PDF The Screwtape Letters - Lowman United Methodist Church

[Pages:26]The Screwtape Letters

Study Guide

Prepared by: D. Kent

The Screwtape Letters

In C.S. Lewis' classic "The Screwtape Letters" Lewis creatively exposes his views on what causes people to spiritually succeed and what causes people to spiritually fail. This class will examine Lewis' complicated views on Christian success and failure, specifically in the areas of character formation, belief formation, and habit formation. Practical application of these views will include discussion on addiction, procrastination, anxiety, and destructive perceptions of God, and more.

People often make two equal and opposite errors regarding demons:

(1) To believe they do not exist

(2) To focus excessively on their existence

Preliminary Words:

We are involved in spiritual warfare!

"Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" ? I Pet. 5:8

What should we do about this?

"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering." ? I Pet. 5:9

Can we "resist him"?

"...in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not ignorant of his schemes." ? II Cor. 2:11

The Screwtape Letters are about Satan's schemes...

Screwtape Reading Guide

Letter 1 1. Screwtape reflects that people's thought and behavior were at one time related in what way:

2. Screwtape encourages labels like `practical,' `outworn,' `strong,' or `stark.' How are these terms different than `true' or `false.'

3. What is "the pressure of the ordinary? How does it keep us from God?

4. How does "argument" move "the struggle on to the Enemy's own ground?"

5. Why do you think Screwtape encourages propaganda over argument?

6. What is the "abominable advantage" God has over Satan? Read Hebrews 2:14-18.

Letter 2 7. What is "the anticlimax" Lewis refers to?

8. What does Screwtape suggest happens to a Christian when they become less dependent on Emotions?

9. What does Screwtape mean by "parrot talk" on p.8? Matt 6:7

10. In what ways can church be an ally to Satan?

Letter 3 11. How is focusing your prayers for others on "spiritual" topics like the state of a person's soul potentially inhibiting to prayer?

12. Screwtape says the patient thinks "his conversion is something inside him." Screwtape suggests that this is not fully correct. What is conversion if it is not something inside a person? See Matt 7:21, 1 John 5:2-3.

13. What is the "double standard" Screwtape discusses on pp13-14?

Letter 4 14. What does Screwtape mean by the prayer mood on pp16-17?

15. Screwtape states that humans "are animals and whatever their bodies do effects their souls." What does he mean by that? Is it true? What other situations could our physical behavior effect our soul?

16. What importance does Screwtape make of the phrase `Not what I think thou art but what thou knowest thyself to be?" Exodus 3:14, 2 Samuel 22:26-28; 1 Cor. 13:11-12.

Letter 5 17. How does Screwtape propose using the past and present against us on p21?

18. What does Screwtape think about war? Which is better for destroying someone's relationship with God, according to Screwtape: going to war or going to a nursing home? Why?

Letter 6 19. What does suspense and anxiety do to keep people from God? Mark 4:18-19.

20. Why should we focus on our present fear and burden? Matt 6:27, 34

21. What does Screwtape mean by diverting the patient's mind "from the thing feared to fear itself"?

22. Why might hatred of mother be more damaging to one's soul than hatred of Osama bin Laden, according to Screwtape?

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