Lecture 31: The Great Divorce (part 1)

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Lesson

Heaven and hell are dichotomous. Whether life is heaven or hell depends on your future trajectory. God is true reality, fixed and can’t be altered. In GD, true reality is God. The descriptions are not meant to be literal. Heaven is the Trinitarian life of God. It’s not a place, it’s a state of being in proper relation to the love and joy of the Trinitarian relations. Lewis describes it as a great dance.

C.S. Lewis Lecture 11b

Outline

The Great Divorce (part 1)

I. Lewis’s Treatment of Heaven and Hell

A. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, by William Blake

B. Preface to Paradise Lost

II. Lewis’s Methodology

A. Presented as the report of a dream

B. Definition of heaven

C. Definition of hell

III. Dichotomies

A. Legitimate dualisms

B. Illegitimate dualisms

IV. Characters

A. Ghosts

1. Various persons drop out of the queue early

2. Tousle-Headed Poet

3. The Big Man

4. The Communist / Conscientious Objector

5. Intelligent-Looking Man in a Bowler Hat

6. The Bishop Ghost

7. The Hard-Bitten Ghost

8. The Frightened Ghost

9. The Grumbling Ghost

10. The Painter Ghost

11. Robert’s Wife Ghost

12. Woman Ghost, Pam

13. Ghost with Lizard

14. Dwarf Ghost

15. Lewis / Narrator

16. Others???

B. Driver

C. Bright People / Solid People

V. Themes

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Duration

29 min