Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 18, 2007 14:36:01 GMT -8
November 22, 2007 is fast approaching, and this is the 44th anniversary of that day in 1963.
On that day in 1963, 3 well known figures in the Western World died:
- C.S. Lewis
- Aldous Huxley
- John F. Kennedy
Clive Staples Lewis died at age 64 of kidney disease, in Oxford England. A writer, he is most famous for his Chronicles of Narnia series. But he was much more than that. Lewis' style can even be seen in his close friend Tolkien's own Lord of the Rings series. Lewis had the ability to explain profound thoughts using allegory.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis#Illness_and_death
Aldous Huxley died at Age 69 of cancer, at Los Angeles. He was also a writer, of novels, essays, poetry, etc. His most famous work is probably Brave New World. Through his novels and essays Huxley functioned as an examiner and sometimes critic of social mores, norms and ideals. By the end of his life Huxley was considered, in some academic circles, a leader of modern thought and an intellectual of the highest rank.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley
John Kennedy died at age 46 of gunshot trauma, at Dallas. He was born into a prominent New England family, and became President of the United States. He was president during the early part of the "Space-race" and during a time of racial segregation in the USA. The cold-war with the USSR was a major backdrop to his presidency.
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It is remarkable that these three giants of the 20th Century all passed-away on the same day. A book was written, called Between Heaven & Hell, by Peter Kreeft, that springboards from this oddity. Here is part of a review of the book:
In "Between Heaven and Hell," Peter Kreeft sets up a fictional debate between C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and John F. Kennedy, shortly after their deaths which, amazingly, all came on November 22nd, 1963. Kreeft uses Lewis, Kennedy, and Huxley as representatives of 3 common worldviews and their interpretation on Christianity: orthodox Christianity, modernist Christianity, and "Orientalist" Christianity, respectively.
The first half of the book is Lewis debating Kennedy on the subject of Christianity. (Huxley agrees to listen and argue his philosophy later on, mainly against Lewis of course, which he does in the 2nd half of the book.) Kennedy's worldview is definitely the most prevalent in the present-day, Western world, and therefore, the debate between Lewis and Kennedy will be the more interesting of the two for most readers raised in a Western culture. Moving on to the pantheist Huxley, the debate becomes slightly more foreign and rare to the average Westerner used to debates between monotheists and atheists. Huxley was a brilliant man (as all three were, of course), and his philosophy was deep, well-argued, and at times, abstruse.
======================
I am interested in other people's thoughts on any of these 3 great figures. ie. Who has read the Lewis / Huxley books, and who can articulate some of the impact of Kennedy's presidency on our North American society?
I am interested to read what you think of any of these 3 people....
On that day in 1963, 3 well known figures in the Western World died:
- C.S. Lewis
- Aldous Huxley
- John F. Kennedy
Clive Staples Lewis died at age 64 of kidney disease, in Oxford England. A writer, he is most famous for his Chronicles of Narnia series. But he was much more than that. Lewis' style can even be seen in his close friend Tolkien's own Lord of the Rings series. Lewis had the ability to explain profound thoughts using allegory.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis#Illness_and_death
Aldous Huxley died at Age 69 of cancer, at Los Angeles. He was also a writer, of novels, essays, poetry, etc. His most famous work is probably Brave New World. Through his novels and essays Huxley functioned as an examiner and sometimes critic of social mores, norms and ideals. By the end of his life Huxley was considered, in some academic circles, a leader of modern thought and an intellectual of the highest rank.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley
John Kennedy died at age 46 of gunshot trauma, at Dallas. He was born into a prominent New England family, and became President of the United States. He was president during the early part of the "Space-race" and during a time of racial segregation in the USA. The cold-war with the USSR was a major backdrop to his presidency.
=================
It is remarkable that these three giants of the 20th Century all passed-away on the same day. A book was written, called Between Heaven & Hell, by Peter Kreeft, that springboards from this oddity. Here is part of a review of the book:
In "Between Heaven and Hell," Peter Kreeft sets up a fictional debate between C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and John F. Kennedy, shortly after their deaths which, amazingly, all came on November 22nd, 1963. Kreeft uses Lewis, Kennedy, and Huxley as representatives of 3 common worldviews and their interpretation on Christianity: orthodox Christianity, modernist Christianity, and "Orientalist" Christianity, respectively.
The first half of the book is Lewis debating Kennedy on the subject of Christianity. (Huxley agrees to listen and argue his philosophy later on, mainly against Lewis of course, which he does in the 2nd half of the book.) Kennedy's worldview is definitely the most prevalent in the present-day, Western world, and therefore, the debate between Lewis and Kennedy will be the more interesting of the two for most readers raised in a Western culture. Moving on to the pantheist Huxley, the debate becomes slightly more foreign and rare to the average Westerner used to debates between monotheists and atheists. Huxley was a brilliant man (as all three were, of course), and his philosophy was deep, well-argued, and at times, abstruse.
======================
I am interested in other people's thoughts on any of these 3 great figures. ie. Who has read the Lewis / Huxley books, and who can articulate some of the impact of Kennedy's presidency on our North American society?
I am interested to read what you think of any of these 3 people....
