Into the Region of Awe: Mysticism in C. S. Lewis

Thursday, September 11th, 2008 by Book Guy | No Comments »

“Downing is keenly responsible in his approach to Lewis’s biography and background and candid
about Lewis’s reservations about mysticism in his own theology; the author’s affection for his subject ably informs
this sensitive reading of Lewis’s life and writings. Highly recommended.”Library Journal

C. S. Lewis is generally regarded as a commonsense Christian whose theology is understandable and practical.
And yet, from his memoir Surprised by Joy to The Chronicles of Narnia, from his nonfiction essays
to his letters, C. S. Lewis’s works display a distinct sense of the mystical. In this book David C. Downing explores
the breadth of Lewis’s writing, introducing us to the context of Christian mysticism in Lewis’s day and the writers
who most influenced him.

Not an uncritical admirer of mysticism, Lewis’s critique of mysticism is instructive to us in this day of eclectic religious
thought. Exploring Lewis’s sense of the mystical can help us safeguard ourselves from false mysticisms even as it
opens the way to a full experience of God’s very presence with us. In the end you may find yourself drawn, as Lewis
put it, “into the region of awe.”

David C. Downing is a professor of English at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He has written numerous articles on C. S. Lewis as well as Planets in Peril: A Critical Study of C. S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy. His book on C. S. Lewis’s journey to faith, The Most Reluctant Convert, was named one of Booklist’s Best Religion Books of 2002.

Simon Vance, winner of Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2006, was born in England and worked for the BBC as a radio news announcer and as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Besides narrating, he is involved in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc
Author: David C. Downing
Narrator: Simon Vance
ISBN: 0-7861-5465-9
Normal Price: $29.95
Download Price: $14.95 Discover this audio book

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Tags: Audie Award, Blackstone, Booklist, C S Lewis, Christian Mysticism, Chronicles Of Narnia, Commonsense, Critical Study, David C Downing, Distinct Sense, Earphones, Elizabethtown, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown Pennsylvania, Journal C, Library Journal, Nonfiction Essays, Religion Books, Royal National Institute For The Blind, Simon Vance

Hume in 90 Minutes

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 by Book Guy | No Comments »

Hume in 90 Minutes
“Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them.
I find them hard to stop reading.”New York Times

“Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.”Wall Street Journal

Hume reduced philosophy to ruins: he denied the existence of everythingexcept our
actual perceptions themselves. I alone exist, he argued, and the world is nothing more
than part of my consciousness. Yet we know that the world remains, and we go on as
before. What Hume expressed was the status of our knowledge about the world,
a world in which neither religion nor science is certain.

In Hume in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Hume’s
life and ideas and explains their influence on man’s struggle to understand his existence
in the world. The book also includes selections from Hume’s work, a brief list of suggested
readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place Hume within his
own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

Paul Strathern earned a degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. A Somerset Maugham prize winner, he has written books on history, philosophy, and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. He lives and writes in London.

Earphones Awards recipient Robert Whitfield was born in England and worked for the BBC for ten years as a radio news announcer and also worked as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. In addition to narrating for Blackstone Audiobooks, he involves himself in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc
Author: Paul Strathern
Narrator: Robert Whitfield
ISBN: 0-7861-3988-9
Normal Price: $19.95
Download Price: $9.95

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Tags: 3988, Author Paul, Bbc, Blackstone, Earphones, Five Novels, History Philosophy, Hume In 90 Minutes, Irish Times, Narrator, New York Times, Paul Strathern, Prize Winner, Radio News, Reading New York, Robert Whitfield, Royal National Institute For The Blind, Somerset Maugham, Trinity College Dublin, Wall Street Journal

Schopenhuaer in 90 Minutes

Friday, May 9th, 2008 by Book Guy | No Comments »

“Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them.
I find them hard to stop reading.”New York Times

“Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.”Wall Street Journal

Schopenhauer, the “philosopher of pessimism,” makes it very plain that he regards
the world and our life in it as a bad joke. But if the world is indifferent to our fate, it
doesn’t thwart us on purpose. The world’s faade is supported by what Schopenhauer
calls the Universal Will, blind and without purpose. This Will brings on all our misery and
suffering; our only hope is to liberate ourselves from its power and from the trappings of
individualism and egoism that are at its mercy.

In Schopenhauer in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of
Schopenhauer’s life and ideas, and explains their influence on man’s struggle to understand
his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Schopenhauer’s writings,
a brief list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that
place Schopenhauer within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

Paul Strathern earned a degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. A Somerset Maugham prize winner, he has written books on history, philosophy, and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. He lives and writes in London.

Earphones Awards recipient Robert Whitfield was born in England and worked for the BBC for ten years as a radio news announcer and also worked as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. In addition to narrating for Blackstone Audiobooks, he involves himself in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc
Author: Paul Strathern
Narrator: Robert Whitfield
ISBN: 0-7861-4071-2
Normal Price: $19.95
Download Price: $9.95 Get it now

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Tags: Author Paul, Bad Joke, Blackstone, Earphones, Egoism, Five Novels, History Philosophy, Individualism, Irish Times, New York Times, Paul Strathern, Pessimism, Prize Winner, Reading New York, Robert Whitfield, Royal National Institute For The Blind, Schopenhauer In 90 Minutes, Somerset Maugham, Trinity College Dublin, Wall Street Journal