The Screwtape Letters
edJEWcation Book Club #3
In this soul-poking, faith-fueled, wildly entertaining episode of edJEWcation, we dive deep into C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters—that brilliantly British, devilishly clever tale of temptation and bureaucracy in Hell (which could be confused with your last Zoom meeting).
Jay returns from Passover in full carb-rebound mode, ChayaLeah defends the honor of Jewish moms everywhere, and Dan—our resident Christian theologian—joins the pod to confess his love for Lewis, loathe for Narnia, and struggles with joy, forgiveness, and judgment (so basically, Tuesday).
Whether you’re a Jew, a Christian, an atheist with literary taste, or someone who enjoys hearing Dan get politely steamrolled by rabbinic firepower—this one’s got something for you.
✡️🔥 Main discussion points:
C.S. Lewis 101: Irish-born, WWI vet, former atheist, Tolkien’s BFF, and surprise: he married a Jewish woman.
Joy vs. Happiness: Is joy divine? Is happiness just sugar water? We break it down with references to theology and Simchat Torah dance.
Judaism vs. Christianity: Satan's job title, the nature of free will, and whether you can be forgiven too easily.
Free Will & The Daily Grind: Why even small decisions (like cutting your tithing in half) may be inching you toward idolatry.
The Devil’s Playbook: Temptation isn’t always about pitchforks. Sometimes it’s just a nudge during prayer or a loud chewer at synagogue.
Destination Addiction: Why living for “someday” is the devil’s best trick—and how we forget to notice the water we're swimming in.
Radical Forgiveness: Can you forgive a Nazi guard? And should you? (Spoiler: This got heated.)
Religious Hypocrisy: Being judgmental ≠ being devout. And yes, Screwtape might be subtweeting your frum neighbor.
C.S. Lewis’s Mic Drop: “There are no ordinary people.” We end with a gorgeous quote that’ll haunt your next supermarket interaction.
🕍👼✨ It’s spiritual, spicy, and might get you to (re)read The Screwtape Letters—or at least stop judging your pew-mate’s outfit.
I loved this episode. And I might get some hate for this (and I am NOT a theologian) but I feel like the discussion was sort of touching on this issue without naming it so it might be helpful to clarify that some Christians are Supersessionists or practice Replacement Theology, believing that the Christian Church has superseded or replaced the Jewish people as God's covenant people. I do not endorse this or think that these people are correct, just explaining that they have existed in history. I personally think it is bad theology and has caused a lot of pain; and in fact in Mathew 5:17 (NIV) Jesus said "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I come not to abolish them but to fulfill them." He said it Himself.
I’m so excited for this, you cannot understand!!