Book Review: Mere Christianity
By: Red Robregado
Tags: Morality, Mere Christianity, Book Review, Cs Lewis, Christianity

A Book Review on Mere Christianity written by C.S. Lewis; Publisher: HarperOne, 2001. 227 pp. ISBN:978–0–06–065292–0

Reviewed by: Red Robregado (March 2021)

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

These are the words of a romantic rationalist longing for a haven while living in a world of ceaseless pain and suffering. Born on the 29th of November 1898 in Belfast, Ireland from a solicitor father and a mathematician mother whose ancestral lines involve a generation of church ministers, Clive Staples Lewis, famously known as C.S. Lewis, a literature prodigy and globally renowned Christian apologist, was brought up in a humble Christian household. But as a sharp-witted lad, it didn’t take long for him to recognize the apparent problems of evil and see his religion as a chore. The inner tension deepens; the doubt increases day by day as he served in the infantry during the horrors of the First World War, where he had witnessed moral corruption at its peak. The pain induced by suffering from the loss of his comrades, physical injuries, depression, and the death of his beloved mother became the grounds of his resolve to deny his faith in the Divine and its existence altogether.

After the war, he returned to Oxford to finish his studies; in due course, he achieved outstanding academic records in three different degrees: Greek and Latin literature, Ancient History and Philosophy, and English. Thereon, he held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge. Over time, Lewis became increasingly baffled by the possibility of a Divine creator. In 1929, after many long discussions with his close friends J.R.R.Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, C.S. Lewis was finally moved to believe that God exists. Within two years, Lewis, who first subscribe to theism, became a Christian.

At the height of the Second World War, Lewis delivered a series of BBC radio talks that were produced to elucidate the essential tenets of Christianity. Over the years, Lewis collected and delicately revised his radio talk manuscripts to create a book, which has a preface that explains its title and purpose, that is, to present mere Christianity — the core beliefs and doctrines common to all Christian denominations and traditions. More than 70 years after the talks first broadcast and 65 years since it first showed up in print, Mere Christianity is still among the most influential and widely read Christian books today, having sold millions of copies worldwide.

The book itself consists of four books; Book 1: “Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe”; Book 2: “What Christians Believe”; Book 3: “Christian Behaviour”; and Book 4: “Beyond Personality.” In Book 1, Lewis argues against atheism (denial of a Divine existence) by explaining man’s intrinsic sense of universal and absolute morality and how it ultimately points to a God — a divine Law-giver. Unhurriedly, Lewis guides the readers from theism to Christianity, in Book 2, by discussing the rival conceptions of the Christian God. Contrary to the pantheistic view that the universe and everything in it is part of an immanent God, Lewis presents the Christian God as both immanent and transcendent. After establishing the Christian God, Lewis writes about Christian virtues: four cardinal (prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude); and three theological (charity, hope, and faith). Taking matters even deeper, Lewis touches on the doctrines of atonement, Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and sanctification (from created to begotten) in Book 4. To him, theology is vital as it functions like a map that one can use to gain a better and more encompassing understanding of Christianity.

Without a doubt, Lewis’ prolific rhetoric and literary skills were evident in Mere Christianity. The book is full of creative illustrations, unparalleled analogies, and clever metaphors that often persuasively describe profound truths. Lewis was able to simplify complex theological and philosophical ideas for an average reader, even without being academically trained in systematic and biblical theology. The effective use of language is crucial in presenting convincing rational arguments for the readers to follow. Lewis knew this well, so he capitalized on the appropriate and compelling use of words to logically present Christianity and demonstrate its reasonableness. In doing so, he challenged the skeptics not to easily dismiss Christianity, but to give it some rational consideration.

While some of the most pragmatic principles are in Book 3, the most essential part of the book is in Book 1, where Lewis argued for theism based on the universal concept of morality since the rest of the book hinges on this assertion. It is a risky yet tactful and strategic evangelistic move since it is folly to assume that every person in the world believes in the concept of morality and acknowledges one’s defiance and non-observance. Hence, this initial step is good to bring awareness to such truth and reality.

Although the book has some obvious philosophical sophistication, there were several times when Lewis’ arguments were weak, vague, unconvincing, or even logically fallacious. Take for example when he argued that the universal and absolute morality cannot be attributed to a sheer social convention or instinct, and instead of presenting further explanations or supporting arguments, he just recapitulated his proposition several times using figures of speech. Though it may seem creative, it still does not make his claim any more substantial. Additionally, when Lewis explained the rival conceptions of God in Book 2, it is startling to see how he suddenly arrived at the conclusion that Christianity is true without putting similar rigorous effort as he did when arguing for theism. Using deductive reasoning, Lewis canceled out both atheism and pantheism but has not thoroughly ruled out other monotheistic religions such as Judaism or Islam as well as address noticeable counterarguments to his position. This is understandable, to some extent, since Lewis’ approach is purely philosophical; without relying on the Scriptures, explanations concerning physical, moral, and spiritual realities will naturally be inadequate.

Other considerable cautions for this book would be the lack of clear presentation of the Gospel, i.e. the life (divinity and humanity), death (the value and particulars of the atonement on the cross), and resurrection of Christ; and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Since the book does not present in-depth explanations of the Christian doctrines and any other consequential arguments aside from the moral argument for God, any diligently-informed Christian who has been exposed to the works of some advanced, post-modern Christian apologists would find little apologetic help from it. Conversely, any knowledgeable, well-read thinker who has seriously considered atheism or agnosticism and has been exposed to the writings and teachings of some post-modern skeptics would possibly find the arguments from this book basal. Consequently, it seems like this book is aiming to reach those who are already interested in Christianity. Likewise, those who are are new in the faith and want to get better at defending and explaining their belief would find significant insights from this work.

Overall, Mere Christianity is a well-written philosophical classic that is worth reading. It has served its stated purpose to give an overview of Christianity to Christians and skeptics alike. It offers just the right amount of depth — enough to present the core beliefs and virtues of Christianity and leave the readers wanting to know more. C.S. Lewis has undoubtedly left a legacy through his pioneering apologetic work with Mere Christianity. It certainly has and will continue to influence Christian writings and theology everywhere in the world, even a hundred years from now.