"C. S. Lewis and the Calvinists" (original) (raw)
While C. S. Lewis and his theology are loved by Christians as diverse as Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox, Pentacostals and Catholics, he remains unread, and at times even reviled, by many Calvinists. This is partly due to Lewis's uncharacteristic hostility to the major figures in Calvinism, and partly due to the quick-to-judge spirit that has often characterized zealous Calvinists. In neither case, however, is Lewis's actual theology and Christian world view deeply antithetical to Calvinism. Emotion more than reason has caused this sad divide. Thus, this paper endeavors to show how Lewis is actually very close to Calvinism, and why both need to pay more attention to this. Wä hrend so unterschiedliche Christen wie Anglikaner, Orthodoxe, Anhän-ger der Pfingstbewegung und Katholiken C. S. Lewis und seine Theologie schä tzen, wird er von vielen Kalvinisten nicht gelesen, ja manchmal sogar geschmä ht. Zum Teil ist das zurü ckzufü hren auf Lewis' untypische Feind-seligkeit gegenü ber herausragenden Vertretern des Kalvinismus, zum Teil auch auf die Neigung zu vorschnellen Verurteilungen, die einige eifrige Kal-vinisten an den Tag gelegt haben. Auf keinen Fall aber stehen Lewis' tat-sä chliche Theologie und sein christliches Weltbild in einem tiefen Gegensatz zum Kalvinismus. Der Antagonismus grü ndet eher auf Gefü hlen als auf rationalen Urteilen. Dieser Aufsatz versucht daher zu zeigen, dass Lewis eigentlich dem Kalvinismus sehr nahe steht, und weshalb beide Seiten stä r-ker auf diese Gemeinsamkeiten achten sollten.
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