Robert A. Lotzer

05/16/97

128 pages

THE GREAT DIVORCE

1.  What is the main teaching (or thesis) - or what are the main teachings (or theses) - of the work?

Lewis writes The Great Divorce (1945) from the point of view of a dream of a man in hell traveling to heaven in a bus.  The narrator dialogs with several of the passengers on the way to heaven.  One of the passengers explains that in hell no one likes to live next to one another.  All you have to do is think of a new house and there it is.  In hell there are no needs.  Everything you want you get just by wanting it.  So nobody is dependent upon someone else.  There is no society.  However the houses are not solid enough to keep the rain out. 

In the story anyone in hell can take the trip to heaven.  Lewis rides with various people who are later revealed as ghosts.  In heaven the passengers are transparent and find that the ground and surroundings are more solid than they are.  The passengers are revealed to be un-people or ghosts.  Solid people who have traveled great distances come to meet these unmen.  These solid people knew the ghosts on earth and were now inhabitants of heaven.  They attempt to encourage the ghosts to stay in heaven and to come with them beyond the mountains.  The majority of the book takes place listening to these discussions between the solid people and the ghosts and each of the themes are dealt with in discussion with these ghosts or with the narrator.

The story has an amazing affect on the reader.  It gives such a powerful description of heaven that even if it is not correct it creates such a longing to be there.  In heaven, what always seemed to be real on earth is in fact not real.  In heaven, man is more solid or real than he ever was.  Lewis gives such a picture that our dull ideas of what heaven is like is sharpened.

One of the most exciting discussions is found in ch. 9 where the narrator meets George MacDonald.  The narrator questions MacDonald on his view of universalism.  MacDonald answers him, "There are only two kinds of people in the end:  those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'  All that are in Hell, choose it."  The obvious answer for the question of universalism is that free choice prevents it.  I think this is an absolutely wrong answer because if free choice determined eternal destiny then no one would be saved.  No one will ever freely say to God, "Thy will be done," unless God first changes his heart.  God only changes the heart of the elect.  So ultimately it is God who determines who is in hell or not.

Another great theme of the book is found in the discussion between Sarah Smith, the Dwarf and the Tragedian.  She was married to the Dwarf on Earth who name was Frank.  She encourages him to let go of the Tragedian and come with her to the mountains.  The Tragedian asks her if she missed him and then if she needed him.  One of the great answers in the book is when she says, "What needs could I have," she said, "now that I have all?  I am full now, not empty.  I am in Love Himself, not lonely.  Strong, not weak" (116).  In heaven there will be no need because all of our needs will be met by Jesus Christ.  Not even will the reprobate be missed.  If one of our loved ones here on earth are damned, even their memory will not torment us.

A rather interesting discussion is between the Episcopal Ghost and one of the Bright People.  The Episcopal Ghost denies a literal Heaven and Hell, even though he is standing in the midst of them.  He does not believe people are "penalised for their honest opinions" even though he is an apostate.  He denied the resurrection and the necessity of the atonement.  He spoke as if Christ would have changed many of his views about himself had he lived long enough and that the crucifixion cut his life tragically short.  In each of these beliefs, the Episcopal ghost is the epitome of liberalism and even leaves to go back to hell to present papers on theological subjects.

Another discussion is between the artist ghost and the Spirit.  The artist is so mesmerized by his surroundings in heaven that he wants to paint them.  Although he wants only to see the surroundings to paint them for painting sake, not for themselves.  What he does not understand is that he cannot come to heaven just because he wants to paint it.  He has to want to see the country.  This theme means that we cannot come to God just to get to heaven.  We cannot use him as a means to an end.  We have to want to come to God alone.

A similar theme is found in ch. 11 of the female ghost, Pam, who wants to go to heaven to see her son Michael.  She does not care at all about God, she even resents Him taking her son away from her.  She says that she will believe in God to be able to see her son.  What she is doing is using God as a means to the end of seeing her son.  She is told by the Spirit that she must first desire God and then she will be allowed to see Michael.

The last theme I want to share is the ghost with the little red lizard on his shoulder which symbolized lust.  The ghost had to let the sin be killed if he was going to enter into heaven.  He could not take it with him.  Only at the last moment when he allowed the Angel to kill it did he become what God truly intended for his life.  The lizard turned into a beautiful stallion and they rode off to do God's bidding.  Only when we submit to God's law and put to death our sins are we then able to serve God with a clear conscience.

2.  How does Lewis illustrate his teaching?  Or, how does he support or defend his thesis?

Most of this has already been answered in question number one.  Each of the stories were used to illustrate different themes that Lewis was trying to teach.  See question number one for illustrations.

3.  Indicate one or two ways in which this work addresses a need (theological, philosophical, or ethical) in today's church; in today's secular society?

First, in the church we must realize that we cannot use God as a means to get to heaven.  We must desire Him and nothing else.  It is only when we truly want Him alone that we will find all of our joys fully met.

Second, we must be ready to answer the doubts of those who have been affected by liberal teachers.  There are many who sit at the feet of teachers like the Episcopal bishop and have been led astray by their teachings.  We need to be prepared to provide answers to their questions in a creative way.

Third, we must take even the smallest sins seriously.  It is usually not the major sins that lead us away from God but rather those little sins that draw us little by little from Him.  Like lust on the shoulder of the ghost.  Most people would not consider that to be a sin that is detrimental.  However, it just takes that little sin to gradually take our eyes from God.  We must be ever watchful and diligent to put to death any sin we come across in our flesh.

As a church we should produce more works on the beauty of God and heaven.  Just dwelling on Lewis' short treatment of heaven makes me long to be there in the presence of God.  Others need to have this positive treatment of heaven presented before them.  Heaven is a place that Christians ought to long for, yet many seem to be disinterested in leaving Earth.  We should produce works that stir the heart to long for this wonderful place.