Selection from "The Screwtape Letters"

C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters [published 1942] is a thoughtful commentary on the human condition, the nature of temptation, and the struggle between good and evil. Through the correspondence between Screwtape [a senior devil] and Wormwood [his nephew], readers gain insight into the complexities of faith and the subtle ways in which individuals can be led away from their beliefs. Note this passage from the Preface:

There are two equal and opposite errors into which [the human] race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. The sort of script which is used in this book can be very easily obtained by anyone who has once learned the knack; but disposed or excitable people who might make a bad use of it shall not learn it from me.

Please read the Preface and Chapters 1 through 15 of The Screwtape Letters. The reading is about 14,500 words long and may take 70 to 100 minutes to read. You can download free *.pdfs of The Screwtape Letters from Preacher's Help and the Internet Archive.

This YouTube audiobook is narrated by John Cleese (of Monty Python fame) and has a running time of just over three and a half hours. The audio for the preface and the first fifteen chapters is about an hour and a half of listening; the fifteen letter ends at the 1:33:22 mark.

Here are some secondary articles for your entertainment (not required for the Meetup):
· Meet C.S. Lewis, from the C.S. Lewis Institute
· The Screwtape Letters, summaries and analyses, from SparkNotes
· A lighter-hearted take on The Screwtape Letters, from 12min Blog
· “10 Essential Truths from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters,” from Inward Turn

A few things you need to know:

1. The number of attendees is limited. If you have signed up but do NOT plan to attend, please edit your attendance so that others on the waitlist may take your place.
2. ABSOLUTELY NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED IN THE CAFÉ. Kapéj Coffee Roasters (“Kapéj”) has a huge selection of coffees, cold drinks, sandwiches and pastries available for purchase. We support Kapéj – we hope you will too.
3. Especially for larger meetings, Kapéj recommends ordering online – it makes large group orders manageable and better for customers.

We look forward to seeing you.