Mere Christianity.

Book Review.
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. Harper One. 1980
Comment. Henry.
This book is one of the most popular introductions to Christian faith ever written. It is a compilation of radio broadcasts that Lewis made during the war years in which he set out to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times”. What Lewis shares on the topic of Christianity is very relevant to our post-Christian religious culture. This ‘intellectual apology’ will give all readers much reason for reflection and has for me been ‘an encouragement in the faith’.
There is a “Law of Nature” (7) about right and wrong but none of us keep the law. We don’t practice what we expect of others while at the same time make excuses for our own behaviour. In so doing we affirm our belief in the Law of Nature. This moral law is more than instinct.
There are two views concerning the universe, the materialistic view and the religious view. Lewis introduces an “in-between view called Life-Force philosophy, or Creative Evolution, or Emergent Evolution”. (26)
Our obligation to the Moral Law (of Nature) which we cannot keep places us into a dilemma. The dismay of this truth needs to be understood before we can appreciate the answer(s) that Christianity gives to this dilemma. It is ineffective to attempt to talk to people about ‘salvation’ if they do not realize their need of it.
Lewis maintains that, “If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all other religions are simply wrong all through”. (35) The majority of people believe in a God or gods. These ‘believers’ can be classified as Pantheists and/or Christians. To insist that “there is a good God in Heaven and everything is all right” (40) is a very incomplete explanation of Christianity. Dealing with evil and the evil one is an important part of Christianity. Lewis gets into the concept of ‘free will’ which was God’s idea. “It makes evil possible and is also the only thing that makes possible any love o goodness or joy worth having”. (48) God’s response to the consequence of evil is to send his Son to become our Savoir. The acceptance of God’s provision for our ‘fallennes’ requires repentance on our part.
Morality is concerned about three things: “fair play and harmony between individuals, harmonizing the things inside each individual, and the general purpose of human life as a whole.” (72) There is a tendency to focus on the first and ignore the other two. There are four “cardinal virtues” (76) of morality, “prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude”. (76)
The compassion of morality and psychoanalysis are present in Christianity. It is demonstrated in sexual morality especially in Christian marriage. Forgiveness is a fundamental of Christianity. The terms of forgiveness include, “as we forgive those who sin against us”, especially our enemies.
“Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind”. (122) There are three Theological virtues; “Faith, Hope, and Charity”. (129) Charity, which is Christian love, will be a part of our lives if we act on the assumption that we have it. Feeling will follow action. Hope is “a continual looking forward to the eternal world”. (134) Faith can be viewed on two levels. It is simply belief which must be trained as a habit. It is also very much action(s) that is demonstrated by our life-style (working out our faith).
The final “book” of this resource is about theology which the author is very cautious about but not apologetic. Begetting (reproducing) is quite different from making (creating). A man begets a son/daughter but he makes a monument. Lewis distinguishes Natural Life, which he calls “Bios” (159) from Spiritual life which he calls “Zoe”. (159) Christianity is about a person going through the change from having Bios to having Zoe.
Lewis gets into the concept of a “Three-Personal God”. (160) God is not confined to time and this characteristic is something that is very hard for us to comprehend. “The purpose of becoming a Christian is to become a little Christ”. (177) By his incarnation, death, and resurrection Christ has provided salvation for us but “we individuals have to appropriate that salvation”. (181) How this happens is expressed in different ways. It is suggested that the process of becoming a ‘Son of God’ (small Christ) involves a phase of “pretending to be what you are not”. (188) We are helped by others in this process. The Three-Personal God (Trinity) is also very much involved. The Christian life is both hard and it is also easy. It demands our all. That is the cost. But at the same time Christ works in us changing us into his image. This is a change from being creatures (creations) of God to becoming Sons of God.
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