The Most Reluctant Convert (C. S. Lewis Secondary Studies)

Review
"An excellent and robust idea that has been skillfully and convincingly realized. I very much appreciate the elegant and sparing way that David writes, and was dazzled by the powerful speculative ending to the last chapter."
- Colin Duriez, author of The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia
"Downing has carefully traced the story of Lewis's conversion as found in both published and unpublished writings. He balances the suddenness of Lewis's final decision for Christ with the slow maturing of mind and heart within the context of literature, myth, and European Christian tradition. Especially valuable is Downing's discussion of 'The Quest of Bleheris, ' one of Lewis's first attempts to write fiction."
- Doris T. Myers, author of C. S. Lewis in Context
"Here's a book that deals with the most important and neglected aspect of C. S. Lewis's life--his conversion. Its value can't be overestimated. It's really good--no, it's BRILLIANT."
- Walter Hooper, editor of C. S. Lewis: A Companion & Guide
In his teens, a young man wrote, I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them. After serving in the trenches of WW1, the same young man said, I never sank so low as to pray. To a religious friend, he wrote impatiently, You can't start with God. I don't accept God! This young man was C. S. Lewis, the foul-mouthed atheist who would become one of the most eloquent Christian writers of the twentieth century. David C. Downing offers a unique look at Lewis's personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer and eventual follower of Christ. This is the first book to focus on the period from Lewis's childhood to his early thirties, a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration. It was not despite this journey but precisely because of it that Lewis understood the search for life's meaning so well.