The Problem of Glory

“Glory, simply put, is a problem” (p. 126). This statement by Dr. Richard Hughes Gibson in his just released book, The Way of Dante: Going Through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven with C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Charles Williams (2025), is such an apt view of glory. We can look at glory as problematic both from a Christian aspect and our everyday lives. Glory is very hard to define and hard to grasp. Gibson pointed out that C.S. Lewis viewed the idea of “glory” as problematic primarily because it can be misunderstood or misused.

In his writings, especially in The Problem of Pain and The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis emphasized that true glory is rooted in humility and is ultimately a reflection of God’s greatness, rather than something to be sought for personal pride or recognition. Lewis wrote in is 1941 sermon The Weight of Glory, “Salvation is constantly associated with palms, crowns, white robes, thrones, and splendor like the sun and stars. All this makes no immediate appeal to me at all, and in that respect I fancy I am a typical modern” (p. 35). Lewis went on to say, “Either glory means to me fame, or it means luminosity. As for the first, since to be famous means to be better known than other people, the desire for fame appears to me as a competitive passion and therefore of hell rather than heaven. As for the second, who wishes to become a kind of living electric light bulb?” (p. 36).

Lewis was warning against pursuing glory as a means to elevate oneself above others or to gain superficial honor, as this can lead to pride and spiritual downfall. Instead, he was advocating understanding glory as a gift from God, something bestowed in humility and gratitude, not a human achievement to be flaunted. We would all do well to remember this is our everyday lives today.

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