Screwtape's Master Plan

He's baaack! That infernal demon, Screwtape, from C. S. Lewis's classic book, The Screwtape Letters, has returned. Screwtape is armed with a Master Plan designed to acidify and ultimately destroy the cultural tapestries of a critical region of the world and the humans therein. In a series of lectures delivered to a legion of demons, Screwtape highlights key principles and tactics for twisting human thinking and behavior in the areas of materialism, sexuality, intergroup relationships, self-actualization, work and vocation, and understandings of Jesus. Screwtape's ultimate objective is to snuff out God's light in the region by encouraging Christians to assimilate to prevailing cultural norms or withdraw into their own cultural bubbles rather than faithfully integrate into the cultures around them. Through a process known as the Amishification of the Church, Screwtape expects the Christian church to become a minor backwater institution in the region by the end of the twenty-first century.By redeploying C. S. Lewis's Screwtape character in a contemporary context, Anderton reminds us that the subliminal battle to undermine God's plan for humanity is still raging. This book helps identify tactics to counter cultural demise by reimagining how the church integrates with culture.--Linda Bourie, Missionary ArtistThrough careful observation and analysis, and by borrowing the approach of C. S. Lewis, Anderton shows us why the church in the U.S. is having only marginal influence on our culture. As I read, I repented of my complacency and resolved to engage my world with greater humility, intentionality, and grace.--Lou Soiles, Associate Pastor, Trinitarian Congregational ChurchAnderton's concept of 'swollenness and segmentation' provokes new thought and ideas for countering the spiritual forces of darkness around us. Using a kind of reverse engineering, Anderton takes our current situation and reduces it to smaller components that can be effectively managed and addressed.--Joe Shea, Campus Missionary and Area Director, Campus Ambassadors Deftly skewering the fallacies that underlie our tired dichotomies of conservative and progressive, scientific and spiritual, Anderton's devilish protagonist challenges us to remember what is basic and bold about Christianity. From divine delight in the material world to the key role of women in God's mission, Screwtape's Master Plan is a booster shot for the church's subversive, culture-transforming potential. The return of Lewis's demon has given me a lot to think and preach about.--Lisa Green, Rector, Saint John's Episcopal ChurchCharles Anderton has written a courageous book. He has dared to take C. S. Lewis's classic and extend its downside-up perspective to see what the devil might be doing with today's materialism and many polarizations. He has done it well and has written a challenging and helpful book.--Dick Keyes, Director of the L'Abri Fellowship, Southborough, MassachusettsCharles H. Anderton is Professor of Economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. He is the author or coauthor of articles published in scholarly journals on the economics of conflict and a coauthor, with John R. Carter, of Principles of Conflict Economics (2009).