|
| Mere Christianity | 
 enlarge | Author: C. S. Lewis
Publisher: Fount
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £2.33
You Save: £5.66 (71%)
New (28) from £3.11
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 2375
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 4.8 x 0.7
ISBN: 0006280544
Dewey Decimal Number: 230
EAN: 9780006280545
ASIN: 0006280544
Publication Date: December 1, 1997
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A mixed bag November 19, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A great start, with an interesting first section focusing on human morality and how very different human societies have had very similar moral underpinnings. After this, the book is variable, with some interesting and convincing observations on human society, but some less than convincing passages with sweeping statements that do not seem to hold water. The final section on theology I had to omit as it just did not, as yet anyway, hold my interest.
 Merely patronising September 15, 2007
5 out of 18 found this review helpful
The brief biography in the front of this volume describes Lewis as one of the greatest intellectuals of the twentieth century. That is not a conclusion that I would immediately come to having waded through "Mere Christianity".
Lewis clearly attempted to make his philosophy available to a wider audience than might reasonably be expected for a work of this type, which is a laudable aim. Unfortunately, he frequently comes across as no more than patronising, almost as though he were writing for children. To some extent he was a man of his time of course, and I am not a fan of revisionism in these cases.
Worse than that is the shocking paucity of credible, logical arguments to support his no doubt sincerely held beliefs. In general he resorts to baldly claiming that God is fact (on one occasion at least a capitalised "Fact" indeed!). Other vital planks are irrefutably true because the bible says so. QED apparently. Some of the rest of it he seems to have just conjured into existence himself, apparently spending considerable amounts of time second guessing why God does this, that or the other.
The "liar, lunatic or lord" theme (the famous 'trilemma') is fatuous in the extreme. It has no merit as an argument for belief, and to me only has impact if you are already a firm believer. In this case, you would be mortally shocked by the suggestion that JC could be liar or lunatic. If you are a rationalist, then your reaction to this will be "well obviously, just like every other self-proclaimed or posthumously annointed prophet, saviour and snake-oil salesman who ever lived!"
My particular favourite occurs in the chapter on Christian marriage, where he describes why the man should clearly be the head of the household. If you boil down his argument, it amounts to little more than a nicely dressed up version of "well it's obvious, innit?", or at best a Daily Mailesque "every right thinking person would agree ...". Even allowing for his awful but excusable early twentieth century Christian prejudices, his logic and reasoning is abysmal. See pages 113-114.
What annoyed me most was the constant belittling of common humanity. In Lewis' view of the world, we are all unworthy, sinful, hopeless, useless worms, fit only to grovel in the presence of our Lord, who we should all be terrified of.
Don't you ever think it is odd that almost all religions have terrible, angry gods, and that we poor humans are always sinners, failures, wretches doomed to eternal misery? That the only way we can redeem ourselves is by prostrating ourselves before whatever spiteful, vicious deity is in vogue in a given time or place? And that, rather conveniently, there is always a very human representative of the savage god around who can help you ... just so long as you do exactly as you are told.
Wouldn't religion be rather more fun if God was a laughing, joyful omnipotence, cheerfully welcoming you into heaven with a pat on the back and cold drink of your choice: "Welcome to the eternal party, I know it was a bit rough down there sometimes, sorry about that, some teething problems with free will. All sorted now. Sausage on a stick? Cheese straw?".
Evolution and the human desire for power are fascinating things.
I read, many years ago, Lewis' "The Problem of Pain", and struggled with exactly the same huge flaws, intellectual laziness and infuriating desire for self-humiliation that the author pours into this work.
"Mere Christianity" should certainly be read by believers and unbelievers alike. Thoughtful believers would, I sincerely hope, find much of Lewis' old-fashioned hair-shirt philosophising a wake-up call to how debilitating this kind of belief can be intellectually. Non-believers will yet again find a major work of religious apologia that fails utterly to deliver a single reason to move away from atheism.
 Thoroughly recommended! May 19, 2006
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
This is probably one of Lewis's most famous and oft-quoted works, and for good reason. It is an honest and intelligent - not to mention brilliantly written - examination of the many facets of the Christian faith and human nature: the existence of and belief in God, the Trinity, faith, love, pride, morality etc. Although written during World War Two, the subjects explored still resonate powerfully with contemporary concerns.
I found the opening chapters particularly helpful in presenting a well-argued case for the rational foundations of Christianity, or at least belief in the existence of God. It offers a challenge to Christians to question the intellectual grounds for their faith, and the reassurance that sufficient answers can be found. Non-Christians looking to investigate the rational basis of Christianity, or of religion in general, will also find this an accessible and thought-provoking read.
The book is also an ideal place to start for anyone thinking to dip into the non-fiction works of C. S. Lewis. No book in my opinion gives the reader a better first taste of the prolific author's delicious prose, keen intellect and razor-sharp wit.
I cannot recommend this book more. For the Christian, for the non-Christian, and for the fan of `good books': this is a must-read!
Mere Genius January 9, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Personally, I think that this book is a classic from Lewis. His style of writing is fantastic and enables those with a range of intellects to understand his theories. His clear, succinct style, which raises important issues relating to the misconceptions of Christianity, is admirable and incites thought and philosophy. Furthermore, his use of the English language is gripping and fluid.For Christians, I would say that this book is a must-buy. It helps to edify the case supporting Christ and raises thought provoking issues that any Christian should think about. It is a brilliant book that serves to stimulate Christian thought as to the real identity of Christ and other pertinent issues regarding morality and much more. For non-Christians, I can understand if some do not like this book. However, in my opinion, Mere Christianity steers a balanced approach to Christianity which serves the non-Christian just as much, arguably more than, as the Christian. If people are interested in seeking further clarity as to the identity of their own moral being, God and Christ, with an open mind - this book is fantastic for such readers. Moreover, I think that this book is suited to those who 'believe in God' but in reality such an proposition does not change their life the slightest, nor do they know anything about their God. I highly recommend this book for everyone who intends to broaden their mind if nothing else. However, I would confidently presume that the high majority of readers would be more than satisfied with this read. One of Lewis' best!! Enjoy!!!!
An appeal to the reason rather than the to the emotions April 16, 2002
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
Lewis takes the reader on a step by step logical journey to Christianity. He does not say that you can reason your way into the kingdom of heaven, but accepts that it is our response of faith to God's grace that is the key to salvation. However,whilst many writers appeal to the emotions eg Look at what Christ did for you, Lewis appeals to the intellect. By giving us reasons to believe he shores up rather than minimises our faith. I particularly like his lack of arrogance exemplified in his offering of ideas for our consideration. He acknowledges that although they may have helped him they may not help others, and if they do not help you, you can discard them without incurring his disapproval. In fact, a lack of disapproval is one of the book's most attractive features. He encourages us to paint a bigger picture of God and not seek to contain him within our senses and personal experiences. I like his 'lowest common denominator' approach to the fundamentals of Christian discipleship and his resistance to denominational squabbles. He discusses only those things about which all the mainstream Christian churches agree. Within the Church of England, Lewis says that he is not particularly low nor particularly high. He treats his reader as a friend of equal intellect to whom he is offering help with a knotty problem. He comes across as very much one of us and has the knack of explaining coherently are own half formed thoughts which is very reassuring. I found this an interesting and enjoyable read during a difficult time on my Christian journey, and I hope it can do the same for you.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
