The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters By C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a satirical collection of letters from a highly placed demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a novice demon sent to tempt a newly converted Christian. In a series of letters, Screwtape advises Wormwood on how to undermine the faith of his "patient," and thus reclaim him from the "Enemy" (God). Each letter is a beautifully crafted description of how the forces of evil seek to subvert a redeemed humanity, turning them into beings that oppose God and reject his offer of reconciliation. The correspondence between Screwtape and Wormwood is brilliant in its reverse theology as it explores the subtleties of temptation and the motives of the tempter: fear of punishment and the need to dominate. Lewis shows the goal of the Creator as well: to bring humanity to himself; to transform us by his grace from "tools into servants and servants into sons." These letters are written by Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood, who is seeking to undermine the faith of his first human assignment. Shortly into the book we find that Screwtape has to change his advice because Wormwood has foolishly allowed his “patient” to accept Jesus Christ. The goal of Wormwood then changes from how to keep the man from being a Christian to how to bring him back to their side. In the 2nd letter of the book Screwtape helps Wormwood with his “patient” by giving him suggestions on how to make him falter in his new walk by showing him faults, both real and imaginary, in his fellow Christians in hope that his attitude towards them would change. Another scheme of theirs was to sow seeds of domestic discord between the young man and his mother, with whom he lives, by encouraging small annoyances and frictions between the two. Screwtape also encourages Wormwood to keep the young man from praying at all but, if he must pray, to
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a satirical collection of letters from a highly placed demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a novice demon sent to tempt a newly converted Christian. In a series of letters, Screwtape advises Wormwood on how to undermine the faith of his "patient," and thus reclaim him from the "Enemy" (God). Each letter is a beautifully crafted description of how the forces of evil seek to subvert a redeemed humanity, turning them into beings that oppose God and reject his offer of reconciliation. The correspondence between Screwtape and Wormwood is brilliant in its reverse theology as it explores the subtleties of temptation and the motives of the tempter: fear of punishment and the need to dominate. Lewis shows the goal of the Creator as well: to bring humanity to himself; to transform us by his grace from "tools into servants and servants into sons." These letters are written by Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood, who is seeking to undermine the faith of his first human assignment. Shortly into the book we find that Screwtape has to change his advice because Wormwood has foolishly allowed his “patient” to accept Jesus Christ. The goal of Wormwood then changes from how to keep the man from being a Christian to how to bring him back to their side. In the 2nd letter of the book Screwtape helps Wormwood with his “patient” by giving him suggestions on how to make him falter in his new walk by showing him faults, both real and imaginary, in his fellow Christians in hope that his attitude towards them would change. Another scheme of theirs was to sow seeds of domestic discord between the young man and his mother, with whom he lives, by encouraging small annoyances and frictions between the two. Screwtape also encourages Wormwood to keep the young man from praying at all but, if he must pray, to