SSB Entry #1: Mere Christianity

Entry #1: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

The thing about truly appreciating this book is that you have to have the full story.

You see, it's trendy in my generation (and has been for quite some time) to like Mere Christianity and to use it to praise the achievements of the progressive, non-denominational American Church. To say that we are getting back to what matters -- Jesus. Reading groups gravitate toward this book because it’s a wonderful book to read if you want to feel (and justified) great about separating from traditional, religious monotony… especially if you pick and choose from the messages the book is sending.

But what this book is, is a call to action. It's a slap in the face, a wake-up call. C.S. Lewis isn't providing a pat on the back for so-called "progressive Christians," but rather is condemning apathetic Christians and pleading for action. He wants us to step outside the safety of Church life, delve into scripture, and truly understand mere Christianity and what it means to be Christ-centered.

This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to dive into Lewis’ life by taking a class called The Inklings, that centered on the lives of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and the contributions that both men and the intellectual group they started (called The Inklings) helped to change the course of literary history. It was a fascinating getting to see how these men lived and what they thought. I always find that taking classes like that one, where our reading was coupled with in-depth and intelligent discussion and field trips that took us to homes, museums, and restaurants that gave cultural reference to the novels, always adds more life to a piece of work. I understood the motivations behind Lewis’ need to publish Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. By learning about Lewis’ own journey toward Christianity, it’s easier to understand his teachings and the emphasis he puts on action and combat against apathy.

For me, this book was about the life that Lewis had led as an atheist for the greater part of his younger years and the Truth he faced when walking along Addison's Walk with Tolkien. It's about the humble, but active life he lived at the Kilns and the passion he brought to the Oxford and Cambridge classrooms. Once you have the full story of Lewis' life as a Christian man, Mere Christianity becomes so much more than you'd expect. It's a conversation starter -- a life renewer. It brings to mind questions that you're afraid or unable to ask and offers answers that you should continually seek. For a non-believer, it's a peek into life as a mere Christian. And for the believer, like me, it's a wake-up call to look past the safety of traditional Church life and to embrace a Christ-centered life -- however messy that may be. For me, it was wonderful Truth in conversational art form.