Zaida Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Im having a debate with a friend about whether or not Dorothy Sayers was in the "inclusivist camp" (much in the way of CS Lwis...does anyone know anything about this? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllInTheNameOfProgress Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Im having a debate with a friend about whether or not Dorothy Sayers was in the "inclusivist camp" (much in the way of CS Lwis...does anyone know anything about this? Thanks! My first thought would be that Dorothy Sayers was not much for religious tolerance, given the "St Lukewarm of Laodicea" story she wrote. However, you're asking whether her inclusivism is in the style of CS Lewis. So I don't think you are asking whether she thought none of us have the entire the truth, but each a piece of it. If CS Lewis was inclusive, it was in a more traditional way, right? Obviously I don't know too much, here. I very much appreciate Dorothy Sayers' practical, intentional, action-oriented way of suggesting we follow Jesus. What are your thoughts? Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaidagal Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Hello Janet and thanks for your reply! For some reason, the note I sent back went without text....anyway....The way I see CS lewis's "inclusivism" is this - he made a few statements about "the door to heaven being wide open, and people choose to walk in or out" which is quite an expansive view. In the last book of the narnia series, a character gets into heaven without having followed Aslan - but Aslan makes some kind of statement "though you thought you were following another, you really were following me" (that is misquoted badly)...Finally, I believe CS Lewis came right out and said "Jesus is the way to God and Heaven...but HOW Jesus makes that happens is unknown...one might not have to have explicit belief in Jesus"...(again, I am paraphrasing big time)...additionally, he said quite often that "a religious mohammedan (muslim) is closer to me and my beliefs than a watered down christian believer"....basically Lewis is known for being both orthadox, but also having an inclusivist view of salvation.... I know Sayers and Lewis were friendly, lived in the same era, and both were great Christian apologists, and Im very curious as to whether Sayers ever spoke about salvation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllInTheNameOfProgress Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 From Sayers' 1947 "Creed or Chaos"... "Theologically, this country is at present in a state of utter chaos, established in the name of religious toleration, and rapidly degenerating into the flight from reason and the death of hope. I shall and will affirm that the reason why the churches are discredited today is not that they are too bigoted about theology, but that they have run away from [good and faithful] theology." I appreciated the quotes from Lewis. I think it is good to describe Lewis as an inclusivist, rather than a universalist. The man was a thinker and did not want anyone to be excluded from heaven except those who chose hell. "The Great Divorce" was a great illustration of those beliefs. However, his sad admission was that he believes the orthodoxy that everyone will not be saved to be true. I know Dorothy Sayers felt heresy should not be tolerated. But beyond that, I'm not sure. CS Lewis seemed to think that a person could be a member of another religion and God could cause the person to focus on the "Christian" ways of that religion enough to save them. Since I'm one of those who believes that none of us have complete truth, but each of us has a part of it, my belief is that God's door to heaven is opened very widely. I am indebted to the earlier theologians, like Sayers and Lewis, who make the thought provoking mysteries of faith so easily into conversation topics! Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllInTheNameOfProgress Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 An interesting quote by CS Lewis regarding his concern for those who would not be "saved". “our anxiety about unbelievers is most usefully employed when it leads us not to speculation but to earnest prayer for them and the attempt to be in our own lives such good advertisements for Christianity as will make it attractive” Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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