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Friends

Doug Gresham (C.S. Lewis’ Stepson)

Doug Gresham (one of C.S.Lewis’ stepsons, and the one that features
in the various Shadowlands productions) is a good friend. He now has an
email address: if you’d like it, email me with your reason/s for
contacting him (he’s pretty busy) and I’ll pass your request for
correspondence on to him…

I promised some time back to ask Doug some questions about his
step-father: here is the first instalment.

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher


I am constantly amazed at the wide variety of things in which people
are interested concerning Jack and myself. As for the specific questions
you asked:-

What are you doing these days?

I am kept fairly busy working as Quality Control and Copyright
Infringement Consultant to C.S.Lewis Pte, which is my actual job,
working in my role as Consultant to Paramount Pictures and Kennedy
Marshall, trying to make the projected film of The Lion The Witch and
The Wardrobe a good and faithful representation, and as good a movie as
it can be.

I’m also running Rathvinden ministries. Rathvinden is becoming
busier as time goes by. We are now the seminar venue for ACCI (The
Association of Christian Counsellors of Ireland), as well as the Irish
centre for IPLCARR (The Institute of Pregnancy Loss and Child Abuse
Research and Recovery). The hospitality ministry to Ministers is also
busy, with visitors from all over the world.

I am also flying back and forth across the face of the planet to
speaking engagements. I speak about Jack and my mother, and my life with
them, and my own work in the service of Christ. Often this means
addressing the question of abortion as it impacts the Christian mind.

I am writing for Scripture Union (See current issue of Alive to God
and the next isue of Daily Bread) and also spend a large amount of time
on my ministry by mail to people all over the world.

Merrie [Doug’s wife] is still busy teaching Christianity Explained
(the brilliant course devised by Michael Bennett) to all and sundry, and
also running Rathvinden.

We are both going to Nashville tomorrow where I am to speak at
several events. On the 16th I will be at Davis Kidd Booksellers at
6.30pm., on the 17th at the Johnson Theatre Tennessee Performing Arts
Center to lecture at 7.00pm., on the 18th at the same venue to introduce
the play Shadowlands, and then speaking at a reception afterwards. Then
returning to Rathvinden to greet two visiting families.

What happened to your brother?

My brother David and I have never been close. He lives in India most
of the time, is married and has one son Isaac. David decided to pursue
Judaism at an early age, and has (as far as I know) done so ever since.
We are not in communication with each other.

What do you think of A.N. Wilson’s biography of C.S.Lewis?

The Wilson biography is, I think, the worst book I have ever read
about Jack. It is my opinion that though well written in a sort of
sensationalist journalism style, it is so full of errors and untruths as
to be valueless to any serious scholar. As I have said before, if while
studying C.S.Lewis, you read the wrong biography, you wind up studying
the wrong C.S.Lewis. You can find yourself trying to make sense out of
the study of a completely fictional character. I think the best
biography of Jack is “Jack: C.S.Lewis and His Times” by George Sayer.

Very best wishes,

In Christ,

Doug.

Discussion

Comments are disallowed for this post.

  1. very interested in in asking douglas a question. Very big fan and CS Lewis and I just purchased Douglas’ biography of lewis. Was wondering if you could send me his email address at [email protected]

    Posted by Ricky Dettmer | August 18, 2016, 7:54 pm
  2. Hi, I am a huge Douglas Gresham fan and would be delighted if you could share his email. I’m at [email protected]
    THANK YOU

    Posted by Peter | July 20, 2016, 9:16 am
  3. Hi Rowland,

    There’s an eleven year gap here between your post and my question! But I have lost Doug’s email and I wondered if you might send it to me. [email protected]. I spent a month with the Greshams, gardening at Rathvinden. We continued to correspond when Merri and Doug went to Malta, but now I’ve lost the address. I’ve moved three years ago from Monbulk (where I knew the Pinksters who introduced me to John and Amanda, who subsequently teed up for me to visit Rathvinden in 2000). Kind regards,

    Dean Spalding

    Posted by dspalding | October 27, 2014, 2:50 pm