What was C.S. Lewis’s Christian conversion autobiography published in 1955?
Answer
Surprised by Joy
Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s Christian conversion autobiography published in 1955.
The book recounts Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his return to Christianity. It describes experiences of longing, imagination, reading, friendship, and philosophical reflection that shaped his journey. Lewis calls the intense desire stirred by certain experiences “Joy,” while also explaining that Joy itself is not identical with Christian faith.
Lewis was raised in the Church of Ireland but became an atheist in his adolescence. His eventual return to Christianity developed gradually. Conversations with J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson in 1931 played an important role in his renewed belief, although the process included earlier influences and stages.
Surprised by Joy is not the same book as Mere Christianity, which grew from wartime radio talks, or A Grief Observed, which reflects on the death of his wife. Its title refers to a distinctive form of longing central to Lewis’s spiritual autobiography.