Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen (PhD, Northwestern University) is professor of psychology and philosophy at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, where she is also resident scholar at the Center for Christian Women in Leadership. She is the author of Gender and Grace.
| Sword between the Sexes? A: C. S. Lewis and the Gender Debates | Price: | $19.99 | | ISBN: | 978-1-58743-208-8 | | ISBN-10: | 1-58743-208-0 | | Dimensions: | 6 x 9 | | Number of pages: | 272 | | Carton Quantity: | 48 | | Publication Date: | Feb. 10 | | Formats: | Paperback | | |  "For those of us who have been influenced by C. S. Lewis but have distrusted his views on gender, this book provides a welcome and carefully researched account of how Lewis changed his mind."--John Hare, Yale Divinity School
"There is, hidden or flaunted, a sword between the sexes till an entire marriage reconciles them. It is arrogance in us [men] to call frankness, fairness and chivalry 'masculine' when we see them in a woman; it is arrogance in them [women] to describe a man's sensitivities or tact or tenderness as 'feminine.'. . . Marriage heals this. Jointly the two become fully human."--C. S. Lewis (from A Grief Observed)
This statement and others like it in C. S. Lewis's later writings mark an extraordinary shift from his earlier and frequent defense of fixed gender roles and gender hierarchy. How did Lewis get to this point? And why have so many of his followers not better assimilated his final position?
This is the first book to provide a close examination of Lewis's understanding and presentation of gender. Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen evaluates Lewis's attitude toward the social sciences in the context of his slowly changing views on gender relations. She finds Lewis surprisingly prescient in his anticipation of the postmodern turn in the philosophy of science and surprisingly open, especially in his final works, to a more mutuality-based and generically human reading of gender relations. A Sword between the Sexes? addresses the tension between faith and science, suggesting how it may best be eased, and offers insight into the continuing debate over gender relations, egalitarianism, and complementarianism.
Endorsements "This magisterial and constructive critique of C. S. Lewis reveals him as a sensitive commentator on some centrally important areas of human interaction. Lewis came to embody and think through multiple perspectives on human beings of all ages in their extraordinary complexity. The very social sciences of which he was so suspicious may both confirm his intuitions whilst correcting his mistakes. This valuable book breaks out of some of the Lewis-reading straightjackets and encourages us to see why he is still well worth our careful attention."--Ann Loades, honorary professorial fellow of St. Chad's College, and professor emerita of divinity, University of Durham
"This is a remarkable book. Not only does Van Leeuwen critique and explore the roots of C. S. Lewis's thought and belief, she does so as a woman who has herself been in the forefront of biblical feminist scholarship. The parallels between her own scholastic, familial, and cultural history and that of Lewis, and the search for authentic Christian wisdom are of great interest. The insights gained by the reader come not only from the life and times of C. S. Lewis but also from Van Leeuwen's deep understanding of the psychology of gender itself. I highly recommend this book for all Christians--male and female--who desire a richer awareness of our essential unity and communion as persons."--Diane Marshall, clinical director, Institute of Family Living
"A keen intellect and a rich academic background are necessary in tackling a substantive study of C. S. Lewis and gender, and Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen brings those resources and much more to her work. In this fascinating, careful, and probing examination, Lewis's views of gender and his relationships with women are discussed within their cultural, historical, and theological contexts. This book is wonderfully illuminating and important for C. S. Lewis fans and anyone interested in contemporary discussions of gender."--Christine D. Pohl, professor of social ethics, Asbury Theological Seminary
"This book is an eye-opener. For those of us who have been influenced by C. S. Lewis but have distrusted his views on gender, this book provides a welcome and carefully researched account of how Lewis changed his mind. It does not disguise the more hierarchical and essentialist material from the earlier years. Instead it takes us step-by-step through Lewis's encounters with women he respected, to the point where he was able to call his wife 'my trusty comrade, friend, shipmate, fellow soldier.'"--John Hare, Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology, Yale Divinity School
"In a fascinating chapter about her own relationship to C. S. Lewis, Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen lays all her cards on the table. Then she traces Lewis's changing views of gender step by step through his prodigious output of books and letters until the end of his life, considering not only his work, but the man himself, and the way he has been viewed by others. Van Leeuwen's spirit is generous; her prose, wonderfully clear; her arguments, powerful; and her insight, remarkable. Whether you're a scholar, a Lewis fan, or a general reader, you will find yourself turning pages with pleasure."--Jeanne Murray Walker, professor of English, University of Delaware
"A Sword between the Sexes offers a definitive--even transformative--work on gender and faith. This astonishingly thorough book by Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen blends science, Scripture, logic and sensibility in a manner reminiscent of C. S. Lewis's own best works. Without one shrill sentence or rhetorical declamation, she gently deconstructs Lewis's biases and the many mirrored repetitions of them throughout the evangelical subculture. It speaks to Van Leeuwen's grace that one finishes A Sword between the Sexes with no less love for C. S. Lewis. My hope is that views rooted in careful scholarship and scientific research continue to purify the way we imagine and experience gender in the church. I cannot imagine a better place for thinking Christians to start that journey than with A Sword between the Sexes."--Jon Trott, Jesus People USA
"Van Leeuwen's work is a valuable addition to the various books on C. S. Lewis. Respecting but not romanticizing him, Van Leeuwen explores Lewis's strengths, influences, and weaknesses, particularly as his writing deals with the relationships between women and men. This adds another excellent volume to Van Leeuwen's own work, taking Scripture seriously in conjunction with her own academic discipline, pressing us to affirm the love of God, and rejecting distorted views of gender."--Debra K. Block Clark, senior staff, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
Reviews "Van Leeuwen's book is a provocative and thorough study of both Lewis the author and Lewis the man. While I suspect it won't prompt anyone in contemporary discussions to change their position, it should be read and considered carefully, for it serves an invaluable purpose: returning us to the man and his works to read them again with fresh eyes, new questions, and an openness to the possibility that one of the patron saints of evangelical complementarians may not be one at all."--Matthew Lee Anderson, mereorthodoxy.com
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