C. S. Lewis, 2 Kings 19:35, and Mice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr7-1-2-765Abstract
C. S. Lewis’s works are replete with animals of various kinds, offering both vivid and memorable characters and also objects of moral concern and theological value. He thereby anticipates what may be seen as a gradual turn toward the inclusion of animals in theological and ethical contemplation since his death in 1963. Although biographers have noted the important creative and religious influences of George MacDonald on Lewis’s work, this article highlights Lewis’s concern for animals as one of MacDonald’s more significant yet overlooked influences. Mice are arguably Lewis’ especial favourite, their small size and fragility offering pastoral, theological, and ethical lessons. In Lewis’s retelling of the Sennacherib story of 2 Kings 19:35, mice are shown to accomplish the work of angels.
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Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception