Is Theology Poetry? Summary and Analysis

Lewis opens the sermon by stating that the topic is not one of his choosing. He then defines theology as "the systematic series of statements about God and about man's relation to Him which the believers of a religion make." Furthermore, he offers that not every belief system has theology. Greek myths, for example, do not share a universal theology.

Lewis begins by asking if theology only offers the value of poetry. Poetry, Lewis says, satisfies man's imagination. If theology exists only as poetry, Lewis offers that it is poor poetry, because it lacks drama and detail.

The lack of fantasy fails in theology where the myths and fairy tales serve to arouse one's imagination. Lewis describes that one's enjoyment of fantasy differs from one's enjoyment of nonfiction, and if one believes one's theology, one must call...