Lewis’s Mere Christianityis mainly an argument that no matter what denomination of Christianity one belonged to, the umbrella of Christian was broad enough to include them, and we should behave like a family, not as rival armies.

What is the LitCharts study guide on Mere Christianity?

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world’s best literature guides. A concise biography of C. S. Lewis plus historical and literary context for Mere Christianity. A quick-reference summary: Mere Christianity on a single page.

Why is Mere Christianity so popular?

The success Mere Christianity has enjoyed since its publication is also due to its accessibility; Lewis was a scholar of literature rather than of theology, and so discusses complicated religious concepts in more conversational terms than a non-layperson might. This study guide refers to the 2001 HarperCollins edition of the work.

Why was Lewis’s book’mere Christianity’ published?

In 1951, the series of talks he gave on the BBC were assembled, edited, and published as the book Mere Christianity. Lewis chose the title Mere Christianity to indicate that he believed the writings it contained boiled Christianity down to its basic, most essential beliefs.

What is the most striking feature of Christianity?

One of the most striking features of Mere Christianity is its clarity of language — especially its effective uses of imagination, metaphor, and analogy. Sometimes people assume that Lewis was primarily a rationalistic apologist, and they dismiss him without much attention or even say that such rationality is out-of-date in the twenty-first century. But as many commentators have pointed out, while there are some conspicuous arguments in Mere Christianity, Lewis appeals more essentially to the imagination. As a literary person and writer, he understood reality through analogies and images. So, the Lewis of Narnia and his other imaginative works is also the Lewis of Mere Christianity.

What is Lewis’s strongest habit of thought?

One of the strongest habits of thought both in Lewis’s day and in our own is to think that newer understandings of the most basic aspects of life and reality are better than older understandings. Lewis, as a student of history, recognized that many of the “latest ideas” of one’s own day will look quaint to future generations. When Lewis himself was on his journey to becoming a Christian, he came to realize that there was good reason to put one’s trust in ideas that had lasted a long time, rather than in the latest fads that would come and go.

What did Lewis say about the personal heresy?

He argued that it was wrong to view a poem as about the poet’s state of mind. “The poet is not a man,” he wrote, “who asks me to look at him; he is a man who says ‘look at that’ and points; the more I follow the pointing of his finger the less I can possibly see of him ” (14) .

What is the meaning of "mere Christianity"?

He accordingly defined “mere Christianity” as “the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times” (viii). Rather than presenting the latest modern ideas about Christianity, he was presenting an essential Christianity that had been around “long before I was born and whether I like it or not” (ix).

Was "mere Christianity" written as a book?

Mere Christianity was not even originally written to be a book. It arose out of four sets of radio addresses that Lewis gave on the BBC during some very stressful years of World War II, from 1941 to 1944. Lewis had these published as separate little booklets soon after the broadcasts. But it was not until 1952 that he collected them into one volume with a new introduction as Mere Christianity.

Did Lewis say the same for his work as an apologist?

Lewis would have said the same for his work as an apologist. Had it drawn primary attention to himself, or have been just a reflection of his own peculiar views, it would have had little lasting impact. In fact, one of the greatest sources of the lasting vitality of the presentations is that Lewis deliberately points the listener or reader toward an object.

Who is George Marsden?

George Marsden is author of C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity: A Biography (Princeton: Lives of Great Religious Books), which tells the fuller story of this book’s origins, reception, and influence.

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The C. S. Lewis Signature Classics (8-Volume Box Set): An Anthology of 8 C. S. Lewis Titles: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Miracles, The … The Abolition of Man, and The Four Loves

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What is the most famous book of Clive Staples?

Mere Christianity, by Clive Staples (“C. S.”) Lewis, was first published in 1952 as an expansion of some radio talks Lewis had given during World War II. Though Lewis himself is best known for his children’s fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity is likely Lewis’s most famous work of Christian apologetics—a genre dedicated to addressing various critiques of Christian theology. Lewis was well poised to make this kind of argument, having grown disillusioned with Christianity as a teenager only to return to it as an adult. The success Mere Christianity has enjoyed since its publication is also due to its accessibility; Lewis was a scholar of literature rather than of theology, and so discusses complicated religious concepts in more conversational terms than a non-layperson might. This study guide refers to the 2001 HarperCollins edition of the work.

How many pages are there in Supersummary?

Join SuperSummary to gain instant access to all 68 pages of this Study Guide and thousands of other learning resources.

What does Lewis say about morality?

Lewis begins by discussing morality, arguing that almost all humans have an innate sense of right and wrong, and that the content of this moral code is largely universal. Although Lewis acknowledges that cultural differences do exist, he believes that these are generally minor and superficial.

Why is the book "Mere Christianity" so successful?

The success Mere Christianity has enjoyed since its publication is also due to its accessibility; Lewis was a scholar of literature rather than of theology, and so discusses complicated religious concepts in more conversational terms than a non-layperson might.

When was the book "Mere Christianity" first published?

Mere Christianity, by Clive Staples (“C. S.”) Lewis, was first published in 1952 as an expansion of some radio talks Lewis had given during World War II.

Is God good or bad?

It follows that, for Pantheists, God is both good and bad— or rather, that our understanding of good and bad is the byproduct of our own limitations, and that God is beyond such concepts. For Christians, by contrast, God is infinitely good and wants humans to behave in particular ways.

When Was Mere Christianity Published?

Mere Christianity was an edited version of radio talks given by C.S. Lewis during World War II and then published in book form in 1951 . C.S. Lewis was the pen name for Clive Staples Lewis, the most widely read Christian apologist of the twentieth century. Lewis is most famously known for writing the children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Law of Human Nature

Lewis begins Mere Christianity by arguing against atheism. He posits that the vast majority of human beings, as well as human societies, each have a sense of right and wrong. He says that while there might be some differences from culture to culture and person to person, the differences are minor across the globe.

Theism and Pantheism

It is at this point that Lewis begins to draw a distinction between views of God. He categorizes religious views of God as being either pantheistic or theistic. Pantheism views God as neither good nor bad. Often, the concept of the divine is that whatever "it" is, it is one with nature, almost a part of the natural world.

What is Lewis’s theory of evolution?

Lewis also alludes to some important milestones in Western intellectual history, most notably Darwin’s theory of evolution, which revolutionized science and philosophy by portraying the history of the world as a constant, volatile process in which all creatures, including the human species, are gradually changing.

When was Christianity first written?

Mere Christianity was first written during World War II, when Europe was engaged in a bloody war between the Allied Powers, including Britain and France, and the Axis Powers, including Germany and Italy.

When was the book "Mere Christianity" written?

Full Title: Mere Christianity. When Written: Based on a series of radio broadcasts made between 1942 and 1944, published as a book in 1952. Where Written: London and Oxford. When Published: 1952. Genre: Christian apologetics, Non-fiction.

Is Pullman an atheist?

Pullman, an atheist, claims to despise Lewis’s Christian ideas, but has “boundless respect” for the Chronicles of Narnia. Best buddies. Lewis was a popular professor at Oxford University, and had lots of good friends on the faculty.

What happens if the solar system is accident?

‘If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents—the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as for anyone else’s. But if their thoughts—i.e. of materialism and astronomy—are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true? I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents. It’s like expecting that the accidental shape taken by the splash when you upset a milkjug should give you a correct account of how the jug was made and why it was upset.’ C.S. Lewis (1898–1963), The Business of Heaven, Fount Paperbacks, U.K., p. 97, 1984.

What is the idea of atonement?

After Anselm and Abelard, the idea of atonement as a ransom to, or defeat of, the devil was more or less abandoned by theologians of subsequent eras. Bishop Gustaf Aulén, a historical theologian from Sweden, whose work was first translated into English in 1931, began a movement to breathe new life into the abandoned classic theory, and his title (Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement) popularized the name for it. He argued that the “classic” doctrine was not a crude, pictorial expression from a long-gone era, but rather a fully theological explication of Christ’s saving work.6 The Christus Victor perspective is that God, in Christ, intervened in the world to stand up to Satan and the forces of idolatry, materialism, violence and domination. Jesus came to free all creation from the warping power of sin, showing with his life and teaching what it means to be fully human in the will of God.

What is the atonement theory?

This “classic” doctrine, taught for the first 1000 years of Christian history described Christ’s work as a victory over Satan and a liberation of all human kind. Specifically, so the theory goes, Christ was paid as a ransom to the devil to free people’s souls. This was a clever ruse on God’s part, however, for unknown to the Devil, Jesus was actually God in person. Unable to constrain Jesus’ divine soul, the devil was defeated and Christ emerged victorious. This view was taught consistently by nearly all of the Church fathers including Augustine.

Who was the first to believe in the atonement of the cross?

In reaction to Anselm, another early theory of atonement was put forth by the medieval theologian Peter Abelard. This theory, known as the “moral influence” theory, said that God exhibited love at the cross in such a way that contemplation of the cross would move us to repentance and faith. The actual act of salvation occurs in the believer’s subjective response to the cross.

Who developed the theory of atonement?

In the eleventh century Anselm of Canterbury developed a theory of atonement to explain why Jesus had to die. He said that the debt of sin was so great that humanity could not possibly pay it. Only God, in the person of Christ, could do so by undergoing the agony of the crucifixion. So Jesus became our substitute and satisfied God’s requirements under the

What are the best Bible study guides?

The Mere Christianity Study Guide includes: 1 Twelve sessions of study with multi-week options included 2 Comprehensive Bible study workbook with five daily studies per week 3 Complete appendix and commentary to go deeper 4 Bible study questions that are ideal for group discussion 5 Answer Guide for all questions available for free online 6 Perfect for book clubs, small groups, or individual Bible study 7 Available in print or e-book formats

What is a mere Christianity study guide?

Mere Christianity Study Guide is perfect for book clubs, church groups, and independent study. This comprehensive Bible study workbook includes daily study questions relative to each of the twelve sessions. For small-group flexibility, multiple week format options make it is easy to lay down the study and pick it back up at a later date.

Where did Steven Urban go to medical school?

Steven Urban graduated from the University of California with a degree in Psychobiology before going on to receive his medical doctorate at New York Medical College . He completed his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins and was awarded an NIH Fellowship in Stroke Research at the University of Maryland. Today he is a double-board certified Physiatric Interventional Pain Specialist and the author or Mere Christianity Study Guide.

Is C.S Lewis’ study guide a guide to Christianity?

This study guide is more than just a guide to C.S Lewis’ Mere Christianity, it is a guide to Christianity itself! I have gone through the guide with my family, some who were not Christians, and it has helped clarify a lot of misconceptions of what a life in Christ is. The appendices for ‘Further Up and Further In’ that Dr. Urban has put together at the end of the guide is an amazing compilation of information gathered from numerous sources across multiple generations. Great book for anyone wanting to dig deeper in their faith.