The Screwtape Letters, Week 1
The Screwtape Letters A Girardian Reading, Week 1 Introduction For those who have never read it, The Screwtape Letters is a series of letters written by a devil named Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, ostensibly to give advice on how to convert Wormwood’s “patient” away from God and toward an afterlife with the Father Down Below (Satan). Each letter seems to have a specific purpose behind it, warning Wormwood of things to watch out for and recommending ways of overcoming the Enemy’s (God’s) various tactics. This backwards writing forces us to note the philosophical and religious points Lewis wants to make. I do not claim to be a scholar of either Girard or Lewis. I am not a Wolfgang Palaver, and neither am I a Walter Hooper. But what I do claim is this: both these writers’ ideas extend beyond Christianity, and they converge in ways that make for an interesting juxtaposition. Over the next several weeks, let us see how interesting this juxtaposition is. Letter 1: Summary The open