C. S. Lewis’ reputation for being unimpressed with the modern world, with the pretensions of newness, is well established. Long before Thomas Oden coined the phrase modern-chauvinism and then critiqued its underlying assumptions, Lewis understood and rejected its reflexive instincts. Namely, the default assumption that newer ideas and practices are necessarily superior to older ones.
Now that “networking” designates one of the supposed essential tools of success for today’s aspiring professionals, including for many would-be ministers of the gospel, a peek into Lewis’ view of such things reminds us of the prophetic edge the creator of Narnia so often achieves.
In the following excerpt Lewis reflects upon childhood experiences at boarding school:
“ . . . the essential evil of public-school life, as I see it, did not lie either in the sufferings of the fags or in the privileged arrogance of the Bloods. These were symptoms of something more all-pervasive, something which, in the long run, did most harm to the boys who succeeded best at school and were happiest there. Spiritually speaking, the deadly thing was that school life was a life almost wholly dominated by the social struggle; to get on, to arrive, or, having reached the top, to remain there, was the absorbing preoccupation. It is often, of course, the preoccupation of adult life as well; but I have not yet seen any adult society in which the surrender to this impulse was so total. And from it, as school as in the world, all sorts of meanness flow; the sycophancy that courts those higher in the scale, the cultivation of those whom it is well to know, the speedy abandonment of friendships that will not help on the upward path, the readiness to join the cry against the unpopular, the secret motive in almost every action.”
From Lewis’ Surprised By Joy, paragraph 9 of chapter VII entitled “Light and Shade.”
6 responses so far ↓
Micah Fries // Feb 16, 2008 at 7:08 pm
All too true. Do you think, however, that networking (aka the “good ole boy” system) has some merit, at least in the sense that it is much more appropriate to hire or call someone to a position that you have familiarity, and trust, with? Is that a flawed process, do you think?
Dr. Mark DeVine // Feb 16, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I agree completely. Lewis’s comments are focused on a different kind of thing — an exploitive, ladder-climbing relational lifestyle. Yet I am afraid that some “Christian” leadership gurus seem to encourage just this kind of thing sometimes.
Ariel // Feb 18, 2008 at 11:17 am
Good thoughts. Lewis had an eye for the pernicious aspects of his society, which are still alive and well… with the emphasis on networking-to-get-ahead these days, this is a good refresher.
Josh // Feb 19, 2008 at 9:37 am
I remember that quote thinking it was a lot like my old High School. Now it just reminds me of blogging in general.
Josh M // Feb 20, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Interesting I stumble on to this- I just finished an article which assessed the problems the prevailing educational model influenced by Horace Mann, Stanley Hall, and John Dewey.
The thesis: It was (is) a bad idea to segregate ‘adolescents’ most anytime, for the lack of adult accountability promotes the ‘winner take all’ attitude.
Blair Fan // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:22 am
There is a vocal, and sometimes hostile, group of local atheists in Kansas City who host a forum at www.KCFreethought.com.; some of them were at the Licona/Tammeus debate back in Feb. and gave Christians a hard time after words making mocking comments in the parking lot and the like.
I wonder what responses Christians should make to their discussions, or if we should be talking to them at all.
I know C.S. Lewis would not hestiate to engage them, but the trend I see in the KC Mo. church I attend is to simply refuse to engage them.
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