Mere Christianity

by C. S. Lewis

The classic Mere Christianity has been on my bookshelf, probably passed along in my family, for a long time. I’m so glad I added it to my devotional reading this fall. C. S. Lewis, a prolific writer, but perhaps best known to the general public for his Chronicles of Narnia series, was an English literature professor. In his introduction to Mere Christianity, he makes it clear that the intent of this book (originally a series of radio talks) is not to persuade his readers to join a particular denomination of Christianity. Instead, he says, “Ever since I became a Christian I have thought that the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbours was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” He goes back to the basics, what it means to be a follower of Christ, not a follower of a certain religion.

Although C. S. Lewis is esteemed as an academic, he is quite capable of taking theology, which he claims is not his forte, and make it understandable in common language. Mere Christianity is a “must read” for Christians and for those seeking to understand and have a relationship with God.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Christianity, Nonfiction

Notes: Mere Christianity is a compilation of three short books: The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality.

Publication:   1945—Macmillan

Memorable Lines:

Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he “likes” them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on—including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.

After the first few steps in the Christian life we realize that everything which really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God.