The Last Journey of C. S. Lewis: A Conversation of C. S. Lewis with Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud

By Chang-Wuk Kang

When C. S. died in his home, at the Kiln, he found himself in the realm not quite what he expected. He found himself in the realm he could only fantasize and yet he quickly adapted to even Archangel's surprise. He also found a job to do. He was given a most difficult task but child like adventurous Jack took on the task only with joy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973623557

Chang-Wuk Kang

The author was raised in a Buddhist family and stood against Christianity for the first half of his life. At the peak of his professional life as a psychiatrist, abruptly he converted to Christianity. As a psychiatrist, he has been fascinated by the ideas of these three game-changing thinkers. This is the conversation.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Chang-Wuk Kang.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2356-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2355-7 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/04/2018

To all my beloved grandchildren

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

—Job 38:2–3

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

—Matt. 18:13

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 (Jack’s Testimony)

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Preface

I N GENERAL, THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CHRISTIANS. The most common are those who were born into Christian families and grew up in an environment that left little doubt about their faith. The others are those who become Christians either by reaffirmation of their faith after leaving the church or by conversion from a non-Christian religion or no religion. Those who did not know Christianity before their conversion or who discover Christianity anew seem to be much more passionate in following Christ and thus they study Christian doctrine eagerly and with much joy. Saint Paul, Saint Augustine, and C. S. Lewis are among the most famous of such many converts.

Non-Christians have a tendency to speak against Christianity while saying little about other religions; in general, they have plenty of misconceptions about Christian doctrine and limited knowledge of it. One might think that some of these critics of the church are too bright to have such misunderstandings, but they have had to put down and distort Christianity to uphold their philosophies and theories, at times doing so in vitriolic terms. This seems to be more the case among those who have left the church than among those who have never been Christian. They will offer many elaborate reasons for their attitude, but one will quickly find that their reasoning has little to do with the truth. You wonder why God has blinded them. To what purpose? Then you remember why God wrote the book of Job.

Imagine what it would be like if a passionate new convert and a hostile anti-Christian debated each other. Would they argue bitterly, accusing and berating each other or converse like gentlemen? It may be difficult to imagine the two sides carefully and thoughtfully discussing their differences and it is questionable if such a truly honest dialogue could take place in the temporal world. However, if they faced each other in an atmosphere conducive to such a conversation, it would be possible. One may imagine the omnipotent One could arrange that. For this conversation, I have chosen three well-known representatives of nineteenth- and twentieth-century thoughts: C. S. Lewis, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud.

People don’t ordinarily brag about what they have in their possession, but they are eager to share unusual experiences. Christians love and welcome the opportunity to share their faith, joyfully offering testimony to others. They do so readily with a sense of gratitude and privilege. In fact, they often boast about their faith, even before they learn about Saint Paul boasting of Jesus in his epistles. Though it may be difficult to imagine a Christian speaking with a hostile anti-Christian, it is not hard to envision how C. S. Lewis would have responded had he been given such a opportunity with Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud in a perfectly favorable setting. Anyone familiar with Lewis can imagine how he would have dealt with the situation, but it is difficult to see how Nietzsche would have reacted, since he was severely resented and criticized by Christians for his anti-Christian rhetoric. Freud would have faced a similar difficulty, though his stance was not as harsh as Nietzsche’s.

God is sovereign, merciful, gracious, and just. Christians know and say that all the time. However, it is not always easy to discern God’s purpose in the temporal world. We can diligently contemplate His wisdom, but still be astounded at times by His brilliant and surprisingly effective plans, which are often completely contrary to our expectation, knowledge, and understanding, more so with our common emotion. The results are sometimes outlandish and also can be quite amusing. Christians find immense joy in witnessing His work and more in seeing His miracles. Faith is powerful mean in this. Christians know what eternity means. They remember Saint John’s vision at Patmos in Revelation and the transfiguration of Jesus depicted in the gospels. But they have little sense of a boundary between the eternal and the temporal worlds. One imagines a threshold between the two realms. This is an important but mysterious junction. Many brilliant thinkers and theologians have tried to figure it out. Quantum physicists have tried to explain it with the theory of quantum entanglement. No one can say for sure what happened when C. S. Lewis was introduced to Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud in this mysterious realm, but God certainly knows.

30143.png

I am amazed that God has given me this opportunity to contemplate His unfathomably profound and mysterious plan for all of us. I thank Him for hearing my prayer and allowing me to write this story. This is a work of mere imagination, but I pray that the purpose is good to his sight.

I am sincerely grateful to Thomas K. Seung, the Jesse H. Jones Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas, for encouraging me to undertake this project and for giving me his kind and exceedingly valuable advice throughout the process. I thank the Reverends Tom Osterhaus, Tom Bisset, and Steven Meyerhoff for reading the manuscript and giving me their kind advice. I am grateful for the precious advice and encouragement of the Reverend Doctor Jeong Ku Jeon, professor of biblical and systematic theology at the Chesapeake Theological Seminary in Maryland. My daughter, Lydia, a physician and a writer, advised me and read the initial manuscript, and my other daughter, Alice, an established graphic designer, designed the book cover and inserted design. Most important, I am so blessed to have my beloved wife, Kaye, at my side giving me her loving support and priceless encouragement.

I would also like to thank all the staff of WestBow Press involved in publishing this book.

Maryland, March 2013

Chapter 1

O N NOVEMBER 22, 1963, AROUND 6:30 P.M. Greenwich time, Jack, C.S. Lewis, was called by the Lord. Earlier, in a quiet section of Saint Mary’s Hospital in London, England, the golden glow of the autumn sunset streamed through a window into a private room. The warm luminescence of the late afternoon made Jack sentimental, as always. He longed for someone or someplace. Sometimes it was for Mama, sometimes it was for Papa. But in this instance, there was little doubt that he longed for his beloved Joy and his home, The Kilns in Headington, Oxford. Jack wanted to go home, and the doctor granted his wish. Jack’s bed was moved to the downstairs study where Joy had been nursed before she went home.

Jack had not stopped thinking about Joy since she passed away a few years earlier from bone metastasis of the breast cancer, and he had felt an emptiness ever since. Jack had become more nostalgic for his past. Since becoming sick with chronic kidney disease, he had more often dreamed about returning to a little section of East Belfast called Strand, his childhood hometown and surrounding countryside. There, outside the brick wall of a factory, basking in the golden sunshine of autumn afternoons, he and his friends used to share their hopes and fantasies. Jack often drew enormous joy out of longing. As he was dreaming about those times again, his mood mellowed. Suddenly he felt every bit of strength in his body sucked away, leaving him limp. Even the soft blanket covering his chest seemed to be getting heavier. The room was very quiet, though several people stood around him. He called out to his older brother, Warnie, but Warnie couldn’t hear him. Jack felt like everything was moving away from him. Douglas and David also stood against the wall, focusing sorrowful expressions on Jack, but they couldn’t hear him either. Jack wanted to say he loved them. They were Joy’s children, whom Jack adopted after she passed away. No one hesitated, because they loved one another as much as Joy loved Jack.

Jack said, I think I am going away, but Warnie just looked at him. Tears flowed from Warnie’s eyes and the eyes of the boys. Jack felt tired and limp. He had no strength anymore, and he could not resist closing his heavy eyelids. Then he felt all the pictures of memories he had kept for so long slipping away. Jack thought he heard an angelic chorus of melodies from Finlandia from a distant place and the faint words Be still my soul borne aloft by the music. The world was moving farther away from him. Then, curiously, the warmest, most comfortable feeling he had ever experienced began to fill him. He felt as if he had missed so many things, and in the next moment he felt as though he had regained everything and was no longer languishing. Now he couldn’t resist the overwhelming desire to sleep. At last he gave in. Rest came easily.

30143.png

It wasn’t clear how much time passed. Jack sensed someone approaching, a sensation he could not explain. But the feeling was not one he had ever had before. He felt he was in totally unfamiliar surroundings. He also realized that he was awake. Strangely, the feeling of losing strength, the drowsiness, and the fatigue had all vanished. He felt refreshed in a way he had never experienced before. He also knew that the person nearby was not Warnie, Douglas or David. Although his surroundings were very different, somewhere he had never been before, the place was inexplicably familiar. He had a sense of déjà vu. But amazingly, he was not frightened. In fact, he was very much at home.

Since Jack was a writer of mythological and fantasy stories, an unusual experience was welcome. Imagination was his bread and butter. Perhaps this was another creative writer’s chimera. But Jack knew better. He understood that the human heart constantly yearns for an ideal world and that everyone desires to be the hero in an epic adventure to attain it. But actually experiencing this was a totally different matter. It was mysterious, but he was able to accept his situation as real. That was his quick adaptability in mysterious situations. So it was inescapable for Jack, turning to philosophy, to question the nature of reality. Is it perceivable or is it in our imagination? Aha! This must be that which only our spirit can see. From ancient times, humans have imagined other worlds. Not everyone accepted this realm, but Jack found it easy to believe that it was real.

30143.png

Jack had an urge to look up, since he sensed that the person nearby was expecting his attention. Standing beside him was a gentleman with a noble air who looked like a sage of legend. He wore a bright white robe with no seams, sleeves, regalia, or other adornment. His hair was white as snow, kept elegantly, and he had a beautiful snow-white beard cascading from his chin down to his chest. His warm smile and deep brown eyes disarmed Jack. He reminded Jack of the transfigured Jesus, meeting with Elijah and Moses on the mountain, in the gospel of Matthew. Jack’s reverent bow was natural. It was hard not to bow. He almost asked the man, Are you Elijah? but he could not say a word and mumbled. At last the man spoke.

Are you the Irish Jack?

Yes, sir. I am Jack and I am of Irish descent, indeed. But you are the first one to call me Irish. Jack mumbled in a barely audible voice, but the man seemed to understand him. Jack is Irish but none called him Irishman but he liked it immensely.

Which Jack are you?

I beg your pardon, sir?

Today, at this hour, two men are supposed to be here, and it just so happens that both have the nickname Jack and that both are of Irish descent.

I am Jack, C. S. Lewis. But who should be the other Jack, sir?

Oh, so you are Jack Lewis. Once in a while, our Lord does an interesting thing that puzzles even me. I see the other Jack has not arrived yet. He died so suddenly, you know, and that makes my work bit busier.

He said our Lord and Jack made a quick note of that in his mind, thinking he will find it out later.

Sir, who is the other Jack you mentioned? With his insatiable curiosity, Jack could not let the question pass.

You know—that young president of America, John F. Kennedy.

Jack Kennedy? Why, I mean, how come he should come here so soon? Jack asked, beginning to sense where he was now. The gentleman nodded knowingly and was pleased at Jack’s quick intuition and clear awareness. He said to himself that things were much easier than expected.

Kennedy was killed by a sharpshooting assassin and died instantly while traveling in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. That was not too long after you left your Home in the Kilns.

That’s a shame; I was betting that he could have contributed so much to the world. I liked his guts. He was a brilliant politician and an excellent leader. Well, for some time now, I have been curious about the Lord’s providence, just as you said.

Anyway, I am glad that I found the right man. I am going to take care of the other Jack later when he arrives, but now my only duty is to focus on you and guide you here as He ordered.

Did you say ‘He ordered’? Who is He?

He is our Lord, of course.

Our Lord? Though Jack had some inkling of what was happening, he was shocked to know that the Lord was directly concerned about him. He had always known that God was personal, and yet hearing this firsthand amazed him. Jack believed that the Lord had been with him whenever he prayed and worshiped, but he felt an unspeakable awe that the Lord would be personally and specially concerned about him. This was more than an affirmation of his faith; those beliefs that he had spoken about publicly for years had become a concrete reality.

Yes. In fact, you may be surprised at whom you will meet in a while. They are the ones you have wanted to meet. Oh, there are so many things I would love to show you here.

Okay, so I have affirmation of my faith, but what is this all about? Jack wondered. Yes, something was telling him that these would be joyful encounters. But at the same time, Jack had a feeling that he had no choice but to meet these people. And a strange, intrusive, and forceful feeling it was. It was felt like telling him you may want to pay attention. He experienced the same longing from which he had always drawn joy. Jack was filled with a fascination and expectation that could easily frighten ordinary folks.

30143.png

C. S. Lewis was a writer, lecturer, theologian, polemicist, philosopher, literary critic, and Oxford professor. Well known in the English-speaking world, he was a prolific and best-selling writer. Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia are just a few of his famous works. He enjoyed teaching at the university, writing, and speaking, but mostly he loved the fellowship of other writers, including the Inklings, a friendly literary debate circle. His friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien was particularly notable, and he was in constant discussions with his older brother Warnie, his best friend and sounding board.

Many remember Jack Lewis for his excellent Christian apologetics, written in accessible and plain English. His children’s fantasy novels were also famous and remain widely read all over the world. He was married for the first time at forty-nine to Joy Gresham (née Davidman) while she lay in a hospital bed during breast cancer treatment. (Their romance is itself a great story.) She died three years later. As a divorced American writer, Joy herself was an established poet and novelist.

Lewis was also the kind of speaker anyone could understand, even on deeply serious or controversial subjects such as theology, morality, philosophy, and social issues. When he spoke on the radio during World War II, he drew more listeners than news reports from the German front did. He confessed that he had been an atheist until age thirty-one when he read The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton, a famous English writer who was well known as a convert from atheism to Christianity. The book brought Lewis to the realization that God is God after all. His conversion was one of the most celebrated in Europe, since he had been an angry atheist before accepting Jesus as his Lord. It was all the more amazing because many brilliant thinkers of his time went in the opposite direction. Lewis’ conversion testimony was later published as the famous best seller Surprised by Joy, subtitled The Shape of My Early Life. Another of his best sellers, Mere Christianity, is the easiest-to-read book about Christianity and an excellent exegesis on the subject.

Lewis suffered from chronic kidney disease for many years. The English-speaking world, particularly in the British Isles and America, should have been in deep grief at his passing, but his death was not well publicized. On the day he died, the world’s news media were totally focused on the sudden and violent death of John F. Kennedy, America’s popular president. The world was in such shock at the earthshaking news that Lewis’s death was overshadowed and made only the back pages of the major newspapers. Another renowned thinker, Aldous Huxley, died on the same day and his demise was treated in the same way.

30143.png

Jack, are you thinking about those you have left behind?

Oh, yes, a little bit, sir. I have a habit of longing, I suppose.

Jack sensed that someone was reading his thoughts, a strange feeling, but curiously one he did not mind at all.

"Is it all right if I reminisce a little about my old friends, sir? Not only do I miss my brother Warnie and my friend J. R. R., but also, of course, David and Douglas. I am an unsalvageable sentimentalist, you know. I enjoy remembering those moments when they talked about interests that we shared with the same passion. I was often accused of being a dreamer. Those memories are so precious to me.