It’s been a significant number of years since I last delved into Mere Christianity. I found myself wondering if I would still take pleasure in Lewis’s nonfiction prose style. To be honest, I basically do, although I have a few reservations.

The best part of the book, in my opinion, is Book One. Here, Lewis presents a logical argument for the existence of a moral law that resides within each of us. His argument is so tight and perfect that every time I came up with a “But wait, what about...?” question, I discovered that upon further thought, Lewis had already addressed it.

However, Book Two seems to me to skip over what should naturally follow that grand opening. Specifically, I feel that Lewis assumes the reader’s acceptance of Jesus as presented in the Bible and understood through Christian tradition. In England at that time, he was likely correct. But now, after several decades of postmodern thought and the general weakening of Christianity as the default belief system in the West, many readers might appreciate an additional section that explicitly examines all of that background that Lewis took for granted. As it stands, Books Two through Four may move a little too quickly through areas that may not always seem like the most important topics to discuss. Lewis focuses so much on logic and behavior that he tends to overlook the pure basics of what the faith itself means, not in relation to how we respond to it.

Nevertheless, Lewis is an insightful and incisive thinker. It is a pleasure to observe him navigate through some very complicated territory. Mere Christianity, I believe, is best understood not as the ultimate argument for Christian faith, but as one former atheist, now Christian, thinker’s exploration of his own faith and what it can teach him about faith in the universe in general. Although it is not the final word on Christianity nor necessarily the greatest introduction to the faith, it has inspired countless other books and authors to adopt the same conversational style. It is a classic of its time, a great portrayal of a faithful intellectual confronting difficult questions.

Going into this reread, I was concerned that the artifacts of Lewis’s personality and time (even though he was a bit ahead of his time) would detract from the goodness of the book. Certainly, there are moments that feel like “a tweedy don in his comfy study, contemplating the world outside his college.” But these moments are rarer than I expected (they are there, though, and it’s up to the reader to decide how distracted they will be). And even though Lewis is never quite at his best when writing about women—and he was still a bachelor when he wrote this book—he has some quite profound and perceptive comments about marriage. (Again, though, there are a few comments about women that are definitely not correct or sensitive, and it’s up to the reader whether the right response is to overlook them or throw the book across the room.)

I don’t know if Mere Christianity would change the mind of someone determined not to understand the Christian faith. However, by inspiring a whole series of those “But wait, what about...?” questions, it will at least bring people closer to understanding why there are those in the world who see such faith as a reasonable way of comprehending the universe.

As I read through the book this time, I enjoyed watching the series of sketching videos on the fantastic “C. S. Lewis Doodles” YouTube channel. Here are links to the videos available for chapters from Mere Christianity—highly recommended!

Book 1, Chapter 1

Book 1, Chapter 2

Book 1, Chapter 3

Book 1, Chapter 4

Book 1, Chapter 5

Book 2, Chapter 1

Book 2, Chapter 2

Book 2, Chapter 3

Book 3, Chapter 1

Book 3, Chapter 2

Book 3, Chapter 5

Book 3, Chapter 6

Book 4, Chapter 1

Score for literary merit and enduring cultural importance: 5+

Score for actual theologizing: 3 tops

“Theology means ‘the science of God,’ and I think any man who wants to think about God at all would like to have the clearest and most accurate ideas about Him which are available.”

“If Christianity only means one more bit of good advice, then Christianity is of no importance. There has been no lack of good advice for the last four thousand years.”

I’d read this piecemeal through high school and college (including a Lewis tutorial in Oxford during my year abroad). Then, the ladies of my extended family did an online book discussion through five months of last year. The chat fizzled out, as these things so often do. I think many struggled, not with the ideas but with the language, finding it dated and inaccessible. Meanwhile, I was the devil’s advocate, with much the most liberal and ‘heretical’ views.

Now that I’ve finally gotten around to finishing, I’ll condense some of the thoughts I sent via e-mail into a general response. This second time around, about a dozen years after I first started broadening my idea of what Christianity could be, I was surprised by how inadequate I found much of Lewis’s thinking to be. His stated aim is to illuminate the least common denominator of Christian doctrine, but the effect of this is to produce a flat picture of a faith that doesn’t evolve to fit changing circumstances.

Lewis relies on what, to me, seem like over-simplified dualities. For instance, in his discussion of pantheism and monotheism, he offers a caricature of the viewpoints and doesn’t discuss the subtleties of a middle way known as “panentheism” (everything rests in God, as in Acts 17:28: “For in him we live and move and have our being”). I also find the dichotomy between the powers of good and darkness – and especially martial metaphors like “enemy-occupied territory” – both unhelpful and outdated. Likewise, I was disappointed by Lewis’s unfair dismissal of “Creative Evolution.” He misrepresents the serious attempt to reconcile undeniable scientific fact with a belief that there is purpose and value to human life.

I’m not sure I agreed with his discussion of the term “Christian” and how it has been devalued. A comparison with the term “gentleman” didn’t resonate. He tries to argue that whereas “gentleman” once had wealth and class meaning, it now refers to behavior only, and the same is happening with the term “Christian.” Yet if faith without works is dead, and many people outside the Church are more Christ-like than those inside, perhaps the very word “Christian” should only be applied to those who really merit it. For this reason, Irish theologian Peter Rollins says that being a Christian “means entering into a journey of becoming one” – acknowledging that we will never reach the ideal of modeling Christ.

I’ve always thought Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic or Lord” argument a rather weak one. He’s assuming that Jesus thought himself to be God, whereas Paul writes “Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself” (Philippians 2:6). However, I appreciated the discussion of how Christianity is not intuitive and that this in itself is support for it being true: principles like “whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it” don’t make logical sense, but are the way of God’s Kingdom.

I liked the idea that nature can give us a picture of God – and that it suggests both beauty and terror. I also appreciated his mention of the “good dreams” of a dying God that prefigured the way for Christ (though I find his language about “heathens” patronizing) – this is something I read a lot about in college religion classes, particularly Joseph Campbell’s book of comparative mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

A few more points I found particularly useful were:

•\\ttheories of atonement are just pictures and needn’t be taken too literally

•\\tJesus models for us a new way to be human (a great Switchfoot lyric, that), even a next step in human evolution

•\\tthe sacraments are ways of entering into the life of Christ

•\\tthe incarnation was God entering the world by stealth, “starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil” – a quiet revolution rather than a forceful takeover (I’ve thought a lot about this – see, e.g. The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren)

•\\tChristian creative work is not in some separate class: “Christian literature comes from Christian novelists and dramatists—not from the bench of bishops getting together and trying to write plays and novels in their spare time”; “no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

Book III, Chapter 3 (“Social Morality”) is terrific, and very provocative. Lewis ponders what a society based on the Golden Rule would look like: a place where every politician, economist and artist was committed to seeking the common good and treating people as they would wish to be treated. Imagine – no advertising, no charging interest, none of the trivial and superficial matters that make up so much of society today. Call it socialized or communist or whatever you like, but it’s supported by the way of Jesus and the model of the early Church. I was especially challenged by his opinion that our charitable giving should be putting constraints on our lifestyle, and if it’s not, we just aren’t giving enough.

Chapters on sexual morality and marriage are also very good. I think he’s right that while chastity is an unchanging virtue, notions of modesty and propriety are culturally relative and change over time. I especially loved this line: “But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village.” In other words, it’s ludicrous to think that our every sexual desire could or should be satisfied. I also loved the metaphor of putting a lamb chop on display under a cover and slowly revealing it – like a striptease, but with food. This would seem both ridiculous and unhealthy to us, a sign of both starvation and obsession. Indeed, our relationship with sex in this porn-drenched day and age is similarly sick and addictive.

It’s interesting to read Lewis’s ideas about Christian marriage, knowing that he wrote this book in 1944 but didn’t marry until 1957. I wonder what he would have changed, if anything, if he’d written this as a married man. I agree with him completely that marriage is a decision and a promise that long outlasts “being in love.”

Perhaps my biggest objection relates to Lewis’s position on capital punishment and just war. Lewis states, “It is, therefore, in my opinion, perfectly right for a Christian judge to sentence a man to death or a Christian soldier to kill an enemy.” Lewis himself fought in WWI and was writing in the throes of WWII, so he lived in a different time, one where war seemed justified and necessary. Now, in our age of “preventive” warfare and anti-terrorism, this is not the case anymore, nor is capital punishment ever right. The ‘right to life’ is the right to life for everyone, criminals included – because who among us is truly innocent? Jesus didn’t set parameters on peace; he simply said “Blessed are the peacemakers,” “love your enemies,” and “if a man strikes you, turn the other cheek.”

My favorite lines may well have been about not looking to religion for comfort: “God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from...If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth – only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”

The fact that the book originated as a set of radio broadcasts is reflected in the style – it’s less formal and more conversational than your average theology book. If at times it seems a touch patronizing – like a Sunday school primer – that speaks to his desire to make this comprehensible for new Christians and questioners alike.

There are so many memorable metaphors here: souls as tin soldiers coming to life, the image of religion as a hallway with many rooms, the idea of God being ‘sixpence none the richer’ whenever we give our talents back to him. In terms of introducing useful examples and analogies, you can’t fault it.

This is an important book for any Christian to read, if only because C.S. Lewis has had such a huge impact on Evangelical theology (especially in America) through to the present day. It was even voted best book of the twentieth century by Christianity Today magazine in 2000. It’s definitely worth reading (or rereading after years or decades), even if just to see what you think is helpful and salvageable and what strikes you as outmoded.

Mostly brilliant, it’s a fresh and orthodox approach to the core of Christian truth.

This work stands out for its remarkable clarity and depth. It presents the fundamental tenets of Christianity in a way that is both accessible and profound. The author has managed to bring a new perspective to age-old teachings, making them relevant and engaging for modern readers.

The fresh approach taken here breathes new life into the subject matter, while still remaining firmly rooted in the orthodox traditions of the faith. It offers a unique opportunity for those seeking a deeper understanding of Christianity to explore its core truths in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually fulfilling.

Overall, this is a work that is sure to have a lasting impact on the field of Christian studies and to inspire countless individuals on their spiritual journeys.

Wow!

What an astonishing experience it is to read the work of pure genius like C.S. Lewis!

Whether one aligns with his views or not, his remarkable intellect, sharp reasoning skills, and powerful deductive abilities are truly awe-inspiring.

In this book, he meticulously chronicles his transformation from a devout atheist to a committed Christian.

He details each step, starting with his original assumption and then recording his intellectual odyssey through every idea to its final outcome.

With each conclusion, he provides understandable and often masterful examples.

For example, during the turmoil of WWII, Lewis began to question where the concepts of "right" and "wrong" truly originated.

Amidst the contrast between the Allied Forces and the Nazis, he came to the realization that there must be an overarching "good" force and a "bad" force vying for supremacy.

He then equates the human struggle to "living behind enemy lines" or in the enemy camp.

If one realizes they are on the wrong side, they must surrender to the other side.

It's not just about crossing the line to be accepted, but rather laying down one's weapons, begging for asylum, and placing oneself at the mercy of the opposing force.

This is a profound example of accepting God.

However, it's important to note that this is just a simplified paraphrase and does not fully capture the depth of Lewis's thought process.

The same meticulous thinking is applied to every point that defines Christian teachings.

But here's a word of warning: this book cannot be read hastily.

It demands to be digested slowly, with each point presented, pondered, and then either internalized or rejected.

It requires time and thought, otherwise, it would be a waste of the money and time invested in obtaining the book in the first place.

This is a compilation that combines 3 'books' which were actually BBC radio broadcasts and later published in print in 3 separate volumes (The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality - Mere Christianity). Now, they are brought together into a single book. The edition I listened to was published by Blackstone Audio Books and was read fairly well by Geoffery Howard.

I have a fondness for Lewis' Narnia series, and he has long been regarded as a Christian icon, an atheist who converted to Christianity and then spoke 'eloquently' on behalf of his religion. However, I was astonished by his blatant rationalization. I had some glimmer of hope when I listened to his foreword, where he made a nice distinction about how the word "gentleman" had been devalued from an objective fact to a mere term of individual approval and was thus rendered useless. That was excellent!

But then, in the main text, he proceeded to misuse the words 'instinct' and 'nature' to such an extent that their meanings became hopelessly muddled. Worse still, he based a significant portion of his argument for his 'Law of Nature' on selfishness without differentiating it from self-interest. In fact, he blurred the two into one. This is sloppy and unconvincing to anyone who has read Ayn Rand's sharp distinctions. (I don't entirely concur with her conclusions, but I do admire her ability to define her terms precisely.)

His rationalizations continued to deteriorate from that point on since he had no proper foundation. They weren't even proper statements but rather seemed like pop psychology meanderings that used 'good' and 'bad' as if they had a fixed meaning without proper context.

Here's an illustration: It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table. Now if we are agreed about that, I go on to my next point,...

Seriously? I don't agree! We constantly debate this as individuals and as societies. Right and Wrong are not absolutes but are context-dependent within the ethics of the society and the morality of the individual.

- Is it better to assassinate one man to halt a conflict or to endanger and likely kill dozens or even thousands by fighting 'honorably'?

- Is it better to let a dozen guilty men go free rather than imprison one innocent man?

- Is it acceptable to torture a terrorist to prevent a plot that might kill dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? What about billions?

It's a line in the sand that shifts constantly, and few of us can reach an agreement with any consistency or for any length of time.

I wonder how anyone could take him seriously. Well, I suppose it just goes to show that if religious people were rational, they wouldn't be religious. I'm definitely not going to waste any more time on this.

I don't know how to begin this book review. I've probably typed and deleted a dozen sentences already. Why should this be so difficult?

Because, I liked it.

I did.

Except.

No. Even that part, the part he got wrong, I liked.

Which made me wonder.

Who is this book for?

Christians?

Obviously. We love this stuff. Having a smart guy give smart reasons to explain why Christianity makes perfect sense feels...smart. It sits well, if you will. Many, if not most, of his arguments were things I had not previously thought about in terms of why I believe there is a God and why I believe that Christ was our Savior. And to have them explained to me with both his brilliant circular logic and then the helpful and much-easier-to-follow analogy, filled my believer's bucket.

But I don't think Lewis prepared these addresses (Mere Christianity is actually a compilation of radio addresses he delivered on the BBC during the Second World War) in order to simply preach to the choir.

Because Lewis was a former atheist, I believe he felt strongly, especially during such a major conflict as the war which included in its causes a fight against evil, that the world needed to understand where our morality comes from. I think he was motivated to convince the masses that goodness isn't something we choose because it makes the world a better place or because our parents taught us the golden rule but rather, we choose it because God is real. Christ is real. And the possibility to become like them is real.

So, what about the others? How would a non-Christian respond to Lewis?

It's hard for me to say, because, while I think he's very convincing and right quite a lot of the time, there are times throughout the book where I think he's wrong. I think he's wrong because I have been taught something different and I believe that to be truth instead. It's difficult for me to not take that one step further and assume that others who have been taught something else might thing he's wrong in even more places.

This inability for me to claim the book as all right is a stumbling block. I want to be able to say, "Read this. He makes the case for Christianity." But I'd have to add, "However, I think he's a little off about the Godhead." Lewis, himself, frequently cites his own reasoning as guesswork. I admire his ability to say, "I can't be sure but this is how I think it works." If he had done that with the Godhead, I'd probably be a lot more at ease with my reaction to the book but he doesn't. He's pretty firm about how God begat Christ, which makes him his "Son" although they are the same being, just as a cube can be made up of more than one squares but they are not separate from the cube. They are the cube. God is God. All of Him. I'd continue to explain the Holy Ghost but it gets a little confusing. My belief that they are three different beings is so much more clear to me.

Still, it is what it is. A fascinating and articulate justification for Christianity. And read with a proper British voice narrating in my head, it was a delightful and enlightening read. It offers a unique perspective on the Christian faith, one that challenges and engages the reader. Whether you are a devout Christian or someone simply curious about the religion, Mere Christianity is well worth the read. It may not answer all of your questions, but it will surely make you think and perhaps even change your perspective. So, pick up a copy and see for yourself what C.S. Lewis has to say. You might be surprised.

This book is truly amazing.

I am one of C. S. Lewis's most ardent fans. From the enchanting Chronicles of Narnia, to the captivating Space Trilogy, and even his thought-provoking non-fiction work, I have been deeply drawn to his literary creations. The only reason I haven't delved into more of his works is that I prefer to own my own copies and read them at my own leisurely pace. His books are simply too precious to be borrowed from the library.

Fortunately, I do possess my own copy of Mere Christianity. And I have read it numerous times. It is astonishingly amazing. The arguments presented are so logical and well-thought-out that they make perfect sense even to the average reader. I firmly believe that more people should take the time to read this remarkable book.

I am certain that I will read this book many more times throughout my life. Virtually every paragraph is filled with sound advice and profound knowledge. It is one of those rare books that make you exclaim, "Wow, that makes so much sense."

There are countless favorite lines in this book, but one of my absolute favorites is "Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and everything else thrown in." This is the very last part of the final paragraph of this book, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” CS Lewis is an author who has set a goal for me this year! The first one has been accomplished, and there are many more to come.

Of course, he is a 5-star author. Some parts are deep, some parts are way beyond my comprehension, and some parts I grasped with all my heart and soul. It felt like a loving grandfather having a profound conversation with one of his grandchildren. I kept thinking about what a voice of reason he was during the time this was written. A time when the world was shattered by wars and various philosophies. I can't even imagine hearing words of comfort and exhortation to Christianity on the radio!

I'm excited to delve deeper into this very prestigious author. I have read some of his works, but it has been a very long time ago.

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

“Now is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won’t last forever. We must take it or leave it.”

*Audiobook
The first time I delved into this book in 2014, I was certain that I had a deficiency in the intellectual realm as I simply couldn't fathom it. However, after "rereading" it in 2019, I came to the understanding that when one is a young Christian, there is an eagerness to learn everything, to soak it all up at a breakneck pace, while ignoring the common sense approach of taking it easy and pacing oneself, thinking it through. This way, one won't end up exhausted, disillusioned, having lost their way, and facing the possibility of losing their faith due to entertaining doubts.
I suppose I have matured since then. The beauty of reading and rereading "Mere Christianity" after a few years apart is that it draws you back to the point of reference regarding why you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior in the first place. C.S. Lewis was correct; we need to be reminded often of the lessons we have drawn from Christianity that we once heard (especially if you have been away from it for so long). Christianity is indeed about an educational process. If followed diligently and obediently (and not being too hard on oneself), it would transform your entire being and existence for the better. No idle mind should apply. Above all, I have noticed many times in my life that God's unconditional love for you endures, and for that, I am most grateful.

I read this book years ago (before I was on Goodreads) and was completely enamored with it.

Every single time I delve into a work by Lewis, I am simply astounded. This brilliant man not only showcases his remarkable intellect but also his profound humility.

What I truly love about his writing is the way he manages to make complex and big concepts understandable and accessible to the average person. He has this unique ability to break down the most intricate ideas into simple and relatable terms.

Yet, at the same time, he is not afraid to state that there are certain things that remain unexplainable. And he attributes this to the fact that our God is just that great. His works are a beautiful blend of intellectual exploration and spiritual reverence, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and inspiring read.

As a now more mature Christian, this book does not impress me as deeply as it once did.

The reason is that I don't see its arguments as being objectively persuasive to the non-Christian. Some of them, which seemed to me compelling at the time, now seem too simplistic, admitting of only a few possible arguments.

Yet when I was a teenager, I had just read the Gospels for the first time in my life. I was deeply struck by Christ's words and sense of authority. At that moment in my life, I WANTED to be a Christian. Possibly, I would have become one even if I had never read Mere Christianity on the heels of the Gospels.

But I did read Mere Christianity after reading the Gospels. And at the time, it sufficiently satisfied my intellect. This made it possible for my mind to join my heart in conversion. I give it five stars primarily because of its influence on me.

It did not persuade me to convert, certainly (Christ's preaching did that). But it played a significant role in my journey. And I have yet to encounter another modern apologetic quite as simultaneously accessible and "clever."

Mere Christianity really introduced me to basic Christian theology. It may not be a persuasive book for the agnostic or the atheist. But it is a superb book for the new convert or almost-convert. Mere Christianity helped to draw me in; Screwtape Letters helped to keep me aware of where I really was (and wasn't).

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” This profound statement by C.S. Lewis truly makes one stop and think. It highlights the importance of self-reflection and the journey towards moral improvement.
Oh my goodness, leave it to C.S. Lewis to help me make sense of Christianity. As a Christian, I have found his words to be incredibly powerful and convicting. He has a way of presenting complex theological concepts in a way that is accessible and understandable.
Lewis's works have had a profound impact on my faith. They have made me realize that being a Christian is not just about believing in certain doctrines, but about actively striving to be a better person. His insights have challenged me to look deeper within myself and to confront my own flaws and weaknesses.
In conclusion, C.S. Lewis is a remarkable writer and thinker whose works have the power to transform lives. His words continue to inspire me on my journey of faith and I am truly grateful for his contributions.