Three Is Company

On November 22, 1963, three men passed out of the realm of mortal existence and into the uncharted foothills of eternity. (Don't you wish I could just say they died?) Anyway, their names were C. S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy, and Aldous Huxley: quite an unusual triumvirate. Being generally disposed towards discourse, and finding themselves together in no particular place with nothing in particular to do, they struck up a conversation, which turned out to be quite extraordinary.

Fortunately for us, someone was eavesdropping.

If I wasn't a more sensible man, I would be inclined to believe that Peter Kreeft has a time machine with a metaphysical overdrive. Suffice to say that his powers of imagination are singularly robust and realistic. Between Heaven & Hell is a brilliantly constructed dialogue, and at certain turns quite funny. At a frugal 115 pages, it is easy to digest but also hearty and full of bite and backbone.

The main theme is the spiritual identity of Christ, and the three protagonists each approach the theme from different angles. (Warning: spoilers ahead!) Kennedy thinks in terms of pseudo-spiritual humanism. Huxley espouses an agreeable but mushy pantheism that smells like curry. Lewis argues Christian orthodoxy, and wins handily.

Books that manage to be truly engaging and truly sharpening at the same time are rare. This is one of them.

Image courtesy of a2.vox.com