Will Vaus

"If God--such a God as any adult religion believes in--exists, mere movement in space will never bring you any nearer to Him or farther from Him than you are at this very moment. You can neither reach Him nor avoid Him by traveling to Alpha Centauri or even to other galaxies. A fish is no more, and no less, in the sea after it has swum a thousand miles than it was when it first set out. "How, then, it may be asked, can we either reach or avoid Him? "The avoiding, in many times and places, has proved so difficult that a very large part of the human race failed to achieve it. But in our own time and place it is extremely easy. Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) on your own grievances. Keep the radio on. Live in the crowd. Use plenty of sedation. If you must read books, select them very carefully. But you'd be safer to stick to the papers. Yo...

One of the joys of traveling to different places around the world and lecturing about C. S. Lewis and his work is the opportunity to meet other talented lovers of Lewis' books. One of those I met recently was R. A. Douthitt, who was inspired by reading Lewis and Tolkien to write The Dragon Forest . Having made my own attempt to write a fairy tale (as yet unpublished) I appreciate the efforts of anyone seeking to write in the spirit of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings . The Dragon Forest may be purchased from Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160290281X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004XJ4GV8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1DAVWJ9GJFA6C3TYW4XH For a full review of the book visit HollywoodJesus.com here: http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=8291 R. A. Douthitt is also an accomplished artist. You may view Douthitt's work here: http://artbyruth.homestead.com/...

Here is one of my favorite pieces from all of C. S. Lewis' work. It is taken from The Great Divorce.... I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder. Like all the Ghosts, he was unsubstantial, but they differed from one another as smokes differ. Some had been whitish; this one was dark and oily. What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. “Shut up, I tell you!” he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile. Then be turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountains. “Off so soon?” said a voice. The speaker was more or less human in shape but larger than a man, and so bright that I could hardly look at him. His presence smote on my eyes and on my body too (for there was heat coming from him as well as ligh...

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48 "We must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves--to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good. That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not." C. S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity"

In 1962 C. S. Lewis was asked by The Christian Century , “What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?” In response, Lewis listed ten books. #3 on that list was The Aeneid by Virgil ( The Christian Century , 6 June 1962). Lewis first encountered the great Roman poet of the first century BC while he was a student at Cherbourg Preparatory School in Great Malvern, England, from 1911 to 1913. Lewis was then in his early teens. His first reading of Virgil contributed, indirectly, to his temporary turn to atheism. He described it this way in chapter IV of Surprised by Joy : This ludicrous burden of false duties in prayer provided, of course, an unconscious motive for wishing to shuffle off the Christian faith; but about the same time, or a little later, conscious causes of doubt arose. One came from reading the classics. Here, especially in Virgil, one was presented with a mass of religious ideas; and all teachers and editors took it for gr...

It was a lot of fun speaking to the Chattanooga C. S. Lewis Society last night. Thanks to all the good people who were in attendance for making it such a good night and special thanks to my gracious hosts, David and Sheila Beckmann. To learn more about the group click here: http://www.cslewischatt.blogspot.com/ The topic last night was my book, Mere Theology , which the group has been discussing for the past three or four months. Great questions were put forward by many in the group, including this one: "What would C. S. Lewis say to Harold Camping?" Afterwards, I signed copies of my new book, Speaking of Jack: A C. S. Lewis Discussion Guide . I was delighted to connect with a number of friends at the meeting. Sadly I didn't get photos with all of them. One surprise was having Bill and Sarah DeWaters there. They are friends from a church I served in Pennsylvania years ago. Also, Debbie Higgins, resident director at The Kilns, C. S. Lewis' former home in Oxfor...

Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading to my son Joshua's class a story I have written entitled-- Tales of Rathscar: The Tunnel Under Scarborough House . So far the reactions from Josh's fellow students have been very positive to this middle-grade fantasy novel, written in the spirit of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. One ten-year-old boy told me today, "It's the best story I've ever heard!" So what's it about? The James Family (Ian, Deirdre and their four children--Tim, Liam, Ryan and Pip), move from America to a 12-bedroom Irish country manor, Scarborough House. 13-year-old Liam, who narrates this story, is the first to discover there are many unusual things about the house where they are living. Not only is it the site of an ancient battle, it is also built atop a faerie mound and has a tunnel running underneath it. Life only becomes weirder and more dangerous for Liam when he meets Tom the Leprechaun who lives, secretly, on the gr...

Speaking of Jack: A C. S. Lewis Discussion Guide is now in print. My copies arrived yesterday and I started shipping signed copies to those who have ordered from me. I really like the way the book came out. The cover is beautiful, thanks to the work of Winged Lion Press. It also feels great. This cover is different from my other books in that it has a matte finish and so has a velvety feel to it which I like very much. This is also one of my larger books, at 278 pages. Well, I could go on and on. Authors are always excited when they receive the first copies of their new book, whether it is their first, or as in this case, their fifth. You can read a sample chapter of the book here: http://wingedlionpress.com/speaking_of_jack.html You can order from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Jack-Lewis-Discussion-Guide/dp/1936294125/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1303843992&sr=8-6 If you order from Amazon, please write and post a review there as well! If you want a signe...

Here are two endorsements just in for my new book.... "With the growing interest in C.S. Lewis, the time has come for a one-volume study guide to 40 of his books. Speaking of Jack is a great resource for individuals and particularly for Lewis reading groups. Simple enough for newcomers, but even experienced Lewisians will benefit from Will Vaus' encyclopedic knowledge." Dr. Joel Heck A uthor of Irrigating Deserts: C. S. Lewis on Education "Good books. Good friends. Good conversations. Will Vaus has found the perfect way to bring them all together. It's genius. I recommend it." Dr. Diana Pavlac Glyer Author of The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community The release date for Speaking of Jack: a C. S. Lewis Discussion Guide is April 25, 2011. To learn more about the book and pre-order click here: http://willvaus.com/inc/sdetail/1693/1936

A friend emailed me the other day and asked if I had given up on blogging since I hadn't posted anything since January. I have been remiss in regard to this blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. For the past three months I have been writing away. You can learn about my works in progress by visiting my web site here: willvaus.com/in_process . And now, my newest book is about to be released by Winged Lion Press. It is entitled Speaking of Jack: A C. S. Lewis Discussion Guide. Here is the publisher's blurb all about it: C. S. Lewis Societies have been forming around the world since the first one started in New York City in 1969. Will Vaus has started and led three groups himself. Speaking of Jack is the result of Vaus' experience in leading those Lewis societies. Included here are introductions to most of Lewis' books as well as questions designed to stimulate discussion about Lewis' life and work. These materials have been "road tested...

Anne Jenkins, a child correspondent of C. S. Lewis who wrote the preface to The Hidden Story of Narnia , died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. Anne is the one to my immediate left in the photo above. The photo was taken at a book-signing Anne arranged for me at Living Oasis Bookshop in Watford, England, Anne's hometown. Please be in prayer for Anne's husband Steve and their grown children. As Anne struggled valiantly against cancer we often spoke about how she was "between the paws of Aslan". She is surely there now, with her beloved Lord. But I will miss her until we meet again.

Through the Wardrobe is a new collection of essays by young adult fiction writers about their adventures entering "through the wardrobe" into C. S. Lewis' Narnia books. You may read my review of this essay collection at the HarperCollins C. S. Lewis Blog here: http://booksbycslewis.blogspot.com/2011/01/through-wardrobe.html

On the first Sunday of the new year we had the blessing of having Nathan Carlisle sing in one of the churches I serve in West Virginia. Nathan is a tenor with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in New York City. You may listen to Nathan sing "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" by visiting my web site here: www.willvaus.com/messages . You may visit Nathan's web site here: http://nathancarlisle.net .

Yesterday my three sons and I went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D. I definitely enjoyed the movie more the second time around. This time I wasn't so bothered by the changes from book to movie. In fact, I was more aware of the many elements from the book which were retained and enhanced in the movie. The 3D experience definitely added greater depth and enjoyment to the whole movie-watching experience. This is certainly a movie that everyone should see on the big screen. This second time watching the film I was overwhelmed by the amazing attention to detail in every scene and every set design. One of my sons even noticed Eustace's hygiene award in his room at the beginning of the film! Some of the sets were so well done, especially at the beginning (Eustace's house, the Dawn Treader ship itself) that I wanted to linger awhile and explore. Seeing the movie a second time I was struck, once again, by Will Poulter's excellent job playing the part of Eustace...

"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 (NRSV) "The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this. Just as every natural event is the manifestation at a particular place and moment of Nature's total character, so every particular Christian miracle manifests at a particular place and moment the character and significance of the Incarnation. There is no question in Christianity of arbitrary interferences just scattered about. It relates not a series of disconnected raids on Nature but the various steps of a strategically coherent invasion--an invasion which intends complete conquest and 'occupation.'" C. S. Lewis, Miracles

If I were to write a brief review of the new Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie it might go like this.... Return to Magic? Yes, but not C. S. Lewis' magic. Return to Hope? My hope for the faithful continuation of the Narnia movie franchise is dimmed. Return to Narnia? Was it even C. S. Lewis' Narnia? However, I find it impossible to stop with such a brief and too depressing review.... On the positive side, one of my favorite moments in the new movie is the arrival of three children from our world (Edmund, Lucy and Eustace) on the Narnian ship itself. That moment in the film gave me the same feeling I had reading the story as a child—the feeling of wonder and joy at being back in Narnia again. However, this story isn’t really set in Narnia. Rather it takes place upon the sea, east of Narnia. Furthermore, I kept getting the feeling throughout the movie that I wasn’t in C. S. Lewis’ creation at all. That’s because from the Dawn Treader’s first stop at the Lone Isl...

I did an interview about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader yesterday on the program "Issues Etc" out of St. Louis. You can now listen to that interview by clicking on the link: http://issuesetc.org/podcast/639120910H2S1.mp3

I recently received a review copy of The Narnia Code DVD from Tyndale House Publishers. It is always a delight to review C. S. Lewis related books and products, and especially so in this case as Michael Ward, author of The Narnia Code and Planet Narnia , is a friend of mine. That said, allow me to get one thing I don't like about this DVD out of the way right from the start, and that is: the title. I really dislike the title: The Narnia Code . The reason I dislike it is because I sincerely doubt that C. S. Lewis would want us to approach the Narnia books as pieces of literature to decode. Lewis makes clear in a number of places that the Narnia books are not an allegory. (See letter of 26 May, 1954 in Letters to Children , pp. 44-45.) Nonetheless, I believe that something Lewis said about allegory in general, in The Allegory of Love , applies to reading the Narnia books. There Lewis wrote that "allegory is not a puzzle. The worst thing we can do is to read it with our e...