Surprised by Joy : Commentary

8/19/2019 Surprised by Joy : Commentary

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SURPRISED BY JOY

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A Paper

Submitted to Professor Martin

Luther Rie Uni!ersit"

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In partia# fu#fi##ment

of the re$uirements for the %ourse

%hurh &istor"

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B"

'i##iam %onnor &enderson

()*+*,-.


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/ABLE O0 %O1/E1/S

I2 Introdution2222222222222222222222222222222222222222,

II2 Bod"2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222223

III2 %on#usion2222222222222222222222222222222222222222224

I52 Bib#io6raph"2222222222222222222222222222222222222222)

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Le7is8 %2 S2 Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life21e7 Yor9: &arourt8 Brae8 ,;-42

I1/RODU%/IO1


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BODY

Early Life

Le7is 7as born into a omfortab#e #ife2 &e had a

brother 7ho he desribed as more of a best friend and #ife

partner8 a suessfu# father and a #o!in6 inte##i6ent

mother2 &e desribes his hi#dhood as p#ain and simp#e

nai!et"2 &e 7as "oun68 foo#ish and happ"2 &e didnt

reo6niCe fu##" his b#essin6s or his o7n ?o"2

One of the turnin6 points in his #ife that he redits

7ith muh hurt8 but a#so muh 6ro7th 7as the death of his

mother2 Up unti# this point his #ife 7as eas" and stress

free2 &e didnt ha!e ares and his thou6hts 7ere sha##o7 and

on par 7ith most hi#dren2 &e notes his #o!e for readin6 and

7ritin6 startin6 at a !er" "oun6 a6e2 &is #o!e for the

ima6ination and deep thou6ht he#ped de!e#op 7ho he 7ou#d be

as an adu#t and 7ou#d ha!e a 6reat impat on his 7ritin6

st"#e2

After his mother passed he 7ent off to shoo#2 &e had

prob#ems 7ith the eduation s"stem2 &e #o!ed hi6her thin9in6

and #earnin68 but the s"stem and the teahers 7ere stumb#in6

b#o9s for him2

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Le7is found atheism in his #a9 of faith in od2 Re#i6ion

7as tau6ht to him as a bo" and it 7as not somethin6 he 7as

read" or 7i##in6 to omprehend or surrender to2 &e

eperimented 7ith mu#tip#e t"pes of be#ief and nonFbe#ief

s"stems and none of them 7ere suffiient for him2 Le7is 7as

#oo9in6 for somethin6 more and these 7ere a## poor

substitutes for 7hat he 7as see9in62 It seems that his

be#iefs matured as he did2 /he more he understood the more

omp#e and sound his be#iefs 7ou#d beome2

Pursuit of Joy

Le7is 7as a dreamer2 &e ep#ored in nature and he

ep#ored his inner most bein62 &e 7as !er" ref#eti!e and it

is e!ident in this tet that he 7as etreme#" obser!ant and

thin6s that a norma# person mi6ht #oo9 past or for6et he#d

6reat importane to him2 Le7is #aims that he #ost his ?o"

the da" his mother died2 Life beame rea# after that and he

7anted ?o"2 &e #oo9ed for ?o" in e!er"thin68 eduation8

7omen and re#i6ions2 &e #oo9ed in earth#" p#easures and eah

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time the" resu#ted in a #oss of the hi6h and he 7ou#d be

ri6ht ba9 7here he started8 "earnin6 and desirin6 more2


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that od 7as the reator of ?o"2 In &im8 a## thin6s 7ere

made 6ood and a## thin6s 7ere made ri6ht2

/he Prodi6a# Son at #east 7a#9ed home on his o7n

feet2 But 7ho an du#" adore that Lo!e 7hih 7i## open

the hi6h 6ates to a prodi6a# 7ho is brou6ht in 9i9in68

stru66#in68 resentfu#8 and dartin6 his e"es in e!er"

diretion for a hane of esape /he 7ords ompe# them to ome in8 ha!e been so abused

be 7i9ed men that 7e shudder at them= but8 proper#"

understood8 the" p#umb the depth of the Di!ine mer"2

/he hardness of od is 9inder than the softness of men8

and &is ompu#sion is our #iberation2>

Le7is 6reat aeptane of %hrist stemmed from his

understandin6 that od tru#" #o!ed him2 &e 9ne7 his mother

#o!ed him and she pro!ided muh of hi#dish ?o"2 &e fina##"

found a #o!e that 7asnt f#eetin62 In %hrist he found his

hope8 his happiness8 his #o!e and his ?o"2

%O1%LUSIO1

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Le7is is ommon#" desribed as one of the 6reatest

7riters in %hristian histor" and has done muh for reahin6

out to peop#e outside of the faith and appea#in6 to them in

7a"s that %hristians norma##" ou#dnt2 Surprised by Joy

rea##" ep#ains ho7 Le7is beame the 7a" he is2 'hether it

is be the ima6inati!e hi#d 7ho 7anted to be#ie!e in the

m"stia# 1orse re#i6ions8 the hardened atheist 7ho #oo9ed

for temporar" ?o" in e!er"thin68 or the man 7ho fina##"

surrendered his #ife to the One 7ho brin6s a## ?o"2

Le7is sho7s the reader that earth#" ?o" is f#eetin6 and

empt"2 Le7is 7a" of thin9in6 and 7ritin6 has inf#uened

man" in and outside of the faith2 /his hroni#in6 of his

pursuit of ?o" sho7s that there is on#" one true and #astin6

soure of ?o"2

SELE%/ED BIBLIORAP&Y

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Le7is8 %2 S2 Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life21e7 Yor9: &arourt8 Brae8 ,;-42

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Surprised by Joy : Commentary