CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Class 7 (Final Class)
Chapters 22-31
Chapter 22
Why is Wormwood sickened by the woman the patient has fallen in love with? Why do pleasures need to be twisted before they are of use to the demons? What is the difference between noise, music, & silence?
Chapter 23
What does the modern version of the “real” Jesus look like? With regard to politics and religion, what is the difference between having Christianity influence our politics and using Christianity to get good things done? Which one do the demons fear? Why? [see 1 Corinthians 15]
Chapter 24
Doing well and doing the right thing can be perverted by our pride in it. Screwtape hopes to use the patient’s association with good people against him by 1) making him feel like he belongs with them and 2) turning Christianity into a “mystery religion”. How does this work? How concerned should we be about this? [See Galatians 6; St. Matthew 5: 15-16]
Chapter 25
After decrying the “mere Christianity” of the patient’s community, Screwtape encourages Wormwood to use the human’s dislike of the “Same Old Thing” to lead him astray. What kind of change and constancy is good for us? Bad for us?
Chapter 26
Romantic love seems to be a very useful thing for the demons – it covers over many sins and provides an accented sense of charity and selflessness. But when the romance recedes, often so does the “ease” of charity and selflessness (and sinfulness is laid bare) – with disastrous results. How do we “grow” the “spiritual resources” necessary to make the transition a healthy one?
Chapter 27
What is prayer that is “falsely spiritual”? What is the difference between petitions for spiritual and physical things? What is “heads I win talks you lose” when it comes to the demons and prayer?
Chapter 28
Why does Screwtape want Wormwood to keep the patient safe? Why does Wormwood think that long life is best for the demons?
Chapter 29
Why is the hope that things won’t really get bad so useful for demons? What kind of hope is it that we are supposed to have? Is cowardice dangerous in our current situation?
Chapter 30
How does a mistaken view of reality lead us to pay for our cake and not eat it? What is the proper attitude towards nice and terrible things?
Chapter 31
What happened to the patient? Is this what you expect to happen?
