Mere Christianity
In his book, Seeing Voices, well-known neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks, wrote, “We speak not only to tell other people what we think but to tell ourselves what we think. Speech is part of thought.” In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis gives readers the impression that he is thinking aloud, showing how a former atheist came to understand what it means to believe in God and follow Christ.
Lewis is well-known for his Narnia series and scholarly books examining and explaining the Christian faith, such as The Screwtape Letters. But Mere Christianity didn’t start as a book; it began as a series of radio addresses Lewis gave in the 1940s, during WWII. After the war, he decided to compile the material into a book. Since its publication, the work has been both praised and reviled.
Lewis’s goal in Mere Christianity was to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” (p. viii, preface). But of course, this is an impossible task. As Christians seek to understand God’s words and grow in faith and knowledge within the limitations of the human mind and the pressures of the culture and physical world, differing views of the specifics are inevitable. Evidence of these differences includes the high number of church denominations in existence and the disputes over faith by Christians in the early church.
However, despite any content with which a reader may disagree (including some areas that have seen massive cultural shifts in recent years), Mere Christianity is a thought-provoking and informative read.
As a self-proclaimed layman of the faith, Lewis humbly puts forth the explanations that helped him understand seemingly unfathomable spiritual mysteries. Essentially, the Oxford professor presents the thoughts and wranglings of an ordinary (albeit well-educated and knowledgeable) Christian, “working out his faith with fear and trembling.” By ordinary Christian, I mean one who isn’t a theologian or pastor by training. Though most Christians aren’t university professors, we are all students of the faith, called to deepen our knowledge, grow our understanding, and seek wisdom. Lewis shows us how to dig into theology and mine for comparisons and analogies to test and confirm our conclusions.
His ability to give “real world” examples to illuminate complex theological matters is impressive. Whether using ship formations as an analogy for individual and corporate morality or comparing theology and doctrine to maps of the Atlantic Ocean, Lewis is adept at making challenging concepts accessible to everyone. However, even his most creative analogies and engaging metaphors don’t make Mere Christianity a simple read. The short chapters help, but it is still a meaty book, one best enjoyed in short spurts, with time in between to weigh and process the content.
Mere Christianity has had a tremendous impact on the world since its 1952 publication, helping many people overcome obstacles of reason to believing in God. Even the former director of the NIH, Francis Collins, credits it as the impetus for his conversion to Christianity. (Reading Collins’s book, The Language of God, is what prompted me to read Mere Christianity this year).
God tells us to love Him with our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Although this book isn’t a light “beach read,” it has helped me love God more with my mind and has armed me with valuable ways to engage others who may be wrestling with faith. Though not all will agree with Lewis on every topic (many don’t even agree with much of what the Bible says), valuable insights can be gleaned from this book. And Lewis, with his authenticity, wit, humility, and metaphors, makes the gleaning enjoyable, too.
I don’t believe people are drawn to the works of C.S. Lewis because of his great intellect, stirring prose, or towering reputation. Instead, his appeal is found in how he helps readers not to be afraid to think and reason. Lewis demonstrates that logic and faith are not in opposition to one another and he is fearless in sharing his conclusions. After all, God created reason, gave us brains, and calls us to use them. Lewis answers that call brilliantly in Mere Christianity.
Lewis, C.S. (1952). Mere Christianity. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Sacks, Oliver (1989). Seeing Voices: A Journey into the World of the Deaf. Toronto: Stoddart.