TSL Chapter 7

Chapter Summary

Screwtape answers a question posed by Wormwood about whether demons should let their presence and reality be known (it's against orders) and then returns to his earlier comment about Pacifism v. Patriotism both (probably) supporting his demoniacal ends.

He argues that both can be made ends in and of themselves, and are therefore good ways to bring an idol between man and God.

Literature & Theology Together

I'm going to do these together because they mesh pretty well in this chapter.

The Masquerade & The Materialist Magician

Wormwood has apparently asked if it would be okay to reveal his presence to the patient. Screwtape reminds him that it's forbidden by the High Command (capital letters in the original). 

He examines the obvious tradeoffs: if people accept the existence of demons, they won't be materialists. If they deny them, they won't be magicians. If you have to remain hidden, you can't directly terrorize someone with demonic attacks a la The Exorcist.

He then posits the ideal configuration -- a Materialist Magician: someone who denies the reality of the metaphysical world but nevertheless worships (rather than just "uses") 'Forces,' engaging the forbidden demonic world while still intellectually denying it.

This makes for a pretty good swipe at Scientology, although it considerably pre-dates it. CSL is taking aim at the cults of his time that made use of the trappings of science.

For what it's worth, I think he's right about people "emotionalizing" and "mythologizing" science to their detriment. Science, for better or worse, has a lot of emotional credibility and all sorts of people (secular and religious) who ought to know better routinely claim Science is on Their Side.

Patriot v. Pacifist

CSL addresses all the points of my earlier confusion more than adequately. His issue is less about patriotism v. pacifism and more about the dangers of zealotry in the service of anything other than God. In this view, pacifism motivated by a (pure) desire to serve would be Godly, but almost any corrupted, earthly form of it would amount to the worship of an idol, and therefore deliver the extremist into the hands of the demons.

He also makes some good points about the isolating, extremism-generating nature of sects and cults, finding them good mechanisms for driving corruption.

He's counseling moderation in all things except obedience to and worship of God, and that sounds eminently reasonable and tenable.