J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Spar Over Christianity
Inkling vs Inkling!
J.R.R. TOLKIEN: Jack, I can’t tell you how pleased it’s made me that you have become a Christian!
C.S. LEWIS: Thank you, Tollers. You know, it’s in no small part due to the late night conversation that you, Hugo Dyson, and I had. It was instrumental in my journey to faith.
TOLKIEN: You are most welcome, Jack. Just glad to do my part! Say, what week do you suppose you’ll begin going to Mass with me now that you’ve joined the one true Church?
LEWIS: …
TOLKIEN: Oh, how silly of me to assume you’d attend Mass at the same parish where I do. Which Catholic Church will you be attending then?
LEWIS: …
TOLKIEN: WHICH CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL YOU BE ATTENDING, CLIVE STAPLES??
LEWIS: Who ever said anything about the Catholic Church? I’ve joined the Church of England! BAHAHA, you should see the look on your face, John Ron Ronny!
TOLKIEN: Confound it all, Jack! I thought it was bad enough that you were an Atheist, but somehow it’s worse: you’re an…Anglican??
LEWIS: Oh even worse than that, Tollers! Not only an Anglican, but an Apologist at that! I’m going to start writing about the Christian faith: books for adults about faith, books for children about faith…though how exactly I’ll work Jesus into those, I’m not quite sure yet…
TOLKIEN: Alright, now you’re just lyin’ to me!
LEWIS: That’s it! A lion, of course He’ll be a lion….you’re a genius, Tolkien! A genius!!
TOLKIEN: *heavy sigh*
For more Tolkien and Lewis, be sure to check out previous entries in this series:
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Bicker Over Fantasy
J.R.R. TOLKIEN: Now that I've invented all these different languages, it's time to compose thousands of years of history so I can finally write my book.
C.S. LEWIS: There is a lamp-post in my fantasy world. Just one, no other technology. Well, there’s a sewing machine that a talking beaver uses! But don't worry about the lamp-post, I'll come up with why it exists in a prequel I’ll write someday.
The Two Towers? WHICH Two Towers?
J.R.R. TOLKIEN: As you know, Jack, I've had to split The Lord of the Rings up into three volumes for publication. Nasty business, that. But unavoidable, I’m afraid. I’m naming the three volumes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
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Appendices
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At times, it feels like Lewis was this random when it came to the conception of his world of Narnia.
I love these Tolkien and Lewis convos :) thank you for a humorous moment.