The Pilgrim's Regress

The Pilgrim's Regress is a book of allegorical fiction by C.S. Lewis.

Related Topics:
Allegorical - C.S. Lewis

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This 1933 novel -- Lewis's first published fiction -- charts the progress of a fictional character through the philosophical landscape before eventually arriving where he started at traditional Christianity. It is Lewis's personal revision of John Bunyan's 17th century novel, Pilgrim's Progress, recast with the politics, philosophy and aesthetic principals of the mid 20th Century. As such the character struggles with the modern phoniness, hypocrisy and intellectual vacancy of the Christian church, communism, fascism, and various philosophical and artistic movements. It balances Lewis's neo-Platonic mindset with a Kierkegaardian faith-based understanding.

Related Topics:
Christianity - John Bunyan - Pilgrim's Progress - Neo-Platonic - Kierkegaard - Faith-based

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It is interesting to note that Lewis's character finds that many philosophical roads ultimately lead to a fascistic nihilism that he associates with Nordic Viking culture -- his explanation of the then flourishing Nazi movement and other fascist governments of World War II. This also highlights his own attraction to paganism and Norse mythology as his first spiritual awakening that led him to Christianity (as detailed in Surprised by Joy), while acknowledging the darker potential elements of paganism as well.

Related Topics:
Nihilism - Viking - Nazi movement - Fascist - World War II - Paganism - Norse mythology - Surprised by Joy

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