This convivial conversation, seen on Christmas Day, enhances my belief that I made the right decision to take “the leap of faith”, and return to Christianity this summer, after too many years of paying heed to the siren voices of scientism and secularism. God bless you for taking the time to spread the message of Salvation.

@RapaNuiLife

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome back home!

@georgegoodyear9631

2 жыл бұрын

@@RapaNuiLife Thank you very much.

@harrietbih2238

2 жыл бұрын

I thank God for you and so happy for you. God bless you

@TrashDiscourse

2 жыл бұрын

I came to Christianity to the best of my current ability this summer as well. Frankly, seeing the current state of the world only convinced me that God and Jesus are real, and this is where I belong. Btw, it’s Christmas Day currently here in AZ as I type this.

@georgegoodyear9631

2 жыл бұрын

@@harrietbih2238 Thank you for your positive sentiments, Harriet.

Having been thoroughly inculcated in scientism and secular history/anthropology, I was--like Lewis--a reluctant convert. After 31 years of following Christ I have no regrets.

CS Lewis’ A Grief Observed is powerful. It’s his personal journal that he wrote after his wife passed away from cancer.

@unbearable9770

2 жыл бұрын

That is a heavy work. Not for casual reading. It pulls you in.

@annchovey2089

2 жыл бұрын

Great book to read when you’re going through deep grief. So relatable.

@johnstonellis873

Жыл бұрын

I read that after my cousin died in a car accident. I think the best part of the book is the backstory of the publication. The story goes that after he published the work under the pen name, N. W. Clark, his friends later suggested he read the book to help him cope with the loss of his wife. If the story is not true, it should be. I think it's a testament of the book's power.

@Tward2929

Жыл бұрын

@@johnstonellis873 loved this. Thanks for that.

C S Lewis has always been of immense value to me because he didn't find faith easy, but he found it true.

Loved this interview so much! I recently converted myself and am the same age as C.S. Lewis when he converted and have been obsessed with him lately. I love the idea that Jesus' story is the ultimate myth that actually happened! I can't wait to watch the movie!

@abbott5580

7 ай бұрын

I just converted after being an atheist/agnostic and Lewis was a similar figure for me.

Please don’t ever forget George Keith Chesterton, another brilliant author and an incredible convert to Catholicism who had a profound effect on CS Lewis. This was an excellent conversation. Thank you.

@davidjcheney

2 жыл бұрын

When McClean mentioned the myths of dying gods and the difference between those of classical antiquity and the truth of Christ, I instantly thought of Chesterton, because that's something he talks about in "The Everlasting Man."

@janedoe3648

2 жыл бұрын

He is mentioned in the movie as smn Lewis gave credit to on some level, that he lovef

@mchristr

Жыл бұрын

I think you mean Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Even with a philosophy background, I've yet to come to terms with Chesterton's "Orthodoxy."

@terrifictomm

7 ай бұрын

Nothing but love for GKC. But I just can’t plow through the morass of his 19thC Britishistic prose and so I’ve never been able to get much out of him. Unless someone else is making a point and quoting him, I just can’t follow his reasoning, perhaps because his references were already dated as early as as the 1960s. I find Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy easier to follow and make sense of than Chesterton. Whereas CS Lewis… Well, we all know how enjoyable Lewis is to read, follow, and understand.

I admittedly was never big on reading, but I enjoyed the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The movie does a good job for the most part, but the book spends far less time on the battle and Lucy. It instead focuses on Edmond. When you read it, you really start to despise him, until you realize Edmond represents you. Lewis did an incredible job with making an allegory.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

So you are saying I am an a*hole kid who betrayed his own brothers and sisters? That's not a nice thing to say, is it? :-)

@lepidoptera9337

Жыл бұрын

@@lostboys7984 What did I miss? C.S. Lewis was an awful author and an awful Christian apologist. End of story. ;-) You don't know what the word "sin" means and why nobody can die for your sins. Also end of story. ;-)

I'm an adult convert to Catholicism from atheism. Lewis was my #1 converter. I am not surprised that he had more trouble accepting Jesus, lol - it shows in Mere Christianity's sparse arguments for Christ. Lewis convinced me of God. Other sources convinced me of Christ. Thank God we both found that second conversion! I love Lewis. Thank you so much for this.

@ButtsMcCracken

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Lisa, I’m curious if you could point me to some of those sources you mentioned that convinced you of Christ. I’ve been struggling with that last hurdle as well. Thank you and God bless!

@lisalavadores1566

2 жыл бұрын

@@ButtsMcCracken It was a book called “Who Is This Jesus?” by Michael Green (a Protestant). Also, Catholic Answers is a great source for answers (lol, hence the name). Karl Keatings’ book “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” was a major help in my journey. Good luck. You can always ask me questions. 🙏🏼

@ButtsMcCracken

2 жыл бұрын

@@lisalavadores1566 Thank you, Lisa!

@lisalavadores1566

2 жыл бұрын

@@ButtsMcCracken You're welcome. That leap of faith is tough, and I wanted to make it standing on the biggest heap of evidence!

@apologiaromana4123

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome. It is comfortable to know there are adults who still find Christ.

I love C.S lewis so much all his books. He is totally a spiritual guide to me, his works are amazing.

I find Lewis' story quite fascinating, as my own parallels it quite well. I remember coming to the realization that prayer didnt work when I wa around 14, then slowly but surely my faith was deconstructed. Truth is, I just didn't understand it. "Prayer does not change the nature of God, it changes the nature of the one who prays." -Soren Kierkegaard

I saw this movie with my daughter and yes, there were tears. Beautiful story and a wonderful tool witnessing to an intellectual individual who has difficulty getting past their own scientific intellectual mind. Highly recommend this movie!

After Narnia, Screwtape Letters was my favorite of Lewis’ works

Hey Mr. Klavan. Your thoughts regarding Christianity have been a big help to me. This was great. You're a pretty good guy.

I recall being thrown out of a Christian Serviceman's Center in Great Lakes Illinois for reading The Screwtape Letters because it was satanic. Some people just don't get Lewis

@megalopolis2015

2 жыл бұрын

Wow. That is a stark reminder that we must Love God with all of our minds, too. So many in the church can forget that.

Very interesting conversation, I never knew about what Tolkien said specifically that convinced Lewis about Jesus. I'll definitely check that movie out, thanks for letting us know about it!

I stopped the video and watched the movie. It was delightful, and powerful. The narration just sucked me in.

This interview was especially compelling for me.. My dad was an Episcopalian priest, musician & composer. He wrote & recorded many musical masses (folk, funeral, jazz/rock, etc.) He also wrote a musical called "The Red Lizard", based on The Great Divorce and Screwtape Letters. My dad died before his musical was ever produced. I would like to send you a copy of his script.. Thank you for igniting a divine spark in our weary souls.

I know the whole Lewis story. It helped me at a time when I was feeling depressed and questioning everything.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

So now that you know that there is a god who has announced that he will torture billions of people for eternity in a lake of flames, including millions of little children who didn't know about him and/or who were introduced to other religions by their parents, you feel better? Interesting psychological development you got there, don't you think?

@howardmctroy3303

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 One of the men who inspired Lewis was George MacDonald, a Scottish author and theologian of the Victorian era. MacDonald was an universalist and believed that all would be reconciled to God. Lewis introduced me to MacDonald, and both men made me see that eternal damnation is a hideous lie.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@howardmctroy3303 Well, pretty much everything in the bible is made up, but if you want to accept any one of its pieces of bullshit as true, then it would obviously behoove you to accept them all, don't you think? Would you like a talking donkey with that or is that also something that you reject wholeheartedly? :-)

@howardmctroy3303

2 жыл бұрын

Have you read the Bible?

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@howardmctroy3303 Of course, religious books are the atheist's best friend. :-) So, my friend, donkey or no donkey? Which one shall it be?

This is one of the most fascinating interviews of all time. This guy really channels Lewis. It almost gives me chills. I'm not sure I have wanted to see a movie more. Thank you for this amazing insight into Lewis' character and story.

Thank you for this interview! But it was too short! I love how Max McLean talks of CS Lewis with such love and respect. Haven't watched the movie yet, as I found out about it late, but will definitely watch it soon! CS Lewis is a continual inspiration to all!

sounds like a truly inspirational man, been listening to an audio version of the screwtape letters, and was blown away by verse 2/ chapter 2 as i am relatively new to my belief and can identify with some demonic attacks that screwtape teaches wormwood, looking forward to reading mere Christianity next

The Klavanon is unstoppable and will rule the world. The SBG will be the enforcement and Ben will the Lawyer

@cappylover192

2 жыл бұрын

What’s Michael? The court jester??

@kingginger3335

2 жыл бұрын

@@cappylover192 that's not important right now lol

@cappylover192

2 жыл бұрын

@@kingginger3335 I think Michael is pretty important! He RTed me on Twitter today!!

Love 💕 C.S. Lewis and have read every book he’s written. Thank you for this looking forward to seeing this. I’ve read all of Tolkien’s books too.

Appreciate the interview and am most appreciative for the efforts put into producing this film

Love the show Andrew!! I've read the entire book of the Chronicles of Narnia it's so amazing and captivating!

I just bought and watched the movie on Google a few days ago! I had tickets to see it on opening night, but a family funeral prevented that. Great film about a great man!

Good interview...thanks for letting us know about the movie.

Rented and watched the film. Highly recommend it. Excellently acted and beautifully shot. Succinctly portrays the events that were pivotal in both Lewis’ loss of faith and eventual conversion. (On a side note: Hillsdale College offers a free online course on Lewis’ work; might be interesting for those looking to further explore some of the ideas touched upon in this film.)

I just watched the video and was captivated! I saw Max many years ago in a one man show of pure scripture that was also riveting! I’m so thankful for his ministry that speaks my heart/head language!

The Most Reluctant Convert is an amazing film. I was happy weeping at the end.

The greatest writer of the 20th century!

@slygreenbloom8226

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed.

Paul Harvey did a piece called The Man and Birds, told during a Christmas show, that describes the struggle of man to understand Christ/God 🙏🏻💕🕊

An excellent interview, I liked it so much.

J.R.R. Tolkien had a lot of influence on C.S. Lewis.

@slygreenbloom8226

2 жыл бұрын

They have a scene together in the movie....imagine those two minds together in earnest conversation.

That’s a 💯 content!! Really recommend Lewis’s “A grief observed”.

I love to listing to Max read the scriptures!!!

Great interview/conversation!

Good conversation. Going to check out that movie!

Great interview!!!

Andrew Klavan, the great good guy! *Big Hugs* Mr. Klavan

Beautiful! Thank you both.

The Abolition of Man by Lewis should be required reading for every citizen of the Western world. It's just as prophetic as it is profound, is a short read, and is easily the pinnacle of Lewis' philosophical work.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

Only dictators dictate to people what books they have to read. How did you become a dictator in your own mind and why do you believe that forcing people to read certain books is even borderline compatible with "Western values"?

@sultrysophist

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 Saying a book "should be required reading" is a common figure of speech. I'm not saying people should be forced to read it, I'm expressing how good and important I believe it is.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@sultrysophist Maybe you need to think twice before you write irresponsible nonsense like that, then? Especially if you refer to Western values, which are the values of freedom where we neither burn books (only religion and absolute states do that) nor force people to read them (only religions and absolute states do that). Your opinion about the value of a book (which I could probably take apart in five minutes, anyway) does _not_ translate to your original statement within free Western societies.

@thucydidessight1233

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 Your vanity is strong.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@thucydidessight1233 Maybe, but my truth hits hard, anyway, doesn't it? ;-)

When you love C.S. Lewis i recommend to read also G.K. Chesterton...his 'Orthodoxy' is very powerful. His book 'the Everlasting Man' was important for C.S. Lewis in the time he became a christian. These 2 men are pillars to lean on when you are in doubt of what is happening in the world, when you doubt your own belief...when you let them speak to you trough their books you will soon be back on track.

Sounds like a great story, well told 🤔🙂

Incredible - I so want to see the movie!

Good interview.

Fascinating video

It is also on Tubi! Thanks yall.

Sign of the times: that journalists would burst into flames upon listening to “speeches about God”(even though many journalists are Christians). Offhand comments like that, Mr. Klavan, could turn away people who are very much trying, like CS Lewis, to find their way back to God.

well the story is well known is you have read his books and the reports of those who knew him, but it is good to re-tell it

I want to see this!

Great interview...please, where can I stream this movie?

I'd like to check this movie out.

14:09 - - how C.S. Lewis wednt from God to Jesus; 14:36 - - gods who sacrifice themselves in other myths (baldur, osiris, dionysius)

RMN Reader David writes: "Please tell Mr. Klavan that the Great Lectures series has a program about the works of CSLewis. The lecturer( can not remember his name) is a professor at James Mason university. He is very passionate about his subject. I was going yo buy a copy for Mr Klavan but it is now only offecred as a download so he would have to order it to download the material to his computer. The cost is minimal and it the material is quite good. Thanks David"

Thank you

Our preacher quoted C.S. Lewis just yesterday

Excellent.

The friendship between CS Lewis and Tolkien reminds me of the one between HP Lovecraft and Rober E. Howard. Mostly in that it was one where someone was changed for the better.

Is this going to be in theaters?

I didn’t know I was suppose to be looking for him

I found heaven.. it’s the world that surrounds the earth

Pls do a vid about tolkien and lord of the rings book :)

I loved his voice in reading the Bible

Listening to Max here without seeing him, his vocal tracks remind me of Sam Harris, with an obvious glaring fact that Sam would never hold this conversation.

Where can I purchase have this movie?

Reminds me of Jordan Peterson.

Would like to read C.S. Lewis books.

I read Surprised By Joy, which is supposed to be C.S.Lewis' memoir of how he was converted from atheism, and it's quite clear that he was never an atheist in the first place. An atheist doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about God, because what would be the point ?

@mik569

2 жыл бұрын

Everyone questions their existence and faces existentialism as they go through childhood and age. Atheists are the worst. At least Agnostics admit they don't know 100%.

@apologiaromana4123

2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think that follows

God found him.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

It's generally not a good thing when god finds you. Most minds seem to go unhinged when that happens.

@rukusfan1387

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 Yet that is what He does for every believer. The only true choice any of us has is to walk away since God chooses us, not the other way around. ;)

@PotterMarauder

Жыл бұрын

Damn Calvinists 😉😂

Was CS Lewis not largely sent on his journey of Christian discovery when he found out from a historian at his university that all of the historical references in the Bible have been confirmed by archaeologists and historians? That all of the details that writers like Luke chronicle are true?

Its a shame he never finished the novel The Dark Tower.

❤

Spoiler: he was inbetween the couch cushions.

IF you have never read Charles Williams (his novels) Do yourself a Big Favor.

Growing up in the church somebody told me that CS Lewis used to practice the occult before his conversion. If there is any truth to this and if so does anybody know where this is stated?

I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia, and I read the science fiction trilogy and and the Screwtape Letters, but nothing else yet. I'd like to get my Bible study group to do a book study of one of Lewis' books, but I don't know which one to suggest. Some of the ladies in the group don't see themselves as intellectuals, so it can't be too long or difficult. We are finishing Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. Any suggestions would be welcome.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

How about reading Darwin's "On the Origin of Species"? :-)

@freethebirds3578

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 you need prayer.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@freethebirds3578 What did prayer do for you? It sure didn't help you to develop a sense of humor. :-)

@freethebirds3578

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 Blasphemy is only funny to blasphemers.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@freethebirds3578 Dude, in the Middle Ages you would have been burned at the stake for your current beliefs. Atheism is the last thing you have to fear. It's your fellow theists that are dangerous. :-) In any case, what is and is not blasphemy is not decided by you but by a papal commission. :-)

Christianity is the only rationale evidence based conclusion available to balanced thinkers and cs Lewis seems to prove that.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

Sacrificing a lion on a giant stone altar is no more "balanced" than sacrificing a human being on a cross was. It actually reeks of a pretty unhealthy psychological development. As a story it's also boring like heck.

@nihilistic7840

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 I don't think you're going to find heck boring, anyways.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@nihilistic7840 Of course I would. Your life would bore the heck out of me. :-)

Yes, quite interesting and all, but who the heck pronounces Tolkien that way?

❤️‍🔥🙏🙏🙏❤️‍🔥

Being a writer I guess Lewis knew fiction when he saw it! 😮

I didn’t know God was lost

re the trilemma: why couldn't Christ just be mistaken (not a lunatic or liar or the Savior of Mankind). What if he just misunderstood, what if he was a Prophet (that's what Islam accords him)? And after offering that fourth -lemma, why can't it just be a failure of imagination of the observers/interpreters?

IF you were GOd, the "Maximal Being" who created and now controls the entire universe, there are two things you don't need. 1) A gender 2) a physical body.

CS Lewis died on the same day that JFK was assassinated. Huxley also died that same day.

"The Pilgrim's Regress"

Testing healthy folks with no symptoms is satanic.I feel great,never better. Wife makes me test. Positive. I’m locked away and added to the list.I’ve always laughed at the lemmings leaping off the cliff.Now I’m a lemming. Very close to the edge.

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

So many people here who were touched by god. Unbelievable.

"Rational was tied to his emotions" There we go, the reason for Lewis' conversion :) You have to give up some of your reason to believe in magic or supernatural events that have no evidence to them besides claims from books that are debatable when it comes to moral teachings or the accuracy of who wrote what and when.

Candace needs more God

Swear this guy seems like he could be sam harris' father lol

Klavan if you are so moved by his discovery then why haven't you checked out your own religion???

@apologiaromana4123

2 жыл бұрын

Both Klavan and Lewis are anglicans.

“If Adonis can be explained away, why not Christ?“ OK. Go ahead. Do it. I challenge any skeptic or doubter to examine the 100s of years of skeptics and nonbelievers writing about and against Christ and show me one single volume that succeeds in “explaining away“ Christ. There isn’t one. There are many arguments, many tirades and rants. But you will not find a single volume that logically and rationally, philosophically or historically that explains away Jesus Christ. I haven’t been able to think of one. Can you?

I still don’t approve of Susan’s ultimate fate in the Narnia series. It’s seems so unfair

@lepidoptera9337

Жыл бұрын

I don't approve of anything Lewis wrote. It's total crap. ;-)

@antilikka

Жыл бұрын

As a woman, her fate touched me profoundly. I’ve never bawled like that at the end of any book before. I thought it was tragically beautiful and a call to action. I personally loved it

@lepidoptera9337

Жыл бұрын

@@antilikka You are bawling because Lewis was a religious pervert? WTF? ;-)

CS Lewis wasn't a Christian. The true gospel is the good news of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, it is concerning who Christ is and what He did to save His elect only. The gospel includes the how and why, which can only be seen by faith. It is a message that declares how the eternal Son of God came down, took on a body of sinless flesh (John 1:14) as He was born of a virgin (Mat 1:23). He was both God and man in one Person. He was born under the Law to keep and fulfill it (Mat 5:18, Gal 4:4). He did that, not for Himself, but for all those He represented because they could not keep it themselves. The word of God calls these people the elect or His sheep, among several other names. His obedient life also included the part of dying. He took on the sin of His people as both a Substitute and Representative of those people. The Bible said He was "made to be sin" (II Cor 5:21) and the way that was done is by God imputing (legally reckoned or charged to the account of) sin to Christ. That means all the sin of all those people God chose was "laid on Him" (Isaiah 53:6). This sin was legally transferred to His account and He then owned it in such a way to be guilty of it all. God the Father poured out His wrath and hatred toward sin on His Son and had pleasure (Isaiah 53:10) in doing so, in that, He was completely satisfied in Christ as a Sacrifice that met all the demands of His strict Law and inflexible justice. Christ finished the work of paying the penalty of the Law and then said " It is finished" (John 19:30). He secured salvation for all God’s chosen people that would even be born. His resurrection is evidence of the acceptance of His sacrifice to the Father. The combined work of His obedience to the Law and His obedience unto death on the cross was considered establishing righteousness. This is what one of the Old Testament prophets prophesied as "bringing in an everlasting righteousness" (Daniel 9:24) as Christ died effectually and exclusively for those chosen of God before the world began (Eph 1:4). This righteousness is what God imputes to His people in the context of giving the life to believe in Christ. This puts them in a state called "Justification" and as a result they are eternally secure, in Christ. This is the gospel (Rom 1:16-17). All this takes place in such a way to show God as both a God of justice and a Savior. This is how grace reigns through righteousness (Rom 5:21)

I recently started heavily getting into Lewis’s work. But listened to a fundamental Christian podcast that discussed the occultist symbolism in the Chronicles of Narnia (Mr. Tumnus being a half goat/male, Lucy being another way of saying Lucifer, Aslan as the antichrist figure, going through portals to different dimensions, etc) was wondering if these are just coincidental or a possible hoodwinking to lead those to stray from Christs true teachings

@unbearable9770

2 жыл бұрын

Lewis knew far, far more about Christianity than any Fundamentalist Christian ever. Period.

@janedoe3648

2 жыл бұрын

How would Aslan dying and resurrecting for the boy's sins typify the antichrist..

Nobody finds God, cause nobody looks for Him.

@tammyc2699

2 жыл бұрын

You're wrong. The human brain is hard wired to look for God. There have been fascinating research studies into it.

@darrellh4259

2 жыл бұрын

@@tammyc2699 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; Romans 3:11 - I didn't say it

@tammyc2699

2 жыл бұрын

@@darrellh4259 As the Bible was written, edited and translated by men...it must be perfect, correct? No.

@darrellh4259

2 жыл бұрын

@@tammyc2699 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3:16 I wish you well

Which god are you talking about....could you please provide falsifiable evidence of that god....

@rockycomet4587

2 жыл бұрын

Can you not infer from the context what God he is talking about? And what does falsifiability have to do with anything?

The claim that a religion is true is absurd. We are individual people. The claim to a single and, moreover, a metaphysical truth for everyone violates human dignity.

Load of crap.

C.S. Lewis made serious theologians cringe with his kiddie-style apologetics.

@seanmoran6510

2 жыл бұрын

He’s talking to ordinary people not those in ivory towers

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@seanmoran6510 That wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was talking the most ridiculous nonsense. :-)

@seanmoran6510

2 жыл бұрын

@@lepidoptera9337 Mere opinion is all you provide Actually your comment say nothing at all which is worse Your hiding in riddles and you think your being clever 🙄

@lepidoptera9337

2 жыл бұрын

@@seanmoran6510 You can read the criticism he got from theologians of his day on your own, can't you? Or is it too much to ask that you actually check in with reality once in a while?

@thucydidessight1233

2 жыл бұрын

Quit being a nihilist.