The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses

Compare and contrast Lewis’s statements about Christians’ responsibilities for one another’s salvation in Chapter 1 with his beliefs about the importance of forgiveness in Chapter 8. What social and spiritual role does forgiveness play?

How does Lewis’s discussion of the “Inner Ring” in Chapter 6 compare to his consideration of society broadly in Chapter 7? To what extent does Lewis frame all secular communities as driven by similar instincts and pressures?

Consider Lewis’s characterization of himself throughout these essays—for instance, his claim that “it [is] unlikely there is anyone present less courageous than [him]self” (88). How does Lewis’s portrayal of himself reflect his anticipated audience and/or rhetorical goals?

Lewis insists that humanity is radically unequal and that this inequality is good and divinely ordained. What does this “inequality” entail, for Lewis, and what are its implications for political equality?

Discuss the ordering of the essays in the present collection. What sorts of parallels, contrasts, or implicit arguments emerge by juxtaposing the speeches in this way?

Lewis faults pacifists for relying on “merely speculative” opinion in arguing that “Wars do no good” (73). To what extent does Lewis’s own argument rest on “speculation”? What other kinds of argumentation does Lewis bring to bear on the question, and how do they serve his overall goals?

Consider Lewis’s framing of human nature throughout the essays. To what extent is it informed by the traditional Christian understanding of humanity as “fallen”? What other influences do you see at play?

In Chapter 4, Lewis argues that when one looks at things “from below” instead of “from above,” one can never grasp their spiritual meaning. How does this idea implicitly shape Lewis’s claims in other essays?