Mere Christianity

The classic Christian apologetic. It starts very broadly and gets very specific. I have many copies of this book because I'm always lending it or leaving it somewhere and I tend to panic without the reference. I recommended this book to a friend who was struggling with her dad not being a believer and after reading it she said she really felt better about talking to him. If I could make sure everyone in the world read one book, this would be it.

This book is a fantastic introduction to Christianity. I found myself highlighting quite a few passages, and really being intrigued by Lewis' ways of thinking and metaphors. I'd say this is a must read for anyone interested in the Christian faith.

Pretty great book. It's not very dense and pretty easy to read. He does a good job in establishing the ground work and then builds up into religion and then eventually Christianity. I think this book is not so useful for evangelising but rather building up the faith of someone who already believes. Maybe the first couple chapters are useful for evangelising but the aspect on practical Christian living is maybe not necessary for someone who does believe yet. As a Christian it helped me a good bit.

Key takeaways:

- A nice, well explained summary of the ‘key' tenants of the faith, while acknowledging and leaving room for people to have differing views.
- C. S. Lewis is a master at examples.
- I found the section on pride to be especially convicting. I can be perfectly happy with what I have, but as soon as someone close to me has more, I suddenly become dissatisfied with something that had previously been enough.
- Do not worry about whether or not you feel love for a person. Act as though you do. In doing that, you will have loved the person.
- God operates outside of time. Imagine you are an author writing a story about Mary. You write, “Mary sat down at her table to eat.” You can then go back to the start of her story and fill in some details, then jump to the end of the book and adjust her ending. When you resume, Mary doesn't know anything happened, but you can move around outside of time and adjust the story.

nice people or new men?

Although he betrays in a few places that this was written by a British man in the 1940s (the language is a bit stuffy, a he makes a few side comments that lean on gender stereotypes), overall this is as good as any modern definition of the Christian faith, a sort of Nicene Creed for today's world.

Coming to Lewis a bit later than most of the people in my theological circles, I think as strictly speaking “apologetics,” I'd still be more likely to hand someone Screwtape Letters if they didn't know anything about Christianity since it takes a more creative route. But the straightforward logic in Mere Christianity is great stuff for conveying the intellectual tradition of the faith in accessible language for laypeople. His approach to all people having a conscience, science as a source of knowledge, and the shortcomings of society's definition of “progress” are very sound. I was also a bit surprised by his heavy emphasis on sanctification, the process of leaning into virtues that reinforce each other and make us more holy over time. Lewis has become an evangelical saint, and evangelical traditions don't always lean into sanctification language, so I really appreciated its presence here. Reminds me of the Hebrew word timshel, which appears in Steinbeck's East of Eden and a Mumford and Sons song: “And you have your choices / and these are what make man great / his ladder to the stars.”

I particularly appreciated his ecumenical spirit, which is both always generous and particularly suited for today's world, when denominational affiliation means less than it used to. He also uses lots of practical metaphors, and he comes across as authentically humble.

A good read for someone with major doubts (either within the church or outside it), or someone who just wants to have a better understanding of the intellectual foundations of the Christian faith.

Great defense against atheism and agnosticism by [a:C.S. Lewis 1069006 C.S. Lewis https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1367519078p2/1069006.jpg]C.S. Lewis. His way of going around a point a few different ways can help someone relate to the topic, but can drone on when you already grasp his logic. I would recommend taking the time to read through this no matter your religious affiliation.

I loved this book. I don't agree with everything C.S. Lewis says, I agree with the majority. This is a great thought provoking read. I think I'd like to thread it in a few years.

A classic that (in my opinion) should be read by every follower of Messiah. C. S. Lewis here has written a clear and compelling defense and vision of the core of Christianity. He goes through a sort of moral argument for God, outlines the basics of what it means to be a Christian, and talks a bit about Christian virtue. As with most of Lewis' writings, this one is filled with little nuggets of wisdom. I'll share two of these here that stood out to me:

On the nature of atonement, C. S. Lewis makes passing reference to the various atonement theories. But as far as being a Christian, he says it doesn't matter so much that you get the mechanics of atonement right so much as you partake of Christ. It's like eating. Knowing the details of how vitamins and minerals work in your body doesn't fill your belly. Eating the food does.

On theology, I love his metaphor of the beach. Here Lewis responds to critics who claim that experiential knowledge of God is more real and therefore theology is inferior. Lewis concedes that experience is more real, just like standing on a beach looking out at the ocean. But, theology does something experience can't–it takes the collective experience of believers across the ages and arranges them together into a sort of map. It's not as real as being at the beach, but it gives you a much bigger picture then you could ever get from just your own two eyes.

This one is definitely a must read.

Book Review - Mere Christianity by CS Lewis - this is a classic book that seemingly everyone has read. I picked it up to read it with a group for the first time and I understand why it is such a classic. But it is helpful to understand that it was originally given as a series of radio spots. So the chapters are about 10 minutes. And the four sections are distinct. I thought the second to the fourth were better than the first.

My full review of the book is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/mere-christianity/

If you're seeking, searching or questioning faith of any kind, I'd recommend including this book alongside whatever else you may be reading.

Easy read, but man what great insight.
This man is one who can eloquently set about on explaining the difficult things for the dimwitted.