Yes, the same Lewis that wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. I was surprised too, and then I was amazed because you need a special talent to write fiction and spiritual literature so well; always deep but simple.
There is so much to say about this book that I do not even know where to start. Well, I will start from the beginning then! This book (or these books, according to the contents) was written based on a series of radio talks that go back to the 1940s. In those turbulent times of war, the questions of life and death become more relevant than ever, and people start seeking religion more.
This is why Clive Staples Lewis was asked to talk to people on the radio about what Christianity is and how it works. Later he updated the material and wrote the book that he called Mere Christianity.
The name of the book greatly describes its contents: the author explains Christianity with simple words. Starting from the general understanding of the world (and how Christianity can be opposed to other concepts and ideas), continuing with practical advice and recommendations, and finishing with basic theological concepts.
The best thing is that the book is written for theologians and not even for deeply religious people. Using logical reasoning and clear illustrations Clive Lewis explains the basic principles of Christianity to any reader. He does not expect you to agree with him or believe in what he is talking about. I think that Mere Christianity is a book for everyone.
Book 1. About the Universe
I already mentioned the contents of the book a little bit, but now I want to talk more about it. The first part is called "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." In a few chapters, the author talks about why the Christian worldview has a place to be. He talks about the moral law that is present in all of us. He also talks about different views on how the world came to be (about the higher power, good and evil) and why some of them sound completely unreal. And gradually, the author leads the readers to understand that they should look into Christian views. And then, he starts looking into them in the next part of the book.
Book 2. About Religion
The second part is called "What Christians Believe," and the name speaks for itself. Here the author talks about the basics of the gospel, but not in two words and not making the reader admit themselves to be a sinner and repent. He talks about our understandings of God, about the role of humanity, about Jesus, about the good and evil inside of us, and about everything that a person who first encountered Christianity would want to know.
Book 3. About Life
The third part switches from theory to practice. The name clearly shows it because this part is called Christian Behavior. In 12 chapters, the author talks a lot about morale and the main virtues of Christianity. What's interesting is that most of these virtues cannot be exclusively called Christian because they are widely accepted in the secular world and are brought up in us from early childhood (for example, justice or temperance). Others are mostly mentioned by Christians, but I don't think that the rest of the world rejects them - the virtues such as faith, love, and charity.
I would say that this chapter is my favorite. Here the author uses simple examples and situations to talk about these important moral qualities and explains how to see and use them in real life. I was really impressed by the illustrations of pride, of loving your neighbor. Also, Lewis is talking about marriage and sexual purity - and why this is an important but not a fundamental part of Christianity. So it is very practical, simple and interesting.
Book 4. About Theology
It may seem that in a book about Christianity written in simple language for average people is not a place to talk about philosophy, theology, and other things like that, however, the author explains pretty well why it's important especially for Christians. He explains how the theoretical part of Christianity helps a lot with practical. In this part of the book, he looks into the concepts of the trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, redemption, and other important but often confusing things. Besides that, each chapter reminds you that if it is not interesting or somehow confusing, you don't have to read this chapter. But if you are interested then you should definitely read it!
Advantages and Disadvantages
For me personally, the main disadvantage was that I was reading this book in English, and that is why it seemed pretty difficult and hard to read. Only by the middle of the book did I realize that the only problem was my language barrier, and the book is actually pretty simple. So honestly, I am thinking about rereading it in English!
According to online reviews, to people far from Christianity, the book seemed to be propaganda, the author - a sexist, and his examples and reasoning - baseless. I have only one response to this: you should probably read it yourself to make any conclusions. I am praying that you (and people who wrote those reviews) have found the truth in their hearts.
Now let us talk about the advantages. It has to be the extremely clear illustrations and examples. Many philosophical and religious concepts are very hard to explain (which is actually one more proof of Christianity - no one would make it so complicated if they just made it up). But Lewis uses different tools so nicely to explain these concepts and principles. Just like Jesus!
My Rating - 8.5
My struggles with English spoiled the impression a bit, but I think this book deserves 8.5 stars.
Out of all the theology books that I have read, this is honestly one of the best ones. Highly recommend it to both Christians and people who do not relate to them at all.
If you have read it, feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
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