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Some people might wonder why this study guide is so extensive. The average PhD dissertation can average between 75-100,000 words and this study guide has 190,000. Hopefully, its readers will appreciate the depth and comprehensive nature in the presentation of the material. 

The overall goal in the creation of this study guide was to help as many people as possible in as many different formats in understanding The Screwtape Letters. I have adapted and modified the layout to be of greater benefit for additional settings such as college or high school classes, small groups, home school, and personal study. There are handouts for each letter which are intended to provide flexibility for the teacher and student to go as deep or shallow into the letters as they desire. 

In an effort to make these available as reproducible handouts I have designed the material to fit on two sides of a regular sheet of paper (8 ½ X 11) for easy copying and distribution. Copyright permission is granted for the purchaser to copy the handouts for personal classroom or home use only. Each handout will be divided into five sections (see below). My suggestion is for the student to be introduced to each letter by reading the first 4 sections of this guide, followed by reading the actual letter itself, and then to interact with the study questions.

The handouts are divided into different sections as follows:

Themes- What’s great about the Letters is that every dispatch has its own set of strategic themes that Screwtape is intent on using to trip up humanity. Sometimes there might be one or two prominent themes while at other times the letter focuses on a breadth of topics. 

Synopsis- This section will include a brief summary of the specific letter under study. Furthermore, there are times when Screwtape makes references to other writers or events in history with which the reader may not be familiar. These will be highlighted and referenced if possible as some are quite difficult to track down. This is an important part of understanding the Letters. Lewis was extremely well read in ancient and medieval literature and many of his themes can only be fully grasped if the background literature is read in its context.

Theological Themes- There is no doubt that Screwtape has had satisfactory theological training, but, as Lewis himself reminds us in the original Preface, there are times when the reader may question and/or disagree with what Screwtape is advancing as true. It is in this section where these themes or theological challenges will be introduced and explained.

Vocabulary- Screwtape is not a dim-witted devil and he occasionally uses some language that was prevalent in 1940s England or language so advanced that some may need help. This section will provide these words in the order of their appearance in the respective letter to help the reader avoid having to find a dictionary each time they read a different letter. 

Study Questions- It would be easy enough to simply avoid this section and greatly expand the theme sections, but some of the greatest means of learning are in wrestling with the material in order to sort out the various arguments and strategies put forth by Screwtape. To encourage this type of learning, this study guide is meant to provide enough material to help anyone understand the letter better. This section involves questions that have three different objectives: 1) questions that ask the reader to summarize the logical flow of argumentation by Screwtape; 2) questions that stimulate the reader to compare this argument with what the Bible teaches about the same topic; 3) questions that encourage the reader to see the tactics of Screwtape and help him/her find Biblical answers in order to apply these personally and thwart the attacks of the spiritual enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11).

One of the reasons the study guide is so extensive is that I have provided detailed answers to all the questions in the Answer Key at end of each letter of the study guide.  It is in the Answer Key where most of the detail, explanation, and commentary of the letters occur.