Christianity Explored: Insights and Reflections for New Believers

C.S. Lewis on enjoying the Bible rather than contemplating the Bible

C.S. Lewis indeed had a distinct perspective on how to read and engage with the Bible. In his essay "On the Reading of Old Books," Lewis argues for the importance of reading older literature, including the Bible, to enjoy it rather than solely to analyze or critique it. He believed that approaching the Bible-and literature in general-with a spirit of enjoyment and openness allows for a more profound and genuine encounter with the text.

Here are some key points from Lewis's views on reading the Bible:

1. **Enjoyment Over Analysis**: Lewis encourages readers to immerse themselves in the narrative and poetic qualities of the Bible. By enjoying the text, readers can experience its beauty, depth, and emotional power, which can lead to a more heartfelt understanding and appreciation.

2. **Personal Connection**: Engaging with the Bible in an enjoyable manner fosters a personal connection with its stories, characters, and themes. This approach can make the lessons and messages more relatable and impactful.

3. **Receptivity**: Lewis believed that reading the Bible with an open and receptive mind, rather than a critical or overly analytical one, allows for a more authentic encounter with its spiritual and moral teachings.

4. **Holistic Experience**: By enjoying the Bible, readers can experience it as a unified whole, appreciating its diverse genres and styles-from historical narratives and laws to poetry and prophecy. This holistic experience can reveal the coherence and continuity of God's revelation throughout the text.

In summary, C.S. Lewis advocated for reading the Bible with the intent to enjoy it, suggesting that this approach allows readers to experience its richness and depth more fully. By doing so, readers can form a deeper, more personal connection with the text and its spiritual truths.

C.S. Lewis uses the analogy of a beam of light to explain the difference between "enjoyment" and "contemplation" in his book "Meditation in a Toolshed." Here's a summary of how he uses this analogy:

1. **Looking Along the Beam (Enjoyment)**:
- When you look along a beam of light, you are immersed in the experience. You see what the beam illuminates and are part of the scene it reveals.
- This is analogous to the experience of enjoyment in literature. When you enjoy a text, you are inside the story, experiencing it from within. You empathize with the characters, feel the emotions, and are drawn into the narrative world.

2. **Looking At the Beam (Contemplation)**:
- When you look at a beam of light from the outside, you analyze it. You see the dust particles dancing in the light and think about the nature of the beam itself.
- This is akin to the act of contemplation in literature. When you contemplate a text, you step back to analyze and critique it. You consider its themes, structure, and literary devices from an external perspective, detached from the immersive experience.

Lewis suggests that both perspectives are valuable but serve different purposes. "Looking along the beam" (enjoyment) allows you to be part of the story and experience its full impact. "Looking at the beam" (contemplation) enables you to analyze and understand the mechanics and deeper meanings of the text.

For a balanced and enriching engagement with literature, Lewis implies that one should be able to both enjoy and contemplate a text, experiencing it from within and analyzing it from without.