Yesterday I finished the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.
It is an introductory book to Christianity and recounts some of Lewis's arguments and reasoning that brought him to Jesus. It was originally a series of talks Lewis gave over the radio in England during World War II. The talks were later edited and expanded into a book.
Lewis is advocating for Christianity in general and not one denomination or another. In the title, the adjective mere refers to Christianity in the general sense, not a specific type like Anglican or Presbyterian Christianity.
My knowledge of Christianity is well beyond the introductory stages, so a book that explains basic ideas is boring. While there were a few interesting analogies and arguments, they not worth going through the entire book to find.
The book was not excessively interesting to me. It took me over two months to read it. The book was not difficult or hard to understand, but it was not as interesting as any of the other books I was reading or wanted to start during that time. It might have kept my attention better if I skipped some sections and read the book in a few days' time.
If you want to understand the reasoning an atheist took to become a Christian and read explanations of the tenets of Christianity, this book might be for you. If you are like me and already know about Jesus and the Christian world view, I would suggest picking up one of Lewis's other books like The Screwtape Letters or The Great Divorce.
Agreed. The book is useful insofar as it helped me to think about how to present my views on Christianity to non-Christians, but it didn't help me to develop personally. The Screwtape Letters, on the other hand, is an AWESOME read, and I highly recommend it as a very thought-provoking examination of sin.
ReplyDelete"The Great Divorce" is excellent. It explores morality, mortality, and faith through a clear narrative line.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read "The Screwtape Letters" or "Mere Christianity". A few years ago I read "The Problem of Pain" which is more directly philosophical and theology-driven. I found the book difficult to follow, and also somewhat unnecessary.