C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity (Shepherd's Notes) [Paperback]

I have since "moved on" to more detailed and empirically-oriented books by Christians, skeptics, and followers of other religions. Many of these offer interesting facts and insights. But the only place I have found as much wisdom as here (outside the Bible) was G. K. Chestertons's Everlasting Man, which influenced Lewis to faith. (As for Conversations With God, the innane "revelation" one reader recommends instead, a single paragraph of Lewis or Chesterton contains more wisdom than the whole first volume.)

Lewis has a marvelous gift for explaining things in simple terms without patronizing or talking down. Some may find his argument difficult, and others, too simple. In that case I recommend further reading; Lewis is not trying to be thorough.

I agree with the skeptic below that Lewis does not offer "proof" of God, or even logically-compelling evidence. He dismisses atheism with amazing abruptness. "Atheism is too simple. . . If the universe has no meaning, we would never have found out." (How does he know that? Does he have a control universe in his pocket?) But don't misunderstand. Lewis does not really offer "proof" of God. Notice he calls section one, "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." Lewis views our relationship with God not in scientific but in personal terms. God does not force faith on His wayward children, but drops hints for those who are seeking, is his assumption. Life is not an equation, but an adventure, even a romance with truth.

Some also suggest a loophole in Lewis' famous "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" argument for the deity of Christ. Jesus' words were misrepresented by his followers, they say: he didn't really make the claims the Gospels say he did. Here again, remember that Lewis is trying to be concise. If you want his answer to that objection (still a very devastating answer, if you are familiar with Jesus Seminar material), you'll find it in his essay, Fernseed and Elephants. The argument is also more fully developed in the first chapters of "On the Man Called Christ," in part two of Everlasting Man, where I guess Lewis found it in the first place.

There are books with a more empirical approach to the existence of God; Hugh Ross' book on the Anthropic Principle, Creator and the Cosmos, for example, or Don Richardson's Eternity in Their Hearts, that shows how God has worked in cultures around the world. My new book, Jesus and the Religions of Man, argues for the existence of God from comparative religion and miracles. It also discusses the divinity of Jesus in relation to other religions. But I don't know any modern popular author of any viewpoint who can hold a candle to Lewis or Chesterton in terms of expressing deep truths in simple words. Reading Mere Christianity and finding only "a mess of holes," would be like going into a mine full of precious jewels and coming out with bucket of coal. There are truths here that will enrich you the rest of your life, if you lay hold of them.

d.marshall@sun.ac.jp

As a stylist, Lewis employs turns of phrase that are simple, direct and powerful. "A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself." "The first thing to get clear about Christian morality . . . is that in this department Christ did not come to preach any brand new morality. The Golden Rule of the New Testament is a summing up of what everyone, at bottom, had always known to be right."

Lewis is an orthodox believer, and not everyone will agree with him on every issue. One suspects he would disagree with today's pick-and-choose "cafeteria" approach to Christianity. Here he is on sexual ethics: "[A] cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."

I disagree with the reviewers who think this book is "just for Christians." Bearing in mind that not all Christians will accept every single opinion in it, "Mere Christianity" is nonetheless an excellent introduction to the faith and thus offers a great deal of insight for those looking for insight, say, into the belief structure of one's Christian friends. There are tons of primers on Christianity in today's overcrowded religious-book market, but this little volume does the job better than practically anything else I've seen.

allen; charless@ync.net