Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine

Readers of C.S. Lewis are sometimes surprised to learn that his popular book, Mere Christianity, was adapted from BBC wartime radio "broadcast talks." Dorothy L. Sayers, known for her Lord Peter Whimsey detective novels, also penned dozens of pamphlets, essays and broadsides, many adapted from her popular talks. Her subject is similar to fellow Anglican Lewis: the role of the Church in wartime, but her approach is somewhat different than Lewis'. In "Creed or Chaos" and "The Dogma is the Drama" she argues for the excitement of doctrine, oxymoronic as that may seem, but she does so in scintillating prose: "We have effectively pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild' and recommended him as a household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies." In other essays she probes the nature of creativity, drawing on her own experience as an author and playwright to illuminate her views.This collection does not exhaust Sayers' essays, but collects seven from her 1947 book, Creed or Chaos, and other works including Unpopular Opinions, and Begin Here. This collection also seems hastily edited, with numerous typos. The book cover reads, "Includes discussion questions," which seem to have been inadvertently omitted. Nevertheless, reading Dorothy L. Sayers is an unforgettable experience, and this volume provides a good introduction to a fascinating and provocative thinker and writer. Essays include: 1. The Greatest Drama Ever Staged; 2. What Do We Believe?; 3. The Dogma is the Drama; 4. The Image of God; 5. Creative Mind; 6. Creed or Chaos; 7. Strong Meat; 8. The Other Six Deadly Sins; 9. Christian Morality; 10. The Triumph of Easter; 11. Why Work?; 12. Toward a Christian Esthetic; 13. The Faust Legend and the Idea of the Devil; 14. A Vote of Thanks to Cyrus; 15. The Writing and Reading of Allegory; 16. Problem Picture.

This collection of Dorothy Sayers' writings and speeches on the role and vitality of Christianity in 20th Century Britain and Western Europe is a must read for anyone who likes good writing. Ms Sayers defends and explains the case for a traditional view of Christianity with wit and intelligence and flair, even if some of her arguments are too academic and other worldly, see especially her discussion of the importance of everyone elevating work almost to a spiritual exercise, where pay is a distant concern. For most people that will never be true. This ia a quibble. The essays are wonderful, even if the editing of the book is below standard.

I have been a longtime admirer of Sayers' fiction, but I have begun to enjoy her wry and honest approach to apologetics, Christian practical issues, and the role of the artist. Reading this book was like talking with an old friend after a long absence.

I read the book because I am a huge fan of C. S. Lewis, and I know that he and Dorothy were friends.Some essays in this book were absolute gold, such as "The Dogma is the Drama," but the majority of them I didn't care to read at all, such as "Toward a Christian Esthetic." The book still had some great insights and is worth reading.

Dorothy L. Sayers explains the Christian faith by examining the documents by which the Church professes Her faith, the Creeds. Miss Sayers is masterful and straightforward.Now, the text needs to be re-edited due to a number of typos. I have already alerted the publisher to this need and after two months have had no response.Please buy the book, start a reading group, and read this book now.It is impertinent to agree or disagree with a doctrine or philosophy of which one is basically clueless. Agree or disagree only when you have the facts and can do so from knowledge.

I really enjoy Dorthy's work! This book can be a bit ponderous and definitely sounds like when it was written, not modern speech, but is well worth the reading. She comes up with some wonderful observations and quips, which are as relevant today, if not more so, than when she penned them. If she were around today, I'd give her a big "Testify!" And a "You go girl"!

Well worth reading and still very much applicable to our own time and culture. Theology has gotten a bad rap but Sayers reminds us of its importance.

Definitely my favourite author after P.D. James. Sayers' dry and sometimes caustic wit makes for entertaining reading. If you care at all about what is happening to our western society and the Christian church in general, this book will give you lots of food for thought.

I loved the first few chapters - her passionate advocacy was inspiring. Then for me it went horribly wrong when she started a diatribe against people who don't have a certain spiritual attitude to their work. As far as I know, her own entire working life was divided between copy-writing in an advertising agency, writing detective stories, and academia. She can have had no idea whatsoever of the realities of most people's working lives, and her patronizing attitude left a very sour taste in my mouth (I hasten to add that I was almost as lucky as she was, in the varied nature of my own work). I haven't come back to the rest of the book yet, and am unlikely to do so,

The first two paragraphs of this book make it worth ordering. The chapter on Work is a bonus buy and the rest of the book is meat to chew on for the Christian in the modern world. This book is a compilation of short thoughts from 1940's but still relevant today! A new FAVOURITE book!

love it, excellent read, and condition, would use this supplier again

Dorothy Sayers has a way of writing that makes the complex ideas she is presenting so clear and (relatively) easy to understand.