Collected Letters Volume Two: Books, Broadcasts and War, 1931–1949. Walter Hooper

the job.

      I have been ill or I would before now have answered your letter suggesting an early meeting of the ‘literary collaborators’. I should have great pleasure in attending this if it takes place. At the same time I ought to warn you that each number makes it clear to me that my only use to you in literary matters can be that of permanent opposition, for I find myself in sharp disagreement with Mr Roberts and Brother Every. It will be for you to decide when the limits of useful disagreement have been passed—if you eject me I shall not feel in the least ill used. The hint in Brother Every’s paper that good taste is essential to salvation seemed to me precisely one of our greatest enemies in this age of intellectual converts-there is a danger of making Christianity itself appear as one more highbrow fad.

      Don’t bother answering this at present. I write it only because I don’t want you to buy a pig in a poke.

      Yours sincerely

      C. S. Lewis

       Dr Vidler nevertheless replied to Lewis on 14 March:

      I am grateful for your warning…There seems a danger that Theology may be falling into the hands of a certain literary clique, but I am determined to avoid that, if possible. It so happens that George Every was one of the first to urge upon me the importance of giving attention in Theology to literary matters, and he made many suggestions…While I wish Every and his friends to have an opportunity of saying what they want to say, I do not intend that Theology shall be an exclusive organ for their views, and I shall welcome any opportunity of making this clear. The best way no doubt will be to publish articles from other points of view.

       TO ALEC VIDLER (BOD):

      Magdalen College

      Oxford

      March 16th 1939

      Dear Mr Vidler

      Sorry to have imposed such a long letter on you: this one will need no answer. As long as I can occasionally contribute an article on the opposite side, I am quite content.

      Yours sincerely

      C. S. Lewis

       TO MARY NEYLAN (T):

      The Kilns,

      Headington Quarry,

      Oxford.

      March 21st 1939.

      Dear Mrs Neylan

      Miss Moore and I are both very much obliged to you: she looks forward with great pleasure to seeing the school under such privileged conditions.⁴⁰