De Descriptione Temporum

In this essay C.S. Lewis expounds on his approach while accepting the position as the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University. First, he talks about history- and how we divide it. In order to understand history, we divide it into periods. Dramatic changes did not happen overnight; however. History is really just everyday life. Small changes happen continually. Thus man and society have evolved. Lewis points out that even though his focus is going to be "Medieval and Renaissance Literature," who can really define that period? It cannot be discussed without some reference to it's own past and future.
Lewis also talks about the difference between the Renaissance and modern culture- even recent modern culture. The secularization of society, increase in skepticism, and emphasis of progress are wholly different from the ideologies that tie every other period of history together. We are not returning to paganism, we are rejecting religion altogether. We do not seek to conserve and preserve the goods we have already acquired- we want newer, better things. Modernization has brought about the biggest change thus far in history, Lewis argues.
Finally, Lewis claims that he is a student of this era of literature. He may not have the best understanding of it, but he reads Medieval/Renaissance literature as if he lived then. So, what he lacks in understanding hopefully he'll make up in character. You learn more about dinosaurs by seeing one, not by reading about them for years. In the same, Lewis hopes to teach the rest more about Medieval literature, because he is, in a sense, a dinosaur.
I really enjoyed this essay. I find history somewhat fascinating- how movements and ideas have gradually developed, then how they affect us today. I also found it interesting that Lewis does not like to separate different chunks of history. I've rarely thought about that before. Thoughts, movements did not develop overnight. Like everything else in life, like the history we are creating today, it's a process. Life is relational and complex- these truths are easy to forget- in search of quick solutions. I've been really learning this in my faith. I used to think "Ok God taught me this, I've got it down now- what next?" And then, a few months later I'd have the same questions, the same struggles. And I'd ask God..."why am I struggling with this again? aren't there other things for me to learn? why don't i get it? can't i just be done?" But...it's a process. My relationship with God is a process. He loves me when I question him. He loves me when I don't. My relationships with peoples- they're processes too. Am I going to choose to love them today? Am I going to even think about choosing to love them, or will I be so caught up in myself that they're needs won't even come to mind? Will I be looking at the clock, thinking of the work I need to get done tonight while listening to a friend? These are things I'm learning. Love people. Love God. These are things I've been learning. These are things I will always be learning. I will never have them down. . .