Mere Christianity |
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C. S. Lewis
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Pages: 192 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0006280544
Pub: Fount
Pub date: 1997-12-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 34304
Editorial Review:
In 1943, when hope and the moral fabric of society in Britain were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains its urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.
Reader Reviews:
Your nicked (0/0 people found this helpful)
This book is the citizens arrest of Christianity. Logical, well written and dangerous. You really can't read it without coming to a decision of whether to agree with his conclusions or not.
Good fun, though not logical (1/2 people found this helpful)
Lewis writes brilliantly and will persuade those who wish to persuaded. There is of course nothing logical about Christianity, as some Christian apologists have recognized from Tertullian's certum, quia impossible est to Sir Thomas Browne: "Methinks there be not half enough impossibilities in religion for an active faith."
An example of Lewis's fallacious argument is seen in his declaration that Jesus' declaration that he is God is either a lie, a statement of a madman, or something worse. In fact, there is no reasonable certainty that Jesus ever made this claim, since it appears in the least historical of the gospels (none of which were written by the original disciples). For a good, scholarly study of the gospels, see Spong, Rescuing the Bible from fundamentalism : a bishop rethinks the meaning of Scripture.
Lewis' stance in this book is kind persuasion of the average reader. Thus he must ignore historical and anthropological data that show that the belief human sacrifice is necessary to please the god(s) has antecedents thousands of years before Christianity. Obviously many people still find credible the idea that only a human sacrifice can please God (yes, we all know Christians believe Jesus to be God, but Jesus suffered horribly as a human being). A god who requires human sacrifice (note precedents in OT) because all human beings inherit the guilt of their supposed first parents, Adam and Eve, is a bronze age god. The old, bloody ideas of collective, inherited guilt requiring human sacrifice keep marching on.
simply wonderful! (0/0 people found this helpful)
CS Lewis shines in this book. He has the extraordinary ability to see into the heart of things and to provide simple answers to complex questions concerning christianity and humanity. Like the desert fathers, he shows considerable understanding of the human psyche and on every page, demonstrates his extraordinary humanity. I laughed in a deep and hearty way (and with joy) at some of his thoughts. Well done Mr Lewis; I hope and pray that you see the good Lord face to face!
a masterpiece of thoughts (1/1 people found this helpful)
this is BRILLIANT! Lewis explains to the heart, as well as the head... simply a must read for anyone, especially those searching and unsure. its not 'proof' as the atheist demands proof, but i was smiling with joy that God can be explained so elequently and logically... this book breathes hope. it will certainly get the brain cogs working if nothing else!
Mere Fiction (4/18 people found this helpful)
Mere Christianity is a very simple book. Hence the very simple nature of this review.
Firstly, Clive (The "C" bit of C. S. Lewis) thinks it solidifies his arguments to say "I used to be an atheist, but..." when all that does is add to the horror at how he could let himself get so caught-up in fairyland.
Secondly, most of the metaphors Clive attempts to use to demonstrate the apparent virtues of his new-found creed are cheap and inappropriate. Take the idea that "a hand without a body is like a man without a god"- this is blatant nonsense- man can and does function perfectly well without the need for a god. This is a yellow-weak approach to philosophy, transparent and belonging to the collective consciousness's sewage system.
Thirdly, this book serves as a very useful document to affirm to the atheist that he is correct. Nothing in here- not the suggestion that creation is too beautiful to be a cute combination of accident and evolution, nor the idea that most people have believed in a God throughout history so they can't all be delusional- is even remotely convincing, thus the atheist will quickly emerge from this childish stroll all the firmer in his original convictions.
Finally, and most worryingly of all, this book makes a more convincing case for Christianity than its modern equivalent- Anglican Bishop Tom Wright's "Simply Christian"- probably because it steers clear of theology (mythology?) and focuses instead on word-spinning of the lowest vulgar denomination. No wonder the gullible love Aslan so!
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