Between Interpretation and Imagination: C. S. Lewis and the Bible

A New Testament scholar illuminates C. S. Lewis’s writings on the Bible

In this highly original study, New Testament scholar Leslie Baynes illuminates C. S. Lewis’s writing on the Bible. She reveals never-before-published notes, written by Lewis in books that he owned, that offer unique insight into his thinking on Scripture, and she identifies the figures who shaped his approach to biblical interpretation: Charles Gore, James Moffatt, Sister Penelope Lawson, George MacDonald, Austin Farrer, and more.

While sympathetic to Lewis’s work, Baynes uncovers problems, too. These hinge upon his understanding of the Gospel of John--as evidenced by essays like ＂Modern Theology and Biblical Criticism＂ and the ＂Liar, Lunatic, Lord＂ argument. The controversies Lewis takes up in these arguments encompass fundamental questions in Christian thought, and his responses to them have formed the minds of his readers for generations. At the same time, Baynes highlights the subtle beauty of his use of Scripture in the Chronicles of Narnia, arguing that Lewis’s most glorious writing emerges when he eschews academic biblical scholarship and relies instead on his greatest strength--his literary imagination. Between Interpretation and Imagination: C. S. Lewisand the Bible is a vital addition to any Lewis fan’s library, offering rich insights into how this influential author wrestled with Scripture.

Leslie Baynes is associate professor of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The author of The Heavenly Book Motif in Judeo-Christian Apocalypses 200 BCE-200 CE (Brill) and many academic articles, she focuses on ancient apocalyptic literature and C. S. Lewis. Baynes has served as scholar-in-residence at the Kilns (Lewis’s home outside Oxford), as an Inklings Project Fellow, and as a translator for the New American Bible Revised Edition (John and Revelation).