The Everyday Mysticism of C. S. Lewis
Spirituality for Daily Life
- Prayer & Spiritual Formation
- Publisher: IVP Academic (InterVarsity Press)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Everyday Encounters with God Through the Lens of C. S. Lewis For many Christians, the mystics—saints and teachers throughout Christian history who have experienced direct encounters with God—are in a category of their own. We read about the supernatural experiences of biblical figures like Moses, Isaiah, and John, and historical figures like Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Ávila, and John of the Cross, but how can we have spiritual experiences like theirs when our own walks with God feel ordinary and mundane? In The Everyday Mysticism of C. S. Lewis, professor of spiritual formation Gary Selby shows us what the mystics can teach us about everyday spirituality through the eyes of one of the most beloved Christian authors of the last century. C. S. Lewis deeply respected the mystics and thought that their experience truly represented the glory of God breaking into human existence. Lewis believed that in our daily encounters with beauty, we can glimpse the same kind of transcendent union with God that the mystics were given, and that the rich treasures of their tradition could be mined to enrich our day-to-day lives in Christ. What you'll find in this book: Practical guidance on spiritual growth and practices like centering prayer and contemplative attention using Lewis’s paradigm. How Lewis's work lies at the intersection of experience and theological reflection. A scholarly yetaccessible exploration of C. S. Lewis's body of work that illuminates a seldom-analyzed dimension of his thought and writing. Whether you are a lifelong Lewis fan or just discovering his works, you'll journey through the influence of the mystical tradition on Lewis’s life and work and see how to practice everyday mysticism in the way that Lewis would. With The Everyday Mysticism of C. S. Lewis, experience Lewis’s thought in a new way and behold the extraordinary beauty of God in the everyday moments you might be tempted to take for granted.
Endorsements (4)
“Erudite without being snobbish, faithful without being narrow, Gary Selby's book comes highly recommended to C. S. Lewis devotees and students of Christian spirituality.”
“Praise God! Faith does not have to be dry and formulaic! Gary Selby reminds us that C. S. Lewis, this most reliable and sensible of Christian scholars, took permission (and gives us permission) to be alive and attentive to God at work in every wonderful, ordinary moment. Let this good book open your eyes to daily 'glimpses of glory . . . wooing us toward heaven.'”
“Gary Selby shows from a careful exposition of Lewis's writings that the higher levels of mystical union have their beginnings in the tiny theophanies of mundane pleasures. By showing that these pleasures are discovered through a contemplative posture, Selby's book directs our attention to the telos of Christian spirituality: it is not so much about character formation as union with God. This is a message that evangelicals need to hear.”
“It is often assumed that only biblical heroes and medieval mystics were privileged to experience the presence of God directly. But Gary Selby, drawing on insights from C. S. Lewis, shows that all Christians can find what Lewis called 'patches of Godlight' in their day-to-day lives. 'The heavens declare the glory,' but so does the earth and all things in it, especially those created in the image of God.”
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