C. S. Lewis is widely known as one of the world’s most famous Christians. What is less commonly known is that before he was a Christian, Lewis was a passionate atheist. From Atheism to Christianity: The Story of C. S. Lewis is an unbridled and defining exploration of this journey from atheist to Christian.
“Many other atheists of the twentieth century are well-known for being atheist,” says author Dr. Joel Heck. “But none of them has captured the minds and imaginations of people like C. S. Lewis, whose influence far surpasses any of these individuals, and perhaps even all of them combined.”
Drawing from Lewis’s own writings, as well as those he sought out during his quest for spiritual understanding, From Atheism to Christianity highlights the desire, reluctance, searching, and surrender that defined these years of Lewis’s life and provides answers to the questions that surround this profound character.
Praise for From Atheism to Christianity
“I am a great admirer of Joel Heck’s philosophical insight and his diligence and thoroughness in research. In true form to the rest of his work, From Atheism to Christianity is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually nourishing and will prove to be a valuable addition to C. S. Lewis studies.”
—David C. Downing, R. W. Schlosser Professor of English, Elizabethtown College
“Careful in his claims and meticulous about dates, influences, and sources, Heck provides readers with an accurate, insightful, and highly readable account of Lewis’s journey from cynical atheist to joyful Christian. Heck’s storytelling powers illuminate and make comprehensible the winding path that Lewis took on his way to faith.”
—Devin Brown, Professor of English, Asbury University, Author of A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis
“Perhaps no life story communicates the path from doubt to faith better than that of C. S. Lewis. Dr. Heck has written a masterpiece about Lewis’s journey. Not only does this work reference the best scholarship on the life and work of Lewis, it also shares the heart of the author that no one should live and die without hope for salvation.
“In my pastoral ministry, I have watched many struggle with faith and doubt. Dr. Heck embraces that tension and uses the story of Lewis to weave the reader to a God of love. There are far too many Christian books that shame atheists for their lack of faith. Finally we have a book that is a safe and intelligent read that you can offer friends and family whom you love.”
—Rev. Jim Mueller, Senior Pastor, Peace Lutheran Church, Hurst, Texas
“Joel Heck has made a meticulous, detailed study of C. S. Lewis’s journey from Christianity to atheism and back, providing clear and concise information about all the friends, authors, and texts that influenced him on the way. This book will be particularly invaluable to students who have to study Lewis but have little or no knowledge of philosophy or of the intellectual climate in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century.”
—Suzanne Bray, Professor of English, Lille Catholic University
For more information on From Atheism to Chrisitainty or to order, please visit cph.org/fromatheismtochristianity or call customer service at 800-325-3040. For more information on the author or to request a review copy, please contact Lindsey Martie, Public Relations, 314-268-1303, or email Lindsey.Martie@cph.org.
About the Author
Dr. Joel D. Heck teaches courses on C. S. Lewis, Old and New Testament, and Reformation history at Concordia University Texas. He is the author or editor of fourteen books and dozens of articles, several of which are about C. S. Lewis. He also maintains a website on C. S. Lewis at www.joelheck.com. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Cheryl. They have three grown children.
