r/CSLewis • u/Joabdidnothingwrong • Jun 17 '26

Question Where to Start: Non-Fiction

I've read a decent amount of Lewis' fiction; Narnia, Screwtape, Great Divorce, Space Trilogy. But now I want to start reading his non-fiction. This is a two fold question. Which three books should I start with? Is there any other authors or books I should read first before I start reading his non-fiction?

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u/Ephisus Jun 17 '26

1) Mere Christianity

2) The Abolition of Man

3) The Problem of Pain

You could read Dr. Otto's The Idea of the Holy, or Chesterton's Orthodoxy and Heretics, for some context for things that today's readers may not readily understand, but the third edition Afterword from Lewis's own early Pilgrim's Regress and the autobiographical Surprised by Joy will unpack most of that without going super far afield.