CS Lewis

Lewis presents his personal views on the origins, evolution, and meaning of the Christian religion in Mere Christianity. His arguments are logical, sound, and refreshing. Because Lewis avoids preaching and in fact urges a personal approach to God, the book has a universal appeal. Mere Christianity is a treatise about a Christianity that can and should be accessible to all people.

One of the issues Lewis addresses in Mere Christianity is the origins of the religion. Tracing the origins of the religion demands a thorough understanding of the words "Christian," and "Christianity." The author's analysis of key words proves his desire to investigate the absolute essence of Christianity and not simply to expound on theological arguments. Lewis also avoids rehashing Sunday school lessons or Biblical anecdotes, which makes Mere Christianity highly readable. I appreciate Lewis' personal insight. Moreover, I value his advice to appreciate Christianity not as a religion of sects, but as a unified whole. One of Lewis' main points is that Christianity did not start as a divided faith. Factions between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Church, or between Protestants and Catholics, evolved later and as the result of human bickering.

C.S. Lewis' ideas about moral law are also worthwhile. According to Lewis, moral law is not necessarily tied to any religion, including Christianity. Religion is a vehicle for the dissemination of moral law but ultimately even non-religious people can understand the difference between right and wrong. His views show that Lewis accepts all faiths and even atheism as being acceptable and I respect that point-of-view. Morality is not necessarily related to religion.

Finally, I like that Lewis discusses free will with regards to moral law. Moral laws are immutable, but can nevertheless be broken by willful human beings. Lewis is careful to show that free will does not negate the absolute nature of moral law. Rather, the author argues that human beings must continually strive to transcend their egos toward a more spiritual way of life. In that sense, mere Christianity is for everyone.

Reference

Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity.