Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine

Readers of C.S. Lewis are sometimes surprised to learn that his popular book, Mere Christianity, was adapted from BBC wartime radio "broadcast talks." Dorothy L. Sayers, known for her Lord Peter Whimsey detective novels, also penned dozens of pamphlets, essays and broadsides, many adapted from her popular talks. Her subject is similar to fellow Anglican Lewis: the role of the Church in wartime, but her approach is somewhat different than Lewis'. In "Creed or Chaos" and "The Dogma is the Drama" she argues for the excitement of doctrine, oxymoronic as that may seem, but she does so in scintillating prose: "We have effectively pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild' and recommended him as a household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies." In other essays she probes the nature of creativity, drawing on her own experience as an author and playwright to illuminate her views. This collection does not exhaust Sayers' essays, but collects seven from her 1947 book, Creed or Chaos, and other works including Unpopular Opinions, and Begin Here. This collection also seems hastily edited, with numerous typos. The book cover reads, "Includes discussion questions," which seem to have been inadvertently omitted. Nevertheless, reading Dorothy L. Sayers is an unforgettable experience, and this volume provides a good introduction to a fascinating and provocative thinker and writer. Essays include: 1. The Greatest Drama Ever Staged; 2. What Do We Believe?; 3. The Dogma is the Drama; 4. The Image of God; 5. Creative Mind; 6. Creed or Chaos; 7. Strong Meat; 8. The Other Six Deadly Sins; 9. Christian Morality; 10. The Triumph of Easter; 11. Why Work?; 12. Toward a Christian Esthetic; 13. The Faust Legend and the Idea of the Devil; 14. A Vote of Thanks to Cyrus; 15. The Writing and Reading of Allegory; 16. Problem Picture.