Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis

This short episode shares the "About the author" blurb from the book. It also mentions that I'll be recording The Screwtape Letters next: search for it under mandmbowles!

What is the "next step in evolution"? What will the "new men" look and be like? In this final chapter, Lewis concludes his consideration of mere Christianity by examining the possibilities.

In this chapter, Lewis responds to the criticism that, if Christianity is true, why are not all Christians obviously nicer than all non-Christians?

In chapter 8, Lewis commented on Jesus's words, "Be ye perfect." He spends this entire chapter elaborating on the meaning of this statement, explaining his view of Jesus's intent.

In the last few chapters, Lewis has presented the Christian idea of dressing up as a Son of God as the means of becoming a son of God. In this chapter, he contrasts this with ordinary ideas of "morality" and "being good." Against this background, he then addresses the contrasting views of the Christian life as being hard and easy.

Earlier in this book, C. S. Lewis explains that our Christian beliefs start with the realization that we are hopelessly sinful creatures in need of saving. In this chapter, he leads us through the role that an unexpected (to many of us) activity plays in that journey: pretending.

In this short chapter, Lewis addresses two issues arising from his metaphor of the toy soldiers from the previous chapter: (1) why God didn't beget many sons (instead of toy soldiers that had to be turned into sons), and (2) the seeming contradiction between envisioning humans as all part of one organism and the importance of individual differences.

How is it that Jesus's life paves the way for our Bios (physical life) to join with God's Zoe (spiritual life)? Lewis pictures it like bringing a toy tin soldier to life.

With this picture of a three-part God in mind (and Lewis provides greater detail in this chapter about the third person, the Holy Ghost), how are we to be drawn into their life of love, i.e., go from "made" to "begotten"? Lewis observes that it is like being infected...

Some of our biggest objections to Christianity involve the concept of time. In this chapter, Lewis shares his understanding of our experience (time) and God's experience (beyond time).

Using the distinction between "making" v. "begetting" that he delineated in Chapter 1, Lewis tackles the concept of the three-personal God: how can God have three identities? Is this symbolism, or is it real?

In Book 4, Lewis tackles the theological concept of the Trilogy. After making the case, in classic Lewis fashion, using straightforward analogies and metaphors, that theology is both practical and necessary, he begins his exploration of the Trilogy by examining the distinction between "making" and "begetting."

Chapter 12 continues Lewis's discussion of faith, addressing the second sense of the word-- the "higher sense" of what it means to reach the understanding that we experience utter failure in trying to keep God's laws by our own effort, and there is nothing we can offer God that is not his already.

In chapters 11 and 12, Lewis addresses what he describes as the two aspects of faith. The first, covered extensively in this chapter, refers to "the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods." Lewis examines the role that temptation plays. He also addresses our notions that God has set before us an exam that we can pass and effectively put him in our debt to hold up his end of a contractual bargain. He then lays the foundation of looking at the second aspect of faith, which he takes up in detail in the next chapter.

In this short chapter, Lewis builds the case that, far from being a ridiculous way of escaping reality, the Christian's focus on another world (Heaven) is the logical response to our earthly experiences.

In Book 3, Chapter 7, Lewis addressed the part of Charity we know as Forgiveness. In the current book, he revisits Charity in a broader sense, giving special attention to the difference between the role of our emotions and role of our will.

Lewis comes finally to the center of Christian morals: Pride. He makes this provocative statement: "Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind," and then spends the remainder of the chapter providing examples from our everyday lives to support it. He closes the chapter with some helpful clarification on what pride isn't.

There are so many things about forgiveness (which Lewis calls the most unpopular of the virtues) that make it hard, and Lewis addresses them all, reminding us that the only terms under which we are offered forgiveness are that we forgive others.

Continuing his consideration of Christian morality, Lewis, with some apology and trepidation as he acknowledged that, at the time of writing this book, he was a single man, turns to Christian marriage. He delves deeply into the role of "being in love" and the beauty of the natural process (which is not reflected in novels and movies) of moving through the thrill of "falling in love" to the quieter, deeper, and more deliberate state of being in love. He closes with comments on the relationship between the husband and wife in decision-making.

Lewis continues his consideration of morality by examining sexual morality. After a lengthy discussion, he closes with the reminder/admonition that "the center of Christian morality is not here," preparing the listener for future chapters on spiritual pleasures.