Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mere Christianity
Book Review: A Wonderful, Engaging Book Time & Time Again
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the book that first got me to look into C.S. Lewis, the author. Without a shadow of a doubt, this book addresses questions that nearly every single person who either believes or disbelieves in Christianity has had at one time or another. For that alone, this book is a must read.
But Lewis does an amazing job of presenting very logical and compelling arguments as to why Christianity's answers not only makes sense but appear to be logical conclusions to questions of God, evil, love, purpose, etc. (Just like any good argument, there are, of course, shades of gray that many individuals will cite as "proof" that Lewis is wrong however most arguments of such have even darker shades of gray, due to the infinitely evil of "close-mindedness."
In terms of writing, Lewis is clear, concise (most of the time, :), and, above all, profound. The chapters are of good length and the overall flow of the work goes at a comfortable pace without really ever bogging you down; you want to keep reading.
Along with J.G. Marking's "A Voice Is Calling," (even named a possible successor to C.S. Lewis), Mere Christianity is one of the most influential books that have shaped my view of life and of a relationship with God.
Book Review: A book that could change the world, or at least yours
Summary: 5 Stars
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis has got to be one of the best Christian books ever written. I read it one chapter a night in devotional style. I don't think I could have read more than that at a time and truly digested the awesome message Lewis packs into each chapter. This book not only defends Christianity, it also explains, as best it can, some of the mysteries of the faith that may put people off. Questions about the trinity, the beginning of the universe, begot, and so many other things, Lewis handles carefully and humbly. He admits that he may not always have it exactly right, but his straightforward manner of speaking is delightful to read and easy to understand. I can't begin to state all of what I learned while reading this book. Read it, buy it for your friends, leave it on the subway or bus for others to find: this is one of those few books that could truly change the world.
Book Review: A fantastic book for either the believer or the non-believer
Summary: 5 Stars
Lewis makes a solid case for Christianity in this highly readable series of talks he delivered on the BBC. Lewis' common-sense approach, and easy-to-understand analogies catch the reader unawares. One finds him or herself agreeing with Lewis, even when one is unsure what it is one has agreed to.In Book 1 Lewis makes the case for morality, or what he terms "the law of human nature" written upon men's hearts. In Book 2, he examines the competing conceptions of God and makes the case for Christ. Here he states that all Christian denominations tend to hold 3 things in common - these being baptism, belief (faith), and Holy Communion. In Book 3, he examines the Cardinal virtues, the theological virtues, and the importance of living virtuously. And in Book 4 he leads the reader into the doctrine of the Trinity and what this means for the believer.
An Anglican himself, who avoided speaking of Catholicism, contrary to the direction many have taken this book, Lewis argues against a kind of non-denominationalism. He says that if Christianity is viewed as a hallway inside of a mansion, his job is merely to bring us into the hallway. Which room we enter, he says, is up to us, but he does argue that the worst room is still better than remaining in the hallway.
Readers desiring to learn more about what led to Lewis' conversion to Christianity should read G.K. Chesterton's "The Everlasting Man," as Lewis has said that this book greatly influenced his belief in Christ.
Book Review: A fascinating book.
Summary: 5 Stars
By any measure, this is a classic work of twentieth century apologetics. Lewis does an effective job of exploring the moral argument and then moves forward into presuppositional arguments. You may or may not agree with Lewis -- many fundamentalists struggle with his positions, as of course do atheists -- but anyone interested in questions of God's existence and nature will do himself a favor in reading this book.Discussing his own journey from atheism to Christianity, Lewis relates: "... in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist -- in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless -- I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality -- namely my idea of justice -- was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning."
Book Review: A good starting point for Lewis's essays...
Summary: 5 Stars
C.S. Lewis composed a variety of literature. Poetry, children's fiction, essays, adult fiction, parodies, biographies... This is a great introduction to C.S. Lewis's apologetic essays written to average readers. This is a good book to turn to if you enjoyed some other fictitious work or essay by Lewis. This is also good to try if the last essay you read by Lewis was too abstract or confusing (like A Grief Observed, Pilgrim's Regress). If this book does not appeal to you, then stay clear of his essays, but there is a chance you may still like some of his other works (Narnia, Screwtape or The Great Divorce).