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Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer Paperback – 1 Nov. 2002

by C. S. Lewis (Author)

4.6 410 ratings

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In the form of warm, relaxed letters to a close friend, Lewis meditates on many puzzling questions concerning the intimate dialogue between man and God. Lewis also considers practical and metaphysical aspects of private prayer, petitionary prayer, the Lords Prayer, and other forms of prayer.

A beautifully executed and deeply moving book (Saturday Review).

Print length

132 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Mariner Books
Publication date

1 Nov. 2002
Dimensions

13.49 x 0.86 x 20.32 cm
ISBN-10

0156027666
ISBN-13

978-0156027663
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Product description

From the Back Cover

"A beautifully executed and deeply moving little book."--Saturday Review In the form of warm, relaxed letters to a close friend, C.S. Lewis meditates on many puzzling questions concerning the intimate dialogue between man and God. He considers practical and metaphysical aspects of prayer, such as when we pray and where. He questions why we seek to inform God in our prayers if He is omniscient, whether there is an ideal form of prayer, and which of our many selves we show to God while praying. The concluding letter contains provocative thoughts about "liberal Christians," the soul, and resurrection. C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) gained international renown for an impressive array of beloved works both popular and scholarly: literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and numerous books on theology. Among his most celebrated achievements are Out of the Silent Planet, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Four Loves, and Surprised by Joy.

About the Author

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) gained international renown for an impressive array of beloved works both popular and scholarly: literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and numerous books on theology. Among his most celebrated achievements are Out of the Silent Planet, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Four Loves, and Surprised by Joy.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books; First Edition (1 Nov. 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 132 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0156027666
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0156027663
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.49 x 0.86 x 20.32 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,822,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 12,044 in Spiritual Inspiration
- 105,708 in Christian Books & Bibles

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4.6 410 ratings

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C. S. Lewis

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CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a fellow and tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954 when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics, the Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

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4.6 out of 5

410 global ratings

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Pilgrim

Vintage C S Lewis

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2011

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C S Lewis completed Letters to Malcolm about 6 months before he died. It consists of 22 letters from Lewis to an imaginary friend (Malcolm) mainly on the subject of prayer. I have read this book several times and will do so again, because it is vintage Lewis. He manages to combine abilities, which are not usually found together. So he is the out-and-out supernaturalist, the committed believer, with a baptised, almost mystical imagination but also with a mind as sharp as a razor. So, for example on Page 120 we read:

"you, in your last letter, seemed to hint that there too much of the supernatural in my position; especially in the sense that "the next world" loomed so large. But how can it loom less than large if is believed in at all?"

And as with his other works, Lewis manages to pack a lot of depth into a very small space (the paperback is less than 125 pages long). For example, Letter V discusses the Lord's Prayer in just 5 pages. Yet I find a richness of meaning in those few pages, which mean that I keep coming back to them.

All things considered, I agree with the reviewer in the Church Times in January 1964 who wrote:

"With the death of C S Lewis, a glory departed. But regret must then immediately give place to gratitude for so generous a legacy as this. Here is a book... as good as anything he ever wrote... It is splendid, glorious stuff, the product of a luminous and original mind, tough and honest... and yet endowed with an extraordinary sensitivity and tenderness for the fears and foibles of men."

3 people found this helpful

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jim mac

A much-loved classic book on prayer by a great Christian apologist.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 July 2018

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This is a classic work, still in print after many years. I am now just over 70 and I first read it when I was 18 or 19 and a medical student.. I was astonished by its understanding of the human condition, of the struggling Christian with his/her temptations and how one is so easily distracted by the business of actually praying. I came from a Christian background, but I had never heard anything so real or honest before. His lightly-worn erudition and understanding of the nature of God impressed me deeply and it still does. I bought this copy to replace my old, much read and dog-eared copy.

2 people found this helpful

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paul bailie

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2018

a classic

Lewis�s last book, and one of his best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2004

In this slim book, written shortly before his death, C. S. Lewis explores the subject of prayer. Lewis presents the material as a series of letters to an imaginary correspondent called "Malcolm". This device is effective in creating a sense of intimacy; one has the feeling that Lewis is being touchingly frank in his discussion of the difficulties and rewards of the Christian life in general, and prayer in particular. He has interesting and useful things to say about all aspects of prayer: the petitionary prayer, prayers of praise, corporate prayer, and whether it is right to pray for the dead. Lewis's theology has not changed significantly since his much earlier books Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters, yet there is something mellower and less confrontational in this writing than in Lewis's more famous Christian books, and it is all the more moving and persuasive for it. The fact that this book was written so near to Lewis's premature death gives it an added poignancy. In conclusion, this is a first rate book which deserves to be more widely known.

20 people found this helpful

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J. Chandler

Very (fairly high church) Anglican.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2020

While it was a scholarly and very interesting text, it was emphatically high church Anglicanism. That is not in itself a bad thing at all, of course, but it tended to represent prayer as practised and experienced through an Anglican prism. As a Catholic with distinct Greek Orthodox leanings myself, I sometimes wished that 'Malcolm' might have been directed towards other methods of prayer practised by other denominations in our diverse communities.

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B.G.V.

C S Lewis Letters to Malcolm

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 November 2015

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Helpful and very easily readable.

One person found this helpful

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SaAnita

A Very Helpful Book

Reviewed in Canada on 14 April 2017

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Anything by Lewis is good; but I have really appreciated this book of letters (supposedly) written to a friend on the subject of prayer. Well worth reading.

MereChristian

A Thoughtful Look At the Theological Issues of Prayer and Worship

Reviewed in the United States on 10 March 2014

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*Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer* has the distinction of being the final work that CS Lewis produced. The manuscript was completed in May of 1963, approximately six months before his death.

The book's structure takes the form of fictional letters written by Lewis to his friend “Malcolm” in which they discusses matters of deep importance to the Christian life. Mostly, these letters all discuss issues that have to do with prayer, and the other issues branch off of that. Worship, Heaven, and other issues are mulled over, but they all come back to prayer. When this is taken into account, the reader will find the title quite fitting.

There is some controversy over this title, and it has not received the same popularity as Lewis' other works for two main reasons. First off, Lewis proposes many logic puzzles and theological questions, but doesn't really seem to follow through on them. He leaves many questions *un*answered. The second issue is how he refused to condemn some liberal Christians.

I can see why some today, and even at the time, I suppose, may have had problems with the gentleness Lewis showed towards critics and his reticence to answer questions specifically in certain areas. I am not of that number, however. On these two issues, both Lewis, and those who dislike his style here, have a point, for both “styles” of approaching these issues are *needed* in the Church.

What I mean by this is that we have a great need for a deep understanding of doctrines and the ability to defend what we believe. Thusly, we can witness to others, and praise God. But the flip side is that we need humility in our interpretations of Scriptures, and in our answers to questions the Word is not clear on. Also, we need to call out the folks who distort the Bible, as some were disappointed Lewis did not do here. On the other hand, we need to disagree while showing them love and compassion. Thus, we may win them over to Christ, Lord-willing. Both approaches are needed, and which one each Christian takes is between him and God.

I really benefited both from the musings and studies of Scripture that CS Lewis engaged in here, as well as his humility in admitting he doesn't know everything, and that we must consider these issues carefully. Again, some are called by God to be more forceful, while others, like Professor Lewis, were called to be humble and understanding, as he was in this book.

27 people found this helpful

Gloria Mitchell

Very good...

Reviewed in the United States on 23 August 2023

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Read this a long time ago and just bought it for my C. S> Lewis bookshelf....All of Lewis' writings are stimulating, interesting and he really makes you think.

2 people found this helpful

Frank Trail

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on 23 March 2017

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Just what I was looking for!

Quadratic

This is one of Lewis's lesser-known books, and while ...

Reviewed in Canada on 8 May 2016

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This is one of Lewis's lesser-known books, and while I won't say it can hold a candle to Mere Christianity or the Screwtape Letters, it does succeed at making me think differently about the subjects he set out to talk about. This is less of a lesson or a lecture, but rather "note sharing" on things which Christians practically can find difficult.

2 people found this helpful

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Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer Paperback – 1 Nov. 2002

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