Book Review: Seeking the Secret Place

This time, for my supplemental reading in my devotions, I selected another book by my former boss and great friend Lyle W. Dorsett. Seeking the Secret Place outlines the spiritual formation of C. S. Lewis. This is a beautiful book published two decades ago. I knew I owned this book, but when I found it on my shelf, I discovered something rather perplexing. My book's inscription is addressed to my husband.

I thought the book was mine. During our time in DeKalb, I attended a lecture Lyle gave in Wheaton. I went up to speak with him at the end. Perhaps I purchased a copy of his book to give to my husband for a gift. Who knows!

Somehow, this was another book I read without writing a review. I did not pepper it with tabs to return to later as I did with the E. M. Bounds book on prayer. The title is fantastic! Several scripture passages emphasize meeting God in the secret place (Psalm 27:4-5; 31:19-20; 91:1; Matthew 6:6). Click here for an excellent blog post by John Van Wagoner on "Living in the Secret Place."

This book is special to me because I was involved in the research. Lyle interviewed 42 people who were close to Lewis. Indeed, Lyle and Mary took me on a small trip around Scotland after my time in the Wheaton-in-England program of 1984. We visited Lewis' first cousin, Ruth Parker, in her home near the Firth of Forth in Scotland. I watched as Lyle performed an oral history interview. I remember I sat on her small couch with her big black lab. No doubt, this played a part in nurturing my desire to pursue a master's degree in history. I recorded several of my own oral history interviews for a project related to an oral history course I took at the University of Illinois in 1989.

I wasn't aware of the encouraging role of my Wheaton German professor, Carol Kraft. She was on the Wade Center Advisory Board. She provided prayer support and financial backing for the travel involved in these oral history interviews. What an opportunity I snagged during that blessed time of youth! On a later trip to Edinburgh, I made another personal visit to Ruth Parker, bringing her favorite, a madeira cake.

The Table of Contents alone gives a glimpse of C. S. Lewis' spirituality. He strove to say things "helpful to salvation," to make prayer a "sustained and regular habit," to seek scripture, to participate in the body of Christ (the church), and, when facing conflict, to keep his eye "on the Helmsman." Dorothy L. Sayers (another Wade Center author) called Lewis "God's terrier," and spoke of his "missionary zeal." Lewis met with a spiritual advisor. He pursued a deeper walk with the Lord. If you are interested in learning more about Lewis' life and works, this biography is a great place to start. I don't think my husband ever read it, but I'm grateful for the copy so I could. Many others are seeking this book as well. It has an Amazon Bestseller Rank of #191,914 in Books! That's a very good figure for a book published two decades ago.