Reflections on the Psalms

In Chapter 1, Lewis characterizes himself as writing “as one amateur to another” (2) and likens his method to schoolchildren comparing notes. What consequences does this popular approach have on his style and procedure in the book? Discuss this with examples from the text.

As a literary critic, Lewis treats the Psalms much like any other ancient or mythic text. Discuss ways in which this literary, rather than theological, starting point influences Lewis’s conclusions.

Lewis states upfront that his book is not a comprehensive analysis of the Psalms but a commentary on selected themes that interest him. What themes in the Psalms does Lewis omit and why?

Compare and contrast Reflections on the Psalms with Mere Christianity (1952), Lewis’s most famous work on Christian apologetics. How do his approaches to the topic differ in each text? In what ways might his thinking have evolved between 1952 and 1958 when Reflections was published?

Lewis considers Psalm 19 to be “the greatest poem in the Psalter” (63). By what criteria does he define this? Is this assertion in keeping with the rest of his argument that the Psalms are open to individual interpretation?

In Lewis’s analysis of moral dangers latent in the Psalms, how are the dangers of connivance connected to the dangers of self-righteousness and vindictiveness? What, if any, strategies does Lewis offer to avoid these moral pitfalls?

Lewis wrote for a mid-20th-century British audience. Is his discussion relevant for a broad 21st-century readership? Why or why not? Use examples from the text in your response.

Lewis points out the danger inherent in applying “second meanings” to scripture. What standards or guidelines does he use in applying such meanings?