.
But, perhaps this was his aim? Maybe he wanted simply to make the reader curious and anxious to learn more. If this is true, then I suppose he succeeded. I would, then, encourage anyone to not read this book and be done with subject. I think that this should be followed firstly by reading the New Testament Gospels. The second thing I would recommend to dig further into this subject (maybe not directly) is to read Where the Conflict Really Lies by Alvin Plantinga. This book deals with the relationship between science, religion, and naturalism at levels far beyond Lewis’ Miracles. I think one would do extremely well to follow Lewis’ book with Plantinga’s to truly get a good grasp on the subject. Finally, I would like to do more research into the subject of miracles from both a philosophical and historical perspective, and would encourage others to do the same.
[1] “The Life of C.S. Lewis Timeline,” C.S. Lewis Foundation, accessed September 22, 2017, http://www.cslewis.org/resource/chronocsl/.
[2] Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, Tenn.: Holman Reference, 2000), 132-135.
[3] C. S. Lewis, The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics, Reprint ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), 349.
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