I have come across some who have argued that C. S. Lewis was a Universalist and is therefore now in Hell. I have a problem with this for two reasons. The first problem I have with this is that it is simply factually false because C. S. Lewis was most definitely not a Universalist as I will demonstrate momentarily. The other problem I have is with the logic that someone is in Hell solely for the reason that they hold to a false doctrine like Universalism.
As to the first point, the claim that C. S. Lewis is a Universalist, this is demonstrably false without a lot of effort. There are two sources commonly used to argue that Lewis was a Universalist. The first is from a letter he wrote where he stated “I think that every prayer which is sincerely made even to a false god or to a very imperfectly conceived true God, is accepted by the true God and that Christ saves many who do not think they know Him.”(Letters of C. S. Lewis, pg 428) The other reference that people usually draw from comes out of The Last Battle which is the final installment of The Chronicles of Narnia. In that story there is a character named Emeth who finds himself in “Aslan’s country” (tantamount to heaven). He himself finds this peculiar having served the false god “Tash” and now realizing that Aslan is the true God and creator of Narnia whom he should have served.
The controversial statement comes when Emeth recounts his conversation with Aslan. Emeth is sure Aslan will kill him because he was a servant of Tash but instead Aslan comforts him and says “Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account a service done to me.” Emeth recounts more of their interaction saying “Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.”* Lewis’ point is clear that Emeth was seeking after the true God but only knew of Tash. Essentially, one might say, Emeth responded faithfully to the revelation he had and was truly seeking to serve God but was simply ignorant of Aslan.
Now I will readily agree that I think Lewis expresses an errant view of salvation here. I have elsewhere argued that salvation must come through a conscious expression of faith in Jesusand therefore it is not possible for someone to be saved like Emeth was inThe Last Battle. I would argue that anyone who is seeking God is doing so because God first sought them (John 6:37; 44) and that whoever seeks will find Christ in this life not the life hereafter. So don’t get any idea that I am agreeing with the soteriology (view of salvation) that Lewis is expressing here. I think it is misguided.
That said it needs to be dealt with honestly for what it is and what it is is not Universalism. The theology expressed by Lewis both in the letter referenced above and here in The Last Battle is better labeled Inclusivim rather than Universlism. Universalism is the idea that all people will be saved no matter what they believe (Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, even Atheist). All people are loved by God and therefore will be saved by God no matter what. The “Christian” version of Universalism says that Jesus has died for the sins of the whole world and therefore no one will be lost and his atonement covers everyone no matter what they believe. A less specific kind of Universalism simply says all roads lead to heaven and there is no distinction.
Inclusivism is the idea that people will be saved by Jesus if, and only if, they respond appropriately to the light they have. This view does not believe all people will be saved but only those who truly seek God. If Muslims are seeking God and serve Allah because it’s all they know, if they are sincere, they will be saved. But their salvation is not from Allah, it is from Jesus who counted their service to Allah as service to him because they sought the true God and simply did not know who he was. Sound familiar?
It’s important that we note that Lewis’ version of Inclusivism is “soft” in that it appears that salvation in this way is rare and not widespread. Most of the people who served Tash in The Last Battle do not, by any means, enter Aslan’s Country. In fact a great many people disappear into the darkness rather than entering into Aslan’s Country as Narnia is brought to an end. Only those who looked upon Aslan with love entered the door while others were separated into the darkness. So it is clear from both the Chronicles of Narnia, as well as The Great Divorce that Lewis does not shy away from the reality that there are many who will spend their eternity away from the presence of the Lord and, such being the case, one cannot fairly call Lewis a Universalist. You can call him a sort of soft Inclusivist and you can disagree (as I think you should) with that idea, but let’s be fair and label him properly.
So what about the idea that Lewis himself is in Hell? Well I think it’s fair to say that Lewis was wrong on this point and that Emeth would actually not have entered Aslan’s country, I think the idea that Lewis is in Hell for bad theology is reprehensible. There are two defining questions as it relates to the salvation of us all and they are “Who is God?” and “What is the Gospel?” Admittedly I would say Inclusivism entails a misunderstanding of the gospel to some degree but I am not convinced it is a damnable one. It wrongly expresses hope for people who have not bowed their knee to Jesus as Lord (and by name) but it does not negate the fact that the one who holds this view is himself consciously expressing faith in Jesus as the Savior.
I am thankful to God that our salvation is not dependent upon perfect theology. Were that so, even as it relates to questions of soteriology, many more people who love Jesus would be lost. If we had to have perfect theology to be saved no one would be. Imagine if our salvation were depended upon a right view of the extent of the atonement (then only Calvinists would be saved!). That’s a bit of a joke, but, seriously, there are many Bible believing Christians who love Jesus and trust fully in him and have differing views on second order issues about the way salvation works or how it is applied. But a wrong view about how God applies salvation is not necessarily damnable if the person with the wrong view himself trusts fully in Jesus for salvation.
So if C. S. Lewis is in Hell it is not because he is a Universalist (because he was not). If C. S. Lewis is in Hell it is not because he was an Inclusivist (even though he was to some extent). If C. S. Lewis is in Hell it is not because he had imperfect theology (we all do). If C. S. Lewis is in Hell it is because he did not trust in Jesus and Jesus alone to save him from his sins. While I disagree with Lewis on a good number of things I also have been edified by his work in a way that is beyond my ability to express fully. His salvation is between him and the Lord but I would be surprised to find out that someone who has helped me so much in growing in my faith in Christ and in defending the faith was not in Heaven with the Lord. One day we will all know for sure.
*The interaction between Emeth and Aslan is all in Chapter 15 of The Last Battle. I did not bother with page numbers because there are so many different editions.
