However, I did not encounter some of the passages that he enclosed in quotation marks ("___") in this book. Mere Christianity is such a classic work, and having been read by millions over the past sixty years plus years, it is difficult to say anything new about it. Yet when I read it as a teenager, I had just read the Gospels for the first time in my life, and I had been deeply struck by Christ's words and sense of authority. If we did… surely we would all agree that if anyone deserved the death penalty, then these filthy quislings did? Lewis is the ideal persuader for the half convinced, for the good man who would like to be a Christian but finds his intellect getting in the way.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. He talks about a moral standard that we all feel inside, and how Christianity is about living an ideal without taking personal pride in our performance. Animals sacrifice their own bodies for the good of the herd, or colony, or another in need all the time. It is an easily understood account of what Christianity is actually about by the author of the Narnia Stories. The American geneticist Francis Collins related his story of conversion from atheism in his book, The Language of God (2006), [54] and described Mere Christianity as having influenced him to embrace Christianity.Lewis points out that earthly experience does not satisfy the human craving for "joy" and that only God could fit the bill; humans cannot know to yearn for something if it does not exist. It's a fairly short and easy read, considering the subject matter, though not for those who are looking for an easy way out. He speaks of universal laws, the differences between longstanding morality and modern psychology, and the logic of why the Christian Gospel, of the invasion of humanity by the God/man Jesus and how theology is constantly practical in every area of the individual, personal lives of moder people. I can see how someone would see it as a good book, if you already believed the premises and conclusion to begin with. The language is a bit archaic, and some of the chapters may need to be re-read several times before finally grasping the content.

Due to the timing of the fourth set of talks (10:20 pm), Lewis said he could not do them all live and would have to record some. Having sold over half a million copies in the UK alone, his overview of Christianity has been imitated many time, but never bettered. But I did read Mere Christianity on the heels of the Gospels, and at the time it sufficiently satisfied my intellect, which made it possible for my mind to join my heart in conversion. Why not just our natural instincts, which help us decide what the right thing to do is, based on the situation. This remains a valuable book, and one that large numbers of people have used to understand just how practical an adult and real a faith in Christ is.So, he set two false premises, there is something out there that made the universe and that he put the Moral Law inside our hearts. Those of us that don't have a moral sense, or fail to exhibit one, aren't going to be able to join society. He then equates the human struggle with "living behind enemy lines" or in the enemy camp - after aiding and abeding that enemy if one realizes he/she is on the wrong side what does one have to do?

It was a hit because at that point, Lewis had already published a number of fiction and non-fiction books including Out of the Silent Planet (1938), The Problem of Pain (1940) and The Screwtape Letter (1942). Mere Christianity has retained popularity among Christians from various denominations, and appeared in several lists of finest Christian books. It was adapted from a series of BBC radio talks made between 1941 and 1944, originally published as three separate volumes: Broadcast Talks (1942), Christian Behaviour (1943), and Beyond Personality (1944).

I am going to stand by my argument from before, that morals arise from natural human behavior that generally benefits society as a whole. Lewis has some skill and intellect, but the way he meanders about duality, truth, social darwinism, pathetic fallacy, comparative anthropology, and scientific process tends more towards self-justification than any profundity. S. Lewis does not justify his explanations well enough - that there is not enough of a burden of proof that he has fulfilled. The author is now firmly established as one of the most notable thinkers of this, or any generation, and the appearance of ‘Mere Christianity’ will be warmly welcomed.