Eric Fesmire-Outside Reading #3

In the Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis explores the tension between humanity and sin. Human sin for C.S. Lewis is anything that is outside the will of God. The demons in Lewis are comically attempting to drag their human partners away from the will of God by doing absolutely anything they can. Lewis writes the whole book in a series of letters between demons, making the book have a satirical edge to it. Christians have read this book for encouragement, a laugh, and a serious study of sin nature all wrapped into one.

This book is so compelling to many Christians because of how it flips the table on sin. Instead of thinking about sin in a "don't do it" way, it creates a narrative that frames sin in a "make them do it." You can see how this would help a Christian because it allows them to view their sin in a different light. Sins lose their taboo nature and Christians are able to not only mock the whole process, therefore making it lose some of its power, but they are also able to mock themselves, which is always a good thing.