Lisa Notes: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Preface
This room in this house
Did you choose your denomination? Or did it choose you?

Book I:
Right and wrong as a clue to the meaning of the universe
Chapters 1-5
Good or bad news first?
Until we really get the bad news, can we appreciate, or even accept, the Good News?

Book II:
What Christians believe
Chapters 1-5
Is my religion right?
Lewis points to Truth that exists outside of our thoughts. Truth just is. Whether we believe it or not, or acknowledge it or not, it is. He is.

Book III:
Christian Behavior
Chapter 1
Who you are today matters forever
We need to continue nurturing these traits because we have a very long time ahead to live. Let’s make it as pleasant an experience as possible for everyone.

Book III:
Christian Behavior
Chapters 2-6
Chew only or swallow and digest?
How can we motivate ourselves to sit down at the dinner table feast instead of settling for sampling tidbits at the mall’s food court when the latter is so handy and the former can seem so time-consuming?

Book III:
Christian Behavior
Chapter 7-12
And the greatest sin is…
Lewis says pride “is the complete anti-God state of mind.” In comparison, all other sins are “mere fleabites.” Why? Perhaps because pride keeps us from knowing God. And can there be a worse fate than not knowing God?

Book IV:
Beyond personality: or first steps in the doctrine of the Trinity
Chapter 1-6
Toys made real
It is only because God REALLY loves us that he brings us to “real” or Zoe life. Any other way of living is imitation.

Book IV:
Beyond personality: or first steps in the doctrine of the Trinity
Chapters 7-11
The ending of Mere Christianity
God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature.

6 comments:

Barbara H. said...: I read Mere Christianity in my early days of blogdom and just beginning to try to review the books I read. I ended up not reviewing it because I couldn't figure out how. I marked a bunch of quotes but couldn't figure out how to sum it up. This is a great way -- reminded me of some things I'd forgotten. I probably need to reread this some time.; February 18, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Lisa notes... said...: I agree, Barbara, that this is a hard book to sum up. I basically pulled out certain thoughts here and there and reflected on those. I am having my 16-yr-old read the book starting next week, so that made me get on the ball to better organize what I had written about it earlier.

And it is definitely a book worth re-reading from time to time – I hope to revisit it again in a few years.; February 18, 2011 at 3:26 PM
Gattina said...: IThanks for your comment on my blog, I am unable to comment on tthese books I read other things.; February 19, 2011 at 2:24 AM
Lynn Severance said...: This was a life changing book for me when I read it in the early 70s and it started me on my path to appreciating all of Lewis' works. He writes in so many gneres.

"Mere Christianity" is a good book to give someone who lives primarily in his intellect and needs logic to try to grasp Christianity as Lewis is such a reflective but also great reasoner.

I loved how he "got to God" via that logic.
I loved how he explained the Trinity.

Tons of books have been writiten on these subjects. Lewis got to it so succinctly and in a way that could grab folks who then in turn will find God: Father, Son, Holy Spriti in God's WORD.

One might say that Lewis in this book was an "igniter" - he lit a match to bring some light that leads to more light if one chooses to see and believe.

You know I am such a fan of Lewis!; February 19, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Lisa notes... said...: I wish I could copy and paste all your knowledge of Lewis to my brain, Lynn. Not to mention your experiences in England. I also wish we could sit together in person and talk and look at your photos. One day we will. And maybe with Lewis too. :-); February 19, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Lynn said...: Oh, Lisa - I am not so sure I am the "scholar" you make me out to be when it comes to Lewis.

That said, we'd have fun sittiing down and chatting about anything, including him, his works, my times in England - preferably over a cup of tea this side of eternity!; February 19, 2011 at 9:11 PM