After Screwtape, this is my favorite work from Lewis (and it is a close call).  The book is short, but I read slow (especially something as weighty as Lewis).  I could not put this book down until I finished it.
NOTE: Lewis himself made it clear that this book is not about the mechanics of the afterlife.  It is about the cancerous nature of sin and how it interferes with out relationship to the Most High.  If this entire story were taken literally then there would be discrepencies between it and scriptures concerning the attitudes of the damned souls, the nature of Hell/purgatory and the call to salvation.  I suppose I should explain:
1) Most of the visitors from Hell refuse heaven and can not enjoy it because they are unwilling to repent of their sins.  Jesus tells a story of a soul in Hell that yearned for just a drop of water (relief) from heaven.  Souls in Hell will yearn for heaven and despise Hell.
2) Purgatory is not an idea found in Holy Scripture, and Lewis is dodgy about where the visitors are from.  That aside, there are no visitors from Hell to even the outter realms of Heaven.  It is true that Satan visits God's thrown room and raises accusations against us, but he has not yet been thrown into "the pit".  He is called the "Prince of this World".
3) Salvation is an act of faith.  Old Testement Believers had faith a Savior would come.  New Testement believers have faith he came (and will return).  Once you die you meet him.  That's not faith.  It's sight.  To quote the famous hymn, "if you terry till your burried you will never come at all".
Those are not the point of the book.  And the points it makes about sin and human nature are excellent!
After Screwtape, this is my favorite work from Lewis (and it is a close call). The book is short, but I read slow (especially something as weighty as Lewis). I could not put this book down until I finished it. NOTE: Lewis himself made it clear that this book is not about the mechanics of the afterlife. It is about the cancerous nature of sin and how it interferes with out relationship to the Most High. If this entire story were taken literally then there would be discrepencies between it and scriptures concerning the attitudes of the damned souls, the nature of Hell/purgatory and the call to salvation. I suppose I should explain:
1) Most of the visitors from Hell refuse heaven and can not enjoy it because they are unwilling to repent of their sins. Jesus tells a story of a soul in Hell that yearned for just a drop of water (relief) from heaven. Souls in Hell will yearn for heaven and despise Hell. 2) Purgatory is not an idea found in Holy Scripture, and Lewis is dodgy about where the visitors are from. That aside, there are no visitors from Hell to even the outter realms of Heaven. It is true that Satan visits God's thrown room and raises accusations against us, but he has not yet been thrown into "the pit". He is called the "Prince of this World". 3) Salvation is an act of faith. Old Testement Believers had faith a Savior would come. New Testement believers have faith he came (and will return). Once you die you meet him. That's not faith. It's sight. To quote the famous hymn, "if you terry till your burried you will never come at all". Those are not the point of the book. And the points it makes about sin and human nature are excellent!