The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Week 1: Preface & Introduction — Letters from Below
Read Lewis's Preface and the opening framing of The Screwtape Letters. Key passages: 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 2:11
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Before diving into the letters themselves, Lewis asks us to consider how we think about evil — and whether our usual mental habits help or hurt us. Take a few minutes to consider what you already believe about the Devil and temptation.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.In his Preface, Lewis warns against two equal and opposite errors regarding the Devil: treating him as a pantomime villain on one hand, or as a brooding romantic figure on the other. Which of these errors do you find more tempting in your own thinking, and why?
2.Lewis chose the form of letters from a demon to tell his story — a deliberately 'inverted' perspective where God is called 'the Enemy' and the human soul is called 'the Patient.' What does this reversal accomplish that a straightforward sermon or essay could not?
3.Lewis admits in the Preface that writing the book was 'not fun' and felt spiritually draining — he had to inhabit a demonic mindset for an extended period. What does that say about the nature of serious engagement with the topic of evil? Have you ever found that studying sin or temptation closely was itself spiritually costly?
a.How might this be a caution for how we engage with dark or disturbing spiritual content — in books, films, or conversation?
b.How is Lewis's discomfort actually a mark of his own spiritual health?
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