The Screwtape Letters

Sometimes I get really mindless jobs at work; things like data entry or uploading tons of files to Ia server. In order to stay productive I usually listen to music but last week I listened to the Screwtape Letters and lets just say I really enjoyed them.

The Screwtape Letters were written by C.S. Lewis and sent to his buddy J.R.R. Tolkien. So that's a great start, full Christian cred and nerd cred right from the get go. It's an unusual piece of fiction that blends demonology, pastoral care, and systematic theology together in what I found to be a delightful, thoughtful, and even fun story. The premise is that Screwtape, an experienced and revered demon sends correspondences with his nephew Wormwood, a young and inexperienced demon, on how to best tempt and deceive his patient to ensure he ends up in Hell.

Screwtape's advice to young Wormwood was, to me at least, a fascinating medium to explore topics like temptation, the nature of time, Heaven and Hell, and the numerous pitfalls and traps that the human mind and soul can fall into. In reading the communications of our spiritual enemy Lewis is able to talk about a wide range of topics from a unique perspective. I don't think its a book you can just read once because it is full of excellent theological and spiritually practical gems that need to be brought to mind often if they are to be remembered.

Through the letters you get the general idea of the human's story that Wormwood has been assigned to try and keep away from God who Wormwood refers to as 'The Enemy'. I thought it especially interesting how Screwtape would berate Wormwood for celebrating at something that was actually a bad sign, something that seemed at first to indicate that Wormwood's patient was becoming disenchanted with spiritual matters when it was actually the opposite. Exchanging his initial exuberance over his faith for a quieter and more contemplative stance. On the surface it seems as though the human is cooling or becoming less interested but in reality it is a dreadful sign to the demons that the faith has penetrated the surface and is working on the soul. At ever step Screwtape advises Wormwood about what tactic to take next to try and lead his patient astray.

Something about this formula struck a chord in me. I've seen these 'tactics' used in real life and I've seen people fall for the exact same traps Screwtape suggests. I've encountered them myself as well.

One gem that come to mind is when Screwtape advises Wormwood to make the man aware of his virtues so that he might become proud. If he does not become proud, bring this to light so that he may be proud of not being proud or do it the other way, congratulate him on his humility so that he may downplay himself and not be as effective. The circle can go on and on and on but know when to back off or you may awaken his sense of humour in which case he will just laugh at you, roll over, and go to sleep.

The interplay between Wormwood and Screwtape is also a fun element in the story. They are demons after all and so when Screwtape continually signs his letters "from your affectionate uncle" you have to wonder what sort of 'affection' one demon can have for another. At one point I think Wormwood tried to blackmail his uncle and when he makes a particularly fatal blunder Screwtape very poetically describes his love for his young nephew in very cannibalistic terms.

All in all, I am very glad to have finally gone through these letters. It is a fine piece of theological fiction and quite unique as far as I can tell.