Mere Christianity
by C. S. Lewis
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Book Summary Information
Author: C. S. LewisBrand: Harper Collins Publishers
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2001-02
ISBN: 0060652926
Number of pages: 227
Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco
Book Reviews of Mere Christianity
Book Review: Answering the big `What next?' question after Christian conversion. Nail on the head indispensable and vital.
Summary: 5 Stars
C.S. Lewis hits the bull's-eye in a way that no one else has done before. One could imagine how people devoted to reading the Bible all their lives, or going to mass every Sunday, could miss the salient points of Christianity. His vital argument is that Christianity is not about how much Bible you know, or how to spin a doctrine, or how much you praise your local Priest/Pastor, but how to actually set about doing what Christ asks Christians to do. Namely, how to become a little version of Jesus... a Christian!
Instead of breaking down the Bible into a verse by verse tutorial or going through several stages of Catechism, C.S Lewis goes for the characteristics of the Saints and compares them to Jesus to produce a portrait of what God is asking human beings to be like. For all intents and purposes a human being who does not deserve God is called to try and be like God by walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. It is never surprising how this very basic of basic requirements of Christianity goes over most heads who are usually too busy hung-up on apologetics or doctrines to get the simplest of commandments which is the message of the Gospel...
1. Love the Lord your God
2. Love your neighbor as yourself
How do you do this? By realizing that only Jesus can do it for you. Give up trying to do it yourself and submit to Jesus. That is how it is done.
Mere Christianity was specifically designed between 1942 and 1944 to encourage and motivate the British people to fight the Nazi threat. It worked. They won.
Book 1 of Mere Christianity discusses our inbuilt nature to know the difference between right and wrong. Lewis calls it the law of human nature. The argument is good because it becomes apparent that common sense should prevail in the world today... but doesn't. We simply know when we are up to no good, or when someone else is up to no good, not because we have been taught what is right and wrong but because of our inbuilt sense of knowing right from wrong that is active somewhere within us. There also seems to be an unseen force that discerns this difference for us, a sense which Lewis believes comes from a higher being. The thing here is that this higher being seems to desire good will. This means that the higher being is probably good and not bad. The onion is that people don't always do what they know to be right. This indicates to Lewis that man seems designed for a higher purpose but mostly achieves a lower standard of being because of doing wrong.
Book 2 of Mere Christianity goes right for an explanation of the problems set up by Book 1. Lewis thinks Christianity holds the solution to this problem because things turn out never quite like we expect them to be. That point can not be underestimated. Maybe Jesus did create the world? Maybe there is a spiritual battle taking place in this realm? Lewis believes that a fallen angel called Satan is manipulating people to go against their true nature on planet Earth. Lewis proposes that God values free will over direct intervention and wants human beings to freely choose Jesus to thwart the devil's influence in their daily lives. That is basically it.
Book 3 of Mere Christianity is where it is at. This is the big morals and ethics lesson about how to be a better person through Christ Jesus. Lewis talks about the cardinal virtues, prudence (discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it), justice (give due to God and neighbor), fortitude (firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good) and temperance (moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods). Lewis then talks about the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. Sexual morality and Christian marriage play a big part in getting good with God. His lesson is very motivating. Forgiveness is a fundamental. The greatest sin of pride gets a big lecture. Book 3 is the real reason to buy Mere Christianity.
Book 4 discusses God in the sense that someone who goes through the practice laid out in Book 3 can look forward to what is the next projected step in human evolution which is to voluntarily become an eternal spiritual person through Christ. It contains the barest of doctrines and principles but the chapter called Let's Pretend about the teaching of putting on Christ in a sort of dressing up as Christ routine is a mind blowing concept. Here Lewis indicates that no one deserves to be play acting like Christ but that this is what Christ asks people to do by following the directions Christ laid out, such as praying the `Our Father...', yes calling God our dad! See how such an outrageous mockery this is considering how we do not deserve any of it. It is this orientation of one not deserving anything that gains one everything. It is Christ that leads the way to everlasting life not man leading man to nowhere else but the grave. Yes Christ will kill our old selves in the process but what remains is what we are and not what we have become as a result of reflecting what is bad about this world and not reflecting the goodness that is within it. This is eternal life in heaven being spoken about. The greatest quest a human being can undertake.
Mere Christianity is most certainly a Christian essential that will be read more than once for its unlimited value in contributing to good will intensions. You would be hard pressed to find a book as rewarding as this for the little amount you have to read. You will probably do best to read the four Gospels after reading Mere Christianity to figure out more about the Christ who we are asked to put on. Remember to let Christ do the work. We cannot do it ourselves. God bless C.S Lewis!
Some additional points however need to be made. This book was written during the 1950s and there has been much progress since then. Being yourself is important. Stop speculating about prophetical end times. Read the Gospels instead. Don't worry about Satan. Concentrate on Jesus instead. Reason before mystical feelings (feelings can be misleading). Check your reasoning with experts. Live life as best you can. God loves you. God is with you always. Pray for the better. Christ's love gets us into heaven. Mistakes are just mistakes. Be careful with legalism (trying to depend too much on the commandments or regulations to get you into heaven and not Jesus). Keep the commandments as best you can though. Christians do develop with the times as they have always done so try to stay in touch. Vatican II aligned Priests are recommended for Catholics. Protestants Christians and Brothers and Sisters in Christ would do best to have a Biblical exegesis that uses the historical critical method instead of just concentrating on direct literal interpretation alone. Also I would add that above all else is honesty and Christianity is not exempt from this because in fact it promotes it. Religion of all kinds should be allowed criticism (Christianity takes full advantage of this when it touches on other religions). A person should honestly evaluate the arguments rather than ignore them. That would be the Christian thing to do.
Summary of Mere Christianity
A forceful and accessible discussion of Christian belief that has become one of the most popular introductions to Christianity and one of the most popular of Lewis's books. Uncovers common ground upon which all Christians can stand together.
In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.
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