God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Which section of the book did you find most enjoyable to read? Which sections were most difficult?

2. How does this book compare to other works of theology you may have read?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which of Lewis’s arguments for faith did you find the most, or the least, convincing? How is your own worldview similar or different to Lewis’s?

2. How has faith played a role—or not played a role—in your life? How do your personal experiences with faith/religion compare to Lewis’s? 

3. What similarities or differences can you identify between the Church Lewis described and religious institutions you have attended or known about in your own community?

4. What challenges did Lewis and his readers face? How have you navigated similar challenges?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What social and cultural changes is Lewis responding to in God in the Dock? Are those issues still present today?

2. How do Lewis’s arguments about pain and suffering resonate in the modern world? What current events might inspire Lewis if he were writing today?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the effect of organizing the essays by theme, rather than chronologically? How might the collection be different if it were arranged in another way?

2. How does Lewis’s perspective on key issues, such as the morality of war, change over time?

3. Explore the differences in tone across the collected essays. How does Lewis’s audience shape his writing style? What rhetorical or literary techniques does he use to make his arguments? 

4. Choose a religious text that resonates with one of Lewis’s essays. What connections can you draw between the two texts? How are they different or similar in their conception of faith?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are in a dialogue with C.S. Lewis. Write a response in support of, or critiquing, one of Lewis’s essays. How might he respond to your letter?

2. If you could engage any public intellectual or religious figure in debate, who would you choose? What topic would you discuss?