Mere Christianity
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Text | Mere Christianity online |
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Mere Christianity is a
Mere Christianity was published in the United Kingdom by
Deemed a classic in Lewis's career and religious literature, Mere Christianity has often received a wide readership decades following its release, and contributed to establishing its author's reputation as "one of the most 'original' exponents of the Christian faith" in the 20th century. The work, with Lewis's arguments for God's existence in it, continued to be examined in scholarly circles. Mere Christianity has retained popularity among Christians from various denominations, and appeared in several lists of finest Christian books. Often used as a tool of evangelism, it has been translated into over thirty languages, and cited by a number of public figures as their influence to their conversion to Christianity. Several "biographies" of the book have also been written.
Background
After reading Lewis's The Problem of Pain James Welch, the Director of Religious Broadcasting for the BBC, wrote Lewis the following:[1]
I write to ask whether you would be willing to help us in our work of religious broadcasting ... The microphone is a limiting, and rather irritating, instrument, but the quality of thinking and depth of conviction which I find in your book ought sure to be shared with a great many other people.[1]
Welch suggested two potential subjects. Lewis responded with thanks and observed that modern literature, the first, did not suit him, choosing instead the Christian faith as Lewis understood it.[1]
In the preface to later editions, Lewis described his desire to avoid contested theological doctrine by focusing on core beliefs of the Christian Faith.[2] The succinct and pithy language employed by Lewis enabled him to impact broad audiences, while retaining intellectual substance for more studied readers.
Every Wednesday from 7:45 pm to 8 pm during August 1941, Lewis gave live talks entitled "Right or Wrong: A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe" which would become the first book in Mere Christianity. The first set of talks became very popular and flooded Lewis with responses from an adoring and irate public. This feedback led to Lewis going back on air to answer listeners' questions.
The following January and February, Lewis gave the next set of talks on what would become "What Christians Believe". The talks remained popular and because of the success of the newly released The Screwtape Letters, Lewis’s publisher was happy to publish the broadcast talks as books that year.
In Autumn 1942, the third series of talks were, ironically, cut down from 15 to 10 minutes. Due to a miscommunication, Lewis had prepared for 15 minutes, but added the cut material back into the next book and added several more chapters.
The fourth set of talks did not take place until 1944. The script drafts had a much wider scope originally, and Lewis prepared for 10-minute talks when the BBC was giving him 15. The timing of these talks was important and strictly adhered to due to technology and World War II, Germany would broadcast propaganda through the English-spoken "Lord Hawhaw" during any dead air. 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.
The Case for Christianity (Broadcast Talks in UK)
The core of the first section centres on an argument from morality, the basis of which is the "law of human nature", a "rule about right and wrong," which, Lewis maintained, is commonly available and known to all human beings. He cites, as an example, the case of Nazi Germany, writing:
"This law was called the Law of nature because people thought that everyone knew it by nature and did not need to be taught it. They did not mean, of course, that you might not find an odd individual here and there who did not know it, just as you find a few people who are colour-blind or have no ear for a tune. But taking the race as a whole, they thought that the human idea of decent behaviour was obvious to everyone. And I believe they were right. If they were not, then all the things we said about the war were nonsense. What was the sense in saying the enemy were in the wrong unless Right is a real thing which the Nazis at bottom knew as well as we did and ought to have practised? If they had had no notion of what we mean by right, then, though we might still have had to fight them, we could no more have blamed them for that than for the colour of their hair.[3]
On a mundane level, it is generally accepted that stealing is a violation of this moral law. Lewis argues that the moral law is like scientific laws (e.g. gravity) or mathematics in that it was not contrived by humans. However, it is unlike scientific laws in that it can be broken or ignored, and it is known intuitively, rather than through experimentation. After introducing the moral law, Lewis argues that thirst reflects the fact that people naturally need water, and there is no other substance which satisfies that need. 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.[4]
After providing reasons for his conversion to theism, Lewis explicates various conceptions of God.
Christian Behaviour
The next third of the book explores the ethics resulting from Christian belief. He cites the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. After touching on these, he goes into the three theological virtues: hope, faith, and charity. Lewis also explains morality as being composed of three layers: relationships between man and man, the motivations and attitudes of the man himself, and contrasting worldviews.
Lewis also covers such topics as
His most important point is that Christianity mandates that one "love your neighbour as yourself." He points out that all persons unconditionally love themselves. Even if one does not like oneself, one would still love oneself. Christians, he writes, must also apply this attitude to others, even if they do not like them. Lewis calls this one of the great secrets: when one acts as if he loves others, he will presently come to love them.
Critical reception
Initial reviews of Mere Christianity generally show enthusiasm,
Describing the book as "a rare gift", Edward Skillin of the Commonweal magazine commented of Lewis's ability to make "complicated matters" more accessible especially to laypeople.[5] On a passage of the book, Edward D. Myers of Theology Today noted, "This is clear, it is simple, it is eminently Christian, and it is typical of the ease with which Mr. Lewis puts great matters into plain language."[5] Joseph McSorley of The Catholic World found Lewis writing "with his customary clarity and incisiveness, and with proofs that the average man will find convincing. It is a delight to see him demolish in a paragraph many of the heresies which have contributed to our present ghastly condition."[10] The Tablet, a Catholic magazine, wrote:
"We have never read arguments better marshalled and handled so that they can be remembered, or any book more useful to the Christian, in the Army or elsewhere, who finds himself called upon to argue briefly from first premises, to say why morality is not herd-instinct, why there is a special and unique character attaching to the sense of obligation, why the conviction that there is a law of right and wrong and a transcendent morality is only intelligible if there is a God."[11]
The Times Literary Supplement wrote of Lewis's "quite unique power" of making theology interesting, even "exciting and (one might almost say) uproariously funny".[7] The reviewer added: "No writer of popular apologetics today is more effective than Mr. C. S. Lewis."[12] The Clergy Review's G. D. Smith opined that Lewis "shows himself a master in the rare art of conveying profound truths in simple and compelling language".[12] J. H. Homes of the New York Herald Tribune Weekly Book Review wrote that "his clarity of thought and simplicity of expression have a magic about them which makes plain the most abstruse problems of theological speculation".[7] The Guardian said: "His learning is abundantly seasoned with common sense, his humor and his irony are always at the service of the most serious purposes, and his originality is the offspring of enthusiastically loyal orthodoxy."[12]
"Mere Christianity is a popular, not an academic, book, which is not directed towards a readership of academic theologians or philosophers. It is simply unfair to expect Lewis to engage here with detailed philosophical debates, when these would clearly turn his brisk, highly readable book into a quagmire of fine philosophical distinctions. Mere Christianity is an informal handshake to begin a more formal acquaintance and conversation."
—Alister McGrath on the book's readability[13]
The author
Scathing criticism came from the philosopher John Beversluis, in his book C. S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion (1985).
Legacy
Mere Christianity has been referred to as a classic of Lewis's career,
Mere Christianity has retained popularity years after its publication,
According to Peters, the book is more popular among Christians of various denominations,[44] including Catholic, Latter-day Saint, Orthodox, and Protestant,[45] but less among non-Christians.[44] It is often used as an evangelistic tool,[46] predominantly in Christian-majority countries, including the United States, where its influence is most felt.[47] Furthermore, its influence is strengthened by the publication of its translations;[48] according to Marsden, it has been translated to about thirty-six languages.[49] In the next decades, Mere Christianity is continued to be reprinted and sold by Christian[50] and online booksellers.[51] For instance, soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was translated into the several native languages of its breakaway states, which was done by Orthodox Christians to rebuild their influence.[49] As of 2010, the book had been in BookScan Religion Bestseller's list for 513 weeks, consecutively.[52] There is also a considerable readership in China, with 60,000 copies had been sold there as of 2014.[49]
The book has also been cited by a number of public figures as their influence to their conversion, or re-conversion, to Christianity as well as other Christian denominations.
Mere Christianity has been featured in several lists.[60] It was included in the 2000 book, 100 Christian Books That Changed the Century, by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen.[61] In 2000 and 2006, the evangelical magazine Christianity Today's editorial board included Mere Christianity in its "Books of the Century" and "The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals", respectively.[62][63] In a 2013 article to Christianity Today, McGrath ranked it the first among the five books by Lewis he liked the most.[36] In the same year's "The Best Christian Book of All Time Tournament", run by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Mere Christianity was voted as the all-time, best Christian book, only after Augustine's autobiography Confessions.[64] In 2018, Christianity Today's Greg Cootsona, a writer of the relationship between religion and science, featured it in his "5 Books That Bring Science and Christianity Together" listing.[55]
Mere Christianity has influenced other Christian publications,[65] with the scholar Gary L. Tandy noting that it remains the standard for assessing them, mainly the apologetic ones.[66] Subsequent publications with allusion to the book in their titles include N. T. Wright's Simply Christian (2006) and McGrath's Mere Apologetics (2012).[66][67] The American pastor Tim Keller referred to his apologetic The Reason for God (2012) as "Mere Christianity for dummies".[68] The bimonthly ecumenical Christian magazine Touchstone, which started publication in 1986, is subtitled A Journal of Mere Christianity.[69][70] Paul McCusker's C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity, which provides insights to the work in its historical context, was published in 2014; it was praised for being well-researched but was criticised for its factual errors.[71] Another "biography" of the book, C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, written by Marsden, was released in 2016,[72] and received a positive reception from critics,[73][74] with some criticism to its conclusion.[75]
References
- ^ a b c "CS Lewis - Lecture 1-A: Mere Christianity Study". YouTube. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ Mere Christianity (PDF). Samizdat. 2014. pp. 120–.
- ISBN 978-0-06-065292-0.
- ^ a b The Life and Writing of C.S. Lewis, Lecture 3; The Great Courses, Course Guidebook; Professor Louis Markos, Houston Baptist University; The Teaching Company; 2000
- ^ a b c d Derrick 2018, p. 97.
- ^ Heck 2007, pp. 67–68.
- ^ a b c Sayer 1994, p. 280.
- ^ a b Marsden 2016, p. 139.
- ^ Hannay 1981, pp. 265–266.
- ^ Derrick 2018, p. 99.
- ^ Derrick 2018, p. 100.
- ^ a b c Heck 2007, p. 68.
- ^ McGrath 2013, p. 315.
- ^ Duriez 2013, p. 149.
- ^ Peters 1997, p. 163.
- ^ Marsden 2016, pp. 145–146.
- ^ McGrath 2013, pp. 315–316.
- ^ McGrath 2013, p. 317.
- ^ Marsden 2016, pp. 140–141.
- ^ a b Marsden 2016, p. 142.
- ^ Marsden 2016, pp. 142–143.
- ^ Marsden 2016, p. 143.
- ^ Duriez 2013, p. 149; McGrath 2013, p. 213; Phillips 2002, p. xi.
- JSTOR 23006495.
- ^ Marsden 2016, p. 1; McGrath 2013, p. 2.
- ^ Brown 2013, p. 85; Heck 2007, p. 51; McGrath 2013, p. 298.
- ^ Simpson 2013, p. 181.
- ^ Heck 2007, p. 52; Lindsley 2005, p. 24.
- JSTOR 48579655.
- JSTOR 48616106.
- JSTOR 45296964.
- ^ Ball 2022, pp. 186, 201.
- ^ Evans 2010, p. 387.
- ^ McGrath 2013, p. 8.
- ^ Heck 2007, pp. 51–52; Martindale 2007, p. 148; McGrath 2013, p. 2.
- ^ a b McGrath, Alister (11 July 2013). "My Top 5 Books by C. S. Lewis". Christianity Today. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Ball 2022, p. 205; Marsden 2016, p. 145.
- ^ Phillips 2002, p. 297.
- ^ Green & Hooper 1974, p. 211.
- ^ Heck 2007, p. 51.
- ^ Hooper 1996, p. xii.
- ^ Edwards 2007, p. 7.
- ^ Hinten 2007, p. 91.
- ^ a b Peters 1997, p. 154.
- ^ Marsden 2016, pp. 2, 132.
- ^ Marsden 2016, p. 119.
- ^ Martindale 2007, pp. 125, 136.
- ^ Martindale 2007, p. 149.
- ^ a b c Marsden 2016, pp. 134–135.
- ^ Wilson 1990, p. 215.
- ^ Martindale 2007, pp. 148–149.
- ^ Blake, John (17 December 2010). "Surprised by C.S. Lewis: Why his popularity endures". CNN. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Edwards 2007, pp. 6–7; Heck 2007, p. 52.
- ^ van Biema, David (10 July 2006). "Reconciling God and Science". Time. Vol. 168, no. 3. pp. 46–48. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ a b Cootsona, Greg (20 February 2018). "5 Books That Bring Science and Christianity Together". Christianity Today. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ISSN 0743-2429.
- ^ George, Timothy (18 May 2015). "A Thicker Kind of Mere". First Things. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Derrick 2018, p. 147; Marsden 2016, pp. 117–119; Miethe 1999, p. 12.
- ^ Marsden 2016, pp. 126–129.
- ^ Heck 2007, p. 52; McGrath 2013, pp. 2, 526.
- ^ Petersen & Petersen 2000, pp. 96–98.
- ^ "Books of the Century". Christianity Today. 24 April 2000. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ "The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals". Christianity Today. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ Marsden 2016, p. 124.
- ^ Marsden 2016, p. 122.
- ^ JSTOR 48580493.
- ^ McGrath 2013, p. 123.
- ^ Sacramone, Anthony (25 February 2008). "An Interview with Timothy Keller". First Things. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Kushiner, James M. (June 2009). "Mere Economics: The Dollars & Sense of Publishing". Touchstone. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- Lakeland Ledger. p. D1. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- .
- JSTOR 26379639.
- ISSN 0363-0277.
- ^ "C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity: A Biography". Kirkus Reviews. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ISSN 2412-4265.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-01-97626-25-2.
- Brown, Devin (2013). A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis. ISBN 978-1-58743-335-1.
- Derrick, Stephanie L. (2018). The Fame of C. S. Lewis: A Controversialist's Reception in Britain and America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-01-92551-51-1.
- ISBN 978-0-7459-5586-5.
- ISBN 0-15-123190-7.
- Hannay, Margaret Patterson (1981). C. S. Lewis. ISBN 0-8044-6242-9.
- Hooper, Walter (1996). C. S. Lewis: A Companion & Guide. ISBN 0-06-063879-6.
- Lindsley, Arthur (2005). C. S. Lewis's Case for Christ: Insights from Reason, Imagination, and Faith. ISBN 978-0-8308-3285-9.
- ISBN 978-06-91153-73-5.
- ISBN 978-1-4143-3935-1.
- Miethe, Terry L. (1999). C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. ISBN 978-0-8054-9347-4.
- Peters, Thomas C. (1997). Simply C. S. Lewis: A Beginner's Guide to the Life and Works of C. S. Lewis. ISBN 0-89107-948-3.
- Petersen, William J.; Petersen, Randy (2000). 100 Christian Books That Changed the Century. ISBN 0-8007-5735-1.
- Phillips, Justin (2002). C. S. Lewis in a Time of War: The World War II Broadcasts That Riveted a Nation and Became the Classic Mere Christianity. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-088139-9.
- ISBN 1-58134-739-1.
- Simpson, Paul (2013). A Brief Guide to C. S. Lewis. ISBN 978-1-47210-066-5.
- ISBN 0-449-90609-4.
Chapters
- ISBN 978-0-275-99116-6.
- ISBN 978-06-31191-53-7.
- ISBN 978-0-275-99116-6.
- Hinten, Marvin D. (2007). "The World of Narnia: Medieval: Magic and Morality". In Edwards, Bruce L. (ed.). C. S. Lewis: Life, Works, and Legacy. Vol. 2: Fantasist, Mythmaker, and Poet. Praeger Perspectives. pp. 71–92. ISBN 978-0-275-99116-6.
- Martindale, Wayne (2007). "The Great Divorce: Journey to Heaven and Hell". In Edwards, Bruce L. (ed.). C. S. Lewis: Life, Works, and Legacy. Vol. 3: Apologist, Philosopher, and Theologian. Praeger Perspectives. pp. 133–152. ISBN 978-0-275-99116-6.
- McGrath, Alister (2015). "C. S. Lewis, Defender of the Faith". In White, Roger; Wolfe, Judith; Wolfe, Brendan N. (eds.). C. S. Lewis and His Circle: Essays and Memoirs from the Oxford C. S. Lewis Society. ISBN 978-0-19-021434-0.
- Mead, Marjorie Lamp (2007). "Letters to Malcolm: C. S. Lewis on Prayer". In Edwards, Bruce L. (ed.). C. S. Lewis: Life, Works, and Legacy. Vol. 3: Apologist, Philosopher, and Theologian. Praeger Perspectives. pp. 209–236. ISBN 978-0-275-99116-6.
External links
- Mere Christianity at Faded Page (Canada)
- Audio of the last remaining broadcast talk from bbc.co.uk
- Book description at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 December 2007), originally from [CSLewisClassics.com]
- Origin of the phrase "Mere Christianity"
- Mere Christianity. Canadian public domain edition (PDF)