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Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis
by C.S. Lewis
Dante's review
bookshelves: non-fiction, expository, theoretical, christian-apologetics, classics, philosophy, religion, philosophy-of-religion, christianity
Jun 12, 12
bookshelves: non-fiction, expository, theoretical, christian-apologetics, classics, philosophy, religion, philosophy-of-religion, christianity
Read from August 08, 2011 to June 11, 2012 — I own a copy
I am happy I finally finished this book. It sat on my "currently reading" list for almost a year! There's something about Lewis's writing style or way of speaking that I sometimes find difficult to understand. Often he writes very simply and clearly, but at times, especially if the topic becomes very philosophical or deeply theological, he is not very easy to comprehend, especially for someone like me who is still a "newbie" to philosophy and theology. So, I didn't resume my reading until a few weeks ago.
But I appreciate the book. I didn't understand it completely, but those things which I did understand, I appreciate. The book is in one sense simple, and in another sense quite profound.
There are so many things in Lewis's expositions. There are a lot of things we can say about them. But we should at least start with this: Mere Christianity is an apologetic book. It seeks to explain and defend the truth claims shared by the major traditions within Christendom. That is Lewis's goal. To do this, he uses logic to show that Christianity has a rational basis. Then, he uses analogies to explain and illustrate the basic doctrines of Christianity, like the deity of Jesus and the "tri-Personal" nature of God.
That said, here are my summaries and thoughts for each chapter of the book: (This is a very, very, very long, and therefore very boring, review. I'm doing this basically for my own benefit because I want to remember my thoughts about the book years from now.)
But first, the outline. The book is divided into four parts or "books". In Book 1, Lewis argues for the existence of God based on the existence of an objective Moral Law in the universe. In Book 2, he argues that this God behind the Moral Law is actually the Christian God, and He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. In Book 3, he talks about Christian morality. He also discusses the cardinal and theological virtues. Book 4 is all about Christian theology: Lewis discusses God's nature (He is "three-Personal", or three Persons in one God; He is timeless, or He transcends Time, etc.) and what His will is for us (What He wants us to do).
Preface
Lewis explains what the book is about as a whole: Mere Christianity is an apologetic book. It aims to explain and defend the beliefs held in common by all Christians, whether they be Protestants, Catholics, or Orthodox.
He gives a good metaphor of Christianity and its different traditions or denominations. It is like a house with several rooms. His goal is to bring the unbeliever into that house. If he is able to at least get him to enter the hall, he would have achieved his goal. Inside the hall, Christians share the belief that God exists and that he has revealed himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. But beyond the door of each room, the different denominations have unique doctrines that differ from the other traditions. That requires further investigation, and each person in the hall should be guided by the desire to know the truth, and not merely follow his personal preference or taste.
Book 1: Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Chapter 1: The Law of Human Nature
Lewis argues that there is such a thing as the "Law of Nature," the "Law of Human Nature," or the "Moral Law". It governs our behavior. Deep down, we all know it exists. This "law" is comparable to the physical laws that govern the physical universe -- like the law of gravity or the law of biological systems. This law is very much real -- and it governs our every behavior. We also violate this law a lot! We all appeal to this law every time we find ourselves quarreling with other people.
I agree with Lewis. This law really does exist! Whenever someone treats us unfairly, we instinctively protest and demand the person to say sorry, or we point out to him that he is in the wrong, that he shouldn't do this or that. And, whenever we ourselves commit an act that is wrong, other people are quick to call our attention to it, and we feel inside us guilt.
Book 1, Chapter 2: Some objections
Lewis talks about some objections to the idea of a "Moral Law" raised by some of the listeners to his radio talks.
Some people say that this "Law of Human Nature" or "Moral Law" is nothing but our instincts -- or "herd instinct" -- which we have developed as we evolved as a species. Lewis argues that it's not human or herd instinct. We have many instincts (for example, the instinct to fight or flee under certain circumstances, or to save someone or save ourselves under others, etc), but there's still a "Moral Law" that "presses upon us" the obligation to choose one instinct over another, or one kind of action/behavior over another. This "Law" guides us to behave in particular ways. It is like the music sheet that guides the musician to choose to play a particular set of notes over another so that harmonious sound (a melody) is produced. Therefore, this "Law" is not itself our instincts. It lies beyond us as a transcendent and objective standard of behavior.
Other people say that the "Law of Human Nature" or the "Moral Law" is simply a social convention, like traffic rules. Moral laws differ from society to society because different societies invent different moral rules. Lewis argues that that is not true. The "Moral Law" is actually objectively real -- like mathematics is objectively real.
I agree with Lewis. (Here, I'll stop putting the Moral Law in quotation marks.) The Moral Law is objectively real. It is not itself human or herd instinct. It is not invented by individuals, societies, or cultures. It lies beyond each of us as a transcendent and objective standard of morality.
Book 1, Chapter 3: The Reality of the Law
Lewis contrasts the Moral Law with the natural laws that govern the physical world: The Moral Law, or the Law of Human Nature or Behavior, tells us how we ought to behave. The laws of physics, like the Law of Gravity, tell us how physical objects do behave.
Lewis argues that the Law of Human Nature/ Behavior or the Moral Law really exists. It’s objectively real. It exists independently from us. It is "out there" pressing upon us to behave in certain ways. We somehow just know it’s there. We did not invent it.
Lewis talks about another objection: The Moral Law is only "what pays" for us. He argues that this is not true. Decent behavior does not always pay. It may often be an inconvenient thing to do. But we feel compelled to do it nevertheless. The Moral Law "presses upon us" the obligation to do the decent thing, even if it may cause us discomfort.
Again, I agree with Lewis. The Moral Law is an objective reality that exists "out there" beyond us. It is independent of our opinions and personal preferences.
It is such a profound and awesome thought, isn't it? To think that there exists in our world a law that is as real as the laws that govern the physical universe! The natural laws govern all the concrete objects that exists, but the Moral Law governs us – how we behave towards others, how we live our lives, and so on.
I love this quote:
"It begins to look as if we shall have to admit that there is more than one kind of reality; that, in this particular case, there is something above and beyond the ordinary facts of men’s behavior, and yet quite definitely real – a real law, which none of us made, but which we find pressing on us."
It is such a powerful thing to realize that the material world is not all that there is. The physical universe is not all of reality. Beyond the natural world lies another reality. And here I am reminded of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: When the Pevensie siblings discovered the world of Narnia through the wardrobe, they discovered that Nature is not all that there is. There is a realm beyond the physical world where the supernatural exists. In this case, the reality of the Moral Law points to the existence of a moral realm.
Book 1, Chapter 4: What Lies Behind the Law
Lewis argues that there has to be a “Mind” behind the Moral Law, because the Law is very much a set of instructions, and only a “Mind”, as opposed to mere matter, can give instructions or commands.
Lewis also talks about the two views about the nature of the universe: the materialist view and the religious view. The materialist thinks that nature is all of reality, while the religious person believes that there is a reality beyond the physical world.
I agree with Lewis. The source of the Moral Law can only be a Mind, because the Moral Law is a set of commands, and only a Mind (or Person) can issue commands. Based on our intuition, the Moral Law is a set of “prescriptions”: We ought to do this, we ought not do that; we should do this, we should not do that, and so on. Only a Mind or Person can prescribe something to someone. Matter cannot do that. Therefore, a Mind must exist as the source of the Moral Law. Who else can this Mind be but God?
Book 1, Chapter 5: We Have Cause to be Uneasy
Lewis says that we have reason to be disturbed, because the truth is that there exists a Moral Law and there is a Mind behind this Law who expects us to behave in certain ways, but that we all have fallen short of His expectations. In short, we’re in trouble!
Lewis also explains that he has only reached a generic kind of theism in his argument so far, and not yet Christian Theism. But understanding theism is crucial in understanding Christianity. Christianity won’t make sense if you won’t first acknowledge that there is really such a thing as a Moral Law, that there is a Mind behind this Law, and that we all have fallen short in observing this Law. Christianity implies belief in God, the Moral Law, the reality of sin, and the promise of forgiveness of sins.
I agree. We really do have a reason to feel uncomfortable. This Mind, being the source of the Moral Law, must be perfectly good and just. We, however, are imperfect. Therefore, we are under his judgment.
Christianity is really a very reasonable worldview to hold because it makes sense of the facts of our experience – the existence of moral laws, the reality of a Moral Law-Giver, and the reality of sin. And it is also beautiful and powerful because it offers us a solution to the problem of sin.
But one thing that I didn't understand very much is that Lewis seems to think that a mind is not necessarily a person. A mind is an entity that essentially thinks, right? I believe that if an entity can think, it is necessarily a person because a person has the properties of self-awareness and intelligence.
Book 2: What Christians Believe
Chapter 1: The Rival Conceptions of God
Lewis explains that there are generally two different conceptions or views about God: materialism and theism. Materialism implies atheism, the view that there is no God or any deity. Theism includes Pantheism (Hinduism) and Monotheism (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Pantheists view "God" as "beyond" good and evil; he/she/it is identical with the universe ("The universe is God," or "God is the universe," or "God and the Universe are one."). Monotheists view "God" as the absolute Good; He is not identical with the universe. He is the Creator, separate from His Creation. For the monotheist, all is not well in the universe because evil exists. But that is contrary to God’s will.
Lewis recalls his views when he was still an atheist. His whole argument against God's existence rested on the observation that the universe seemed cruel and unjust: How can God exist in a world filled with suffering and injustice? But he soon realized that his argument was self-refuting, because it assumed that there are such things as goodness and justice. If atheism were true, there shouldn't really be any meaning in the universe, and hence no "cruelty" and "injustice". So he began to doubt his unbelief.
I agree, his argument against God was self-refuting. Yes, there’s cruelty and injustice in the world, but that doesn't disprove the existence of God. It simply shows that there’s meaning in the universe. If atheism were true that God doesn't exist, there should just be "brute facts" in the world. There wouldn't be such things as evil. For example, "murder" or "rape" would be morally neutral acts that just happen to people, and are not objectively bad. But we do experience evil and injustice. Murder and rape are objectively bad. Therefore, there’s meaning in the universe. Hence, atheism is not true.
I like this quote:
"But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic – there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong; but some wrong answers are much nearer being right than others."
I agree. It may seem politically incorrect or impolite to say that Christianity is true and all the other religions or worldviews are wrong. But that is just the nature of truth – it is mutually exclusive. Either God exists or He doesn't. Either there are many gods or only one. Either Christianity is correct about the nature of God, or Islam, for example, which holds to a Unitarian view of God instead of a Trinitarian one, gets it right. Either the Messiah has not come yet, as the Jews believe, or He has already in the person of Jesus Christ.
Book 2, Chapter 2: The Invasion
Lewis explains that God created the world good, but evil perverted it. Evil is a perversion of the good, therefore it is not independent, and it doesn't share an equal footing with God. Therefore, dualism is not true. These are the only two views with respect to the question of why there are a lot of things wrong with the universe: Dualism and Christianity – but only the Christian view makes sense. This is the Christian view: God created the world in the beginning, and it was good, but there was an "invasion", so bad things happened and continue to happen.
I love this quote:
"Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in the campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going."
Book 2, Chapter 3: The Shocking Alternative
Lewis talks about free will. He says that there is evil in the world because people have the freedom and the capacity to choose to do bad things over good things. But free will is the only thing that makes genuine love, peace, and joy possible. God deemed it necessary to give us free will.
Another reason why there’s evil: we have a tendency to put ourselves first rather than other people or God, and that has disastrous consequences, because true goodness, happiness and joy can only be found in God (As St. Augustine said, “You made us for Yourself, O God; our hearts are restless until it rests in Thee.”), so the moment we go against His will and follow ours, we set ourselves for misery and ultimately death, whether physical or spiritual.
God gave us free will, but we messed up. Still, He pursued us. He gave us conscience, good dreams, prophets and miracles, and His only Son, Jesus Christ.
The "shocking" thing that Lewis is referring to is the fact that Jesus is this very God who is the creator of the universe and the source of the Moral Law. He spoke in God’s place, claimed to forgive sins, and performed miracles and exorcisms. He was either a liar, a lunatic, or he was the Lord.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ really is the Lord. Aside from performing miracles and exorcisms, and forgiving people’s sins, He ultimately demonstrated His deity by rising from the dead following His execution.
Book 2, Chapter 4: The Perfect Penitent
Lewis writes that this is the most important doctrine of Christianity: God became man, suffered, and died to pay for our sins in order to save us. In order to do this, He first has to “put on” our human nature. Only in that way can He save us. So in order for us to be saved, we must become like Him — the new man. This is called the doctrine of “atonement” (and repentance).
Book 2, Chapter 5: The Practical Conclusion
Lewis talks about the "New Life" that Jesus is offering to each one of us. We must die -- that is, our selfish selves must die -- in Christ. We must surrender to Him. We must lay down our own lives for Him. And we must follow Him. Following Him means not only believing in Christianity's doctrines (for it does not involve mere intellectual assent) but also undergoing baptism and participating in, or availing ourselves of, the blessed sacraments (in particular for Catholics, Holy Communion).
Book 3: Christian Behavior
Chapter 1: The Three Parts of Morality
Lewis explains that there are three aspects of morality: social, individual, and ultimate purpose. That is to say, morality has something to do with each of these three things: (1) harmony between individuals, (2) harmony inside the individual, and (3) ultimate purpose, or beliefs about what the ultimate purpose of man is, or the relation between man and God who made him. (For the materialist, life has no ultimate purpose because everything ends at the grave; God doesn't exist, so it doesn't matter whether you live as a sinner or as a saint. For the Christian, life has ultimate purpose, because God exists, so our actions and decisions have eternal consequences and hence significance and meaning.)
The human person is a kind of "machine" and morality is kind of the set of instructions about how this machine should be run. It is not something that "prevents us from having a good time." It is, rather, the only thing that can help us have a genuinely good, and thus joyful, time.
Morality is not just an "ideal" that some choose to pursue while others don't. It's actually something that everyone is called to observe because it is applicable to us all simply by virtue of our being human.
The human machine can morally "malfunction" in two ways: When individuals drift apart from one another or collide with one another; or when the different aspects of a person drift apart or collide inside him.
Book 3, Chapter 2: The Cardinal Virtues
Lewis talks about the four cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. Cardinal means "hinge", so these virtues hold the other virtues together (except the theological virtues). Christians are called to practice them. They are necessary for the formation of a good character.
Christians should "clean up" their inner selves. They should "harmonize" their individual persons. They should set themselves aright. The cardinal virtues help us do that.
(To be continued...)
But I appreciate the book. I didn't understand it completely, but those things which I did understand, I appreciate. The book is in one sense simple, and in another sense quite profound.
There are so many things in Lewis's expositions. There are a lot of things we can say about them. But we should at least start with this: Mere Christianity is an apologetic book. It seeks to explain and defend the truth claims shared by the major traditions within Christendom. That is Lewis's goal. To do this, he uses logic to show that Christianity has a rational basis. Then, he uses analogies to explain and illustrate the basic doctrines of Christianity, like the deity of Jesus and the "tri-Personal" nature of God.
That said, here are my summaries and thoughts for each chapter of the book: (This is a very, very, very long, and therefore very boring, review. I'm doing this basically for my own benefit because I want to remember my thoughts about the book years from now.)
But first, the outline. The book is divided into four parts or "books". In Book 1, Lewis argues for the existence of God based on the existence of an objective Moral Law in the universe. In Book 2, he argues that this God behind the Moral Law is actually the Christian God, and He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. In Book 3, he talks about Christian morality. He also discusses the cardinal and theological virtues. Book 4 is all about Christian theology: Lewis discusses God's nature (He is "three-Personal", or three Persons in one God; He is timeless, or He transcends Time, etc.) and what His will is for us (What He wants us to do).
Preface
Lewis explains what the book is about as a whole: Mere Christianity is an apologetic book. It aims to explain and defend the beliefs held in common by all Christians, whether they be Protestants, Catholics, or Orthodox.
He gives a good metaphor of Christianity and its different traditions or denominations. It is like a house with several rooms. His goal is to bring the unbeliever into that house. If he is able to at least get him to enter the hall, he would have achieved his goal. Inside the hall, Christians share the belief that God exists and that he has revealed himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. But beyond the door of each room, the different denominations have unique doctrines that differ from the other traditions. That requires further investigation, and each person in the hall should be guided by the desire to know the truth, and not merely follow his personal preference or taste.
Book 1: Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Chapter 1: The Law of Human Nature
Lewis argues that there is such a thing as the "Law of Nature," the "Law of Human Nature," or the "Moral Law". It governs our behavior. Deep down, we all know it exists. This "law" is comparable to the physical laws that govern the physical universe -- like the law of gravity or the law of biological systems. This law is very much real -- and it governs our every behavior. We also violate this law a lot! We all appeal to this law every time we find ourselves quarreling with other people.
I agree with Lewis. This law really does exist! Whenever someone treats us unfairly, we instinctively protest and demand the person to say sorry, or we point out to him that he is in the wrong, that he shouldn't do this or that. And, whenever we ourselves commit an act that is wrong, other people are quick to call our attention to it, and we feel inside us guilt.
Book 1, Chapter 2: Some objections
Lewis talks about some objections to the idea of a "Moral Law" raised by some of the listeners to his radio talks.
Some people say that this "Law of Human Nature" or "Moral Law" is nothing but our instincts -- or "herd instinct" -- which we have developed as we evolved as a species. Lewis argues that it's not human or herd instinct. We have many instincts (for example, the instinct to fight or flee under certain circumstances, or to save someone or save ourselves under others, etc), but there's still a "Moral Law" that "presses upon us" the obligation to choose one instinct over another, or one kind of action/behavior over another. This "Law" guides us to behave in particular ways. It is like the music sheet that guides the musician to choose to play a particular set of notes over another so that harmonious sound (a melody) is produced. Therefore, this "Law" is not itself our instincts. It lies beyond us as a transcendent and objective standard of behavior.
Other people say that the "Law of Human Nature" or the "Moral Law" is simply a social convention, like traffic rules. Moral laws differ from society to society because different societies invent different moral rules. Lewis argues that that is not true. The "Moral Law" is actually objectively real -- like mathematics is objectively real.
I agree with Lewis. (Here, I'll stop putting the Moral Law in quotation marks.) The Moral Law is objectively real. It is not itself human or herd instinct. It is not invented by individuals, societies, or cultures. It lies beyond each of us as a transcendent and objective standard of morality.
Book 1, Chapter 3: The Reality of the Law
Lewis contrasts the Moral Law with the natural laws that govern the physical world: The Moral Law, or the Law of Human Nature or Behavior, tells us how we ought to behave. The laws of physics, like the Law of Gravity, tell us how physical objects do behave.
Lewis argues that the Law of Human Nature/ Behavior or the Moral Law really exists. It’s objectively real. It exists independently from us. It is "out there" pressing upon us to behave in certain ways. We somehow just know it’s there. We did not invent it.
Lewis talks about another objection: The Moral Law is only "what pays" for us. He argues that this is not true. Decent behavior does not always pay. It may often be an inconvenient thing to do. But we feel compelled to do it nevertheless. The Moral Law "presses upon us" the obligation to do the decent thing, even if it may cause us discomfort.
Again, I agree with Lewis. The Moral Law is an objective reality that exists "out there" beyond us. It is independent of our opinions and personal preferences.
It is such a profound and awesome thought, isn't it? To think that there exists in our world a law that is as real as the laws that govern the physical universe! The natural laws govern all the concrete objects that exists, but the Moral Law governs us – how we behave towards others, how we live our lives, and so on.
I love this quote:
"It begins to look as if we shall have to admit that there is more than one kind of reality; that, in this particular case, there is something above and beyond the ordinary facts of men’s behavior, and yet quite definitely real – a real law, which none of us made, but which we find pressing on us."
It is such a powerful thing to realize that the material world is not all that there is. The physical universe is not all of reality. Beyond the natural world lies another reality. And here I am reminded of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: When the Pevensie siblings discovered the world of Narnia through the wardrobe, they discovered that Nature is not all that there is. There is a realm beyond the physical world where the supernatural exists. In this case, the reality of the Moral Law points to the existence of a moral realm.
Book 1, Chapter 4: What Lies Behind the Law
Lewis argues that there has to be a “Mind” behind the Moral Law, because the Law is very much a set of instructions, and only a “Mind”, as opposed to mere matter, can give instructions or commands.
Lewis also talks about the two views about the nature of the universe: the materialist view and the religious view. The materialist thinks that nature is all of reality, while the religious person believes that there is a reality beyond the physical world.
I agree with Lewis. The source of the Moral Law can only be a Mind, because the Moral Law is a set of commands, and only a Mind (or Person) can issue commands. Based on our intuition, the Moral Law is a set of “prescriptions”: We ought to do this, we ought not do that; we should do this, we should not do that, and so on. Only a Mind or Person can prescribe something to someone. Matter cannot do that. Therefore, a Mind must exist as the source of the Moral Law. Who else can this Mind be but God?
Book 1, Chapter 5: We Have Cause to be Uneasy
Lewis says that we have reason to be disturbed, because the truth is that there exists a Moral Law and there is a Mind behind this Law who expects us to behave in certain ways, but that we all have fallen short of His expectations. In short, we’re in trouble!
Lewis also explains that he has only reached a generic kind of theism in his argument so far, and not yet Christian Theism. But understanding theism is crucial in understanding Christianity. Christianity won’t make sense if you won’t first acknowledge that there is really such a thing as a Moral Law, that there is a Mind behind this Law, and that we all have fallen short in observing this Law. Christianity implies belief in God, the Moral Law, the reality of sin, and the promise of forgiveness of sins.
I agree. We really do have a reason to feel uncomfortable. This Mind, being the source of the Moral Law, must be perfectly good and just. We, however, are imperfect. Therefore, we are under his judgment.
Christianity is really a very reasonable worldview to hold because it makes sense of the facts of our experience – the existence of moral laws, the reality of a Moral Law-Giver, and the reality of sin. And it is also beautiful and powerful because it offers us a solution to the problem of sin.
But one thing that I didn't understand very much is that Lewis seems to think that a mind is not necessarily a person. A mind is an entity that essentially thinks, right? I believe that if an entity can think, it is necessarily a person because a person has the properties of self-awareness and intelligence.
Book 2: What Christians Believe
Chapter 1: The Rival Conceptions of God
Lewis explains that there are generally two different conceptions or views about God: materialism and theism. Materialism implies atheism, the view that there is no God or any deity. Theism includes Pantheism (Hinduism) and Monotheism (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Pantheists view "God" as "beyond" good and evil; he/she/it is identical with the universe ("The universe is God," or "God is the universe," or "God and the Universe are one."). Monotheists view "God" as the absolute Good; He is not identical with the universe. He is the Creator, separate from His Creation. For the monotheist, all is not well in the universe because evil exists. But that is contrary to God’s will.
Lewis recalls his views when he was still an atheist. His whole argument against God's existence rested on the observation that the universe seemed cruel and unjust: How can God exist in a world filled with suffering and injustice? But he soon realized that his argument was self-refuting, because it assumed that there are such things as goodness and justice. If atheism were true, there shouldn't really be any meaning in the universe, and hence no "cruelty" and "injustice". So he began to doubt his unbelief.
I agree, his argument against God was self-refuting. Yes, there’s cruelty and injustice in the world, but that doesn't disprove the existence of God. It simply shows that there’s meaning in the universe. If atheism were true that God doesn't exist, there should just be "brute facts" in the world. There wouldn't be such things as evil. For example, "murder" or "rape" would be morally neutral acts that just happen to people, and are not objectively bad. But we do experience evil and injustice. Murder and rape are objectively bad. Therefore, there’s meaning in the universe. Hence, atheism is not true.
I like this quote:
"But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic – there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong; but some wrong answers are much nearer being right than others."
I agree. It may seem politically incorrect or impolite to say that Christianity is true and all the other religions or worldviews are wrong. But that is just the nature of truth – it is mutually exclusive. Either God exists or He doesn't. Either there are many gods or only one. Either Christianity is correct about the nature of God, or Islam, for example, which holds to a Unitarian view of God instead of a Trinitarian one, gets it right. Either the Messiah has not come yet, as the Jews believe, or He has already in the person of Jesus Christ.
Book 2, Chapter 2: The Invasion
Lewis explains that God created the world good, but evil perverted it. Evil is a perversion of the good, therefore it is not independent, and it doesn't share an equal footing with God. Therefore, dualism is not true. These are the only two views with respect to the question of why there are a lot of things wrong with the universe: Dualism and Christianity – but only the Christian view makes sense. This is the Christian view: God created the world in the beginning, and it was good, but there was an "invasion", so bad things happened and continue to happen.
I love this quote:
"Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in the campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going."
Book 2, Chapter 3: The Shocking Alternative
Lewis talks about free will. He says that there is evil in the world because people have the freedom and the capacity to choose to do bad things over good things. But free will is the only thing that makes genuine love, peace, and joy possible. God deemed it necessary to give us free will.
Another reason why there’s evil: we have a tendency to put ourselves first rather than other people or God, and that has disastrous consequences, because true goodness, happiness and joy can only be found in God (As St. Augustine said, “You made us for Yourself, O God; our hearts are restless until it rests in Thee.”), so the moment we go against His will and follow ours, we set ourselves for misery and ultimately death, whether physical or spiritual.
God gave us free will, but we messed up. Still, He pursued us. He gave us conscience, good dreams, prophets and miracles, and His only Son, Jesus Christ.
The "shocking" thing that Lewis is referring to is the fact that Jesus is this very God who is the creator of the universe and the source of the Moral Law. He spoke in God’s place, claimed to forgive sins, and performed miracles and exorcisms. He was either a liar, a lunatic, or he was the Lord.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ really is the Lord. Aside from performing miracles and exorcisms, and forgiving people’s sins, He ultimately demonstrated His deity by rising from the dead following His execution.
Book 2, Chapter 4: The Perfect Penitent
Lewis writes that this is the most important doctrine of Christianity: God became man, suffered, and died to pay for our sins in order to save us. In order to do this, He first has to “put on” our human nature. Only in that way can He save us. So in order for us to be saved, we must become like Him — the new man. This is called the doctrine of “atonement” (and repentance).
Book 2, Chapter 5: The Practical Conclusion
Lewis talks about the "New Life" that Jesus is offering to each one of us. We must die -- that is, our selfish selves must die -- in Christ. We must surrender to Him. We must lay down our own lives for Him. And we must follow Him. Following Him means not only believing in Christianity's doctrines (for it does not involve mere intellectual assent) but also undergoing baptism and participating in, or availing ourselves of, the blessed sacraments (in particular for Catholics, Holy Communion).
Book 3: Christian Behavior
Chapter 1: The Three Parts of Morality
Lewis explains that there are three aspects of morality: social, individual, and ultimate purpose. That is to say, morality has something to do with each of these three things: (1) harmony between individuals, (2) harmony inside the individual, and (3) ultimate purpose, or beliefs about what the ultimate purpose of man is, or the relation between man and God who made him. (For the materialist, life has no ultimate purpose because everything ends at the grave; God doesn't exist, so it doesn't matter whether you live as a sinner or as a saint. For the Christian, life has ultimate purpose, because God exists, so our actions and decisions have eternal consequences and hence significance and meaning.)
The human person is a kind of "machine" and morality is kind of the set of instructions about how this machine should be run. It is not something that "prevents us from having a good time." It is, rather, the only thing that can help us have a genuinely good, and thus joyful, time.
Morality is not just an "ideal" that some choose to pursue while others don't. It's actually something that everyone is called to observe because it is applicable to us all simply by virtue of our being human.
The human machine can morally "malfunction" in two ways: When individuals drift apart from one another or collide with one another; or when the different aspects of a person drift apart or collide inside him.
Book 3, Chapter 2: The Cardinal Virtues
Lewis talks about the four cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. Cardinal means "hinge", so these virtues hold the other virtues together (except the theological virtues). Christians are called to practice them. They are necessary for the formation of a good character.
Christians should "clean up" their inner selves. They should "harmonize" their individual persons. They should set themselves aright. The cardinal virtues help us do that.
(To be continued...)
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Reading Progress
| 09/01/2011 |
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25.0% | "Recently finished book one, "Right and Wrong as the Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." It's very interesting. Lewis basically argues that there is such a thing as a "Moral Law," "Law of Human Nature," or "Law of Human Behavior" that exists objectively or independently from us. We know this because often times in the course of our daily affairs, and especially when we quarrel, we always appeal to an objective..." | |
| 09/01/2011 |
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25.0% | "... standard of human behavior, and all of us expect others to observe this standard. Lewis argues further that there must be a "Power" behind this Moral Law, and this "Power" must be a "Mind," because the Moral Law is a kind of a set of moral instructions or commands, and only a Mind can give instructions or issue commands." | |
| 09/01/2011 |
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25.0% | "Lastly, Lewis argues that we all have fallen short of this Moral Law." | |
| 09/04/2011 |
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30.0% | "Finished three chapters of book 2 ("What Christians Believe") last night." | |
| 09/12/2011 |
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45.0% | "Started Book 3..." | |
| 06/10/2012 |
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95.0% | "Down to my last chapter. Hooray!" |
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It looks like I have reached the limit of the space allotted for book reviews in GoodReads lol. I'll just add the remaining summaries below.
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Book 3, Chapter 3: Social MoralityWhat does a Christian society look like, or how should it look like? Lewis suggests that we take a look at the New Testament for clues. A Christian society can only be realized once we obey the two greatest commandments in the Bible: (1) Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and (2) your neighbor as yourself. He says that that should be our guide.
Book 3, Chapter 4: Morality and PsychoanalysisI didn't understand this chapter very much. Lewis seems to be saying that psychoanalysis doesn't contradict Christianity. He explains that Christian morality is simply a "technique" or "guide" for "straightening up" the "human machine", while psychoanalysis aims to help the person fix his subconscious or unconscious issues.
Me too, I don't see any contradiction between Christianity and psychoanalysis.
Book 3, Chapter 5: Sexual MoralityLewis talks about the virtue of chastity. Christians believe that sex is good. After all, God invented sex. What’s bad is too much sex, or sexual obsession, or sexual perversion. There is something terribly wrong with us (with our nature) because of our perverted sexual desires. It’s very unnatural. The need for sex is natural, but the desire for too much of it is unnatural.
These are the things that lead to sexual immorality: (1) our fallen nature, (2) temptations by demons, and (3) advertisements/propaganda on TV.
Book 3, Chapter 6: Christian MarriageLewis explains that Christian marriage involves commitment. It involves a permanent kind of love -- and not merely feelings, for feelings come and go; they always change and are unpredictable.
In marriage, you are expected to be chaste (that is, pure in thought and faithful) and just.
Book 3, Chapter 7: ForgivenessBook 3, Chapter 7: Forgiveness
Lewis says that forgiveness doesn't necessarily involve liking the person who has wronged us. We can, and indeed should, forgive those who have been unjust to us, but that doesn't necessarily imply that we should also learn to like them.
What a relief. I know or knew a lot of people who I don't really like, but I acknowledge my need to forgive them. God knows how many people I have also hurt and offended in the past, and how I must have been unlikable, too.
Book 3, Chapter 8: The Great SinLewis writes that the deadliest/worst vice of all is pride. Its antidote is the virtue of humility. Humility involves not thinking about one's self too much. Humble people are happy, joyful people.
In order to become humble, one must first recognize that one is conceited. Then, one must forget himself.
Book 3, Chapter 9: CharityCharity simply means Christian love. It is the greatest of the theological virtues. Charity does not simply involve feelings. Essentially, it involves the will.
Loving God and loving others involves our will and not merely our feelings. Even if the person is not “lovable” or “likable”, we must act as if he is, and we will discover that we will actually learn to like and love him. Similarly, even if our feelings toward God may be cold, we must act as if we are sure we love Him, and we will find that our affection toward Him will actually grow and deepen.
Book 3, Chapter 10: HopeHope is one of the theological virtues. It means always keeping alive in our hearts the longing to be in our "true country" -- Heaven. Our ultimate goal is to get there and to bring our loved ones (and everyone else) there. God has planted inside of us the desire for Heaven -- that is, the desire for Heavenly things: the things that are good, beautiful, and true (truth, goodness, justice, beauty, etc.) The desires we have in us for these eternal things all point towards the existence of another world beyond ours, Heaven.
I love this quote:
"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
The philosopher Peter Kreeft called this argument by Lewis the "Argument From Desire". It is so fascinating and powerful. The argument goes like this:
Premise 1: Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real object that can satisfy that desire.
Premise 2: But there exists in us a desire which nothing in time, nothing on earth, no creature can satisfy.
Conclusion: Therefore there must exist something more than time, earth and creatures, which can satisfy this desire.
Kreeft develops it in more detail here: http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/des...
This is such a beautiful chapter. Heaven must be an indescribably beautiful and joyful "place". Recall your most beautiful and joyful experience in life. Magnify it a hundred times, no, a million times, or better, to infinity. It's hard to imagine, but that must be what Heaven is like.
Book 3, Chapter 11: FaithLewis here talks about the last, but by no means the least, of the theological virtues: faith.
He defines faith as trust in God. He explains that faith and reason don't contradict each other, they go together. Or rather, one is the foundation of the other -- Christian faith is based on reason. The battle, he argues, is not between faith and reason, but faith and reason on the one hand, and emotions and imagination on the other. What can "shake" a person's faith is not reason -- usually, it's his changing moods.
Lewis thinks that, since our moods are unpredictable and can significantly affect our beliefs, we must therefore strengthen our faith by practicing it regularly: through prayer, reading and studying Scripture, going to church, receiving the sacraments, and so on. That's why faith is really a virtue.
I love this quote:
"I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his best reasoning tells him that the weight of the evidence is against it. That is not the point at which Faith comes in. But supposing a man's reason once decides that the weight of the evidence is for it. I can tell that man what is going to happen to him in the next few weeks. There will come a moment when there is bad news, or he is in trouble, or is living among a lot of other people who do not believe it, and all at once his emotions will rise up and carry out a blitz on his belief. Or else there will come a moment when he wants a woman, or wants to tell a lie, or feels very pleased with himself, or sees a chance of making a little money in some way that is not perfectly fair: some moment, in fact, at which it would be very convenient if Christianity were not true. And once again his wishes and desires will carry out a blitz. I am not talking of moments at which any real new reasons against Christianity turn up. Those have to be faced and that is a different matter. I am talking about moments when a mere mood rises up against it."
And this:
"Faith... is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."
I totally agree with him. Faith and reason are not mutually exclusive. They work together. Or, as Pope John Paul II said,
"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves."
Or, as Christian author Sean McDowell said,
"Faith is trusting something which we have reasons to believe is true."
So, belief in God is actually reasonable. It is not "blind".
Book 3, Chapter 12: Faith (2)In the previous chapter, Lewis talked about faith as trusting in God. In this chapter, he expounds on it further. He says that actually, Christian faith is much deeper than simply trusting in God (It is trusting in God, but it's also more than that). What we eventually realize when we trust in God is that, no matter how hard we try to live moral lives, no matter how hard we try to practice the virtues, we are really not good (we always fall short of becoming perfectly good: i.e., we give in to temptations and fall into sin) -- we find out that we inevitably fail, and we get frustrated. In short, we discover that, truly, no one is good except God. It is at this exact point that faith, that deeper kind of trust in God that Lewis talks about, becomes relevant. At this point, we are called, as Christians, to surrender our all to God. He wants our everything. He wants to take over our lives. Because what He actually wants is particular kinds of men and women -- men and women who have a Christ-like character. He wants to work in and through us in order to transform us and mold us into persons like Himself. That is what is meant by becoming "Sons and Daughters" of God.
This is truly a profound book. Someone once said that this book is a bit deceptive because it is written in simple language yet the author's message is quite deep, especially if you're not familiar with Christian theology. I struggled to understand many of the chapters. But at least I was able to have an inkling of what Lewis was getting at.
I agree with him. Faith in God is a deep kind of trust, because it requires absolute surrender to Him. It's definitely terrifying, because we normally wish to take control of our lives -- we don't like losing our grip on things. But God wants to have complete sovereignty over every aspect of our lives. He wants us to give our life to Him, so that He can change and transform us into the persons He created us to be. He wants us to be more like Himself -- more like Jesus.
Book 4: Beyond Personality: or First Steps in the Doctrine of the TrinityChapter 1: Making and Begetting
Lewis talks about Christian theology and its central doctrines: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He saved us from our sins, and that we, too, can become "Sons (and Daughters) of God" if we believe in and follow Him.
Lewis explains that it is important to study Christian theology ("the science of God") -- that is to say, it is important to study the doctrines of Christianity -- because we want to have an accurate understanding of who God is (that is, what His nature is and what He expects from us). Lewis compares God and the study of Christian theology to a map and the place it represents. The map (theology) is important because without it we can't really have an accurate picture of the place (God's nature, etc.) it represents, and as a result we will be "lost". One of the central doctrines about God in Christian theology is that God is begotten and not made. God the Father begot Jesus; therefore, Jesus must be God. God created us; therefore, we are merely creatures, not gods. We don't share the same nature that God has. But He promised us that we will someday share in His "Spiritual Life" (His "Divine Life") if we follow Him. In other words, we too will become "Sons (and Daughters) of God" if we follow and thereby "attach" our selves to Jesus.
This is the first time that I actually understood the doctrine of becoming "Sons of God" through Christ, and I am blown away! In theological language, it sounded to me to be very mysterious and vague, but Lewis explained it in very simple terms. His distinction between being "begotten" and being "created", and his analogy of the sculptor (God) and the statue (Man) are very helpful. To think that we, too, are invited by God to actually become His Sons and Daughters! To think that He is giving us the opportunity to share in His Spiritual Life, His Divine Life, the very Life within (or of) God! It is such an amazing and profound realization!
This quote stuck with me:
"And that is precisely what Christianity is about. The world is a great sculptor's shop. We are the statues and there is a rumour going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life."
Book 4, Chapter 2: The Three-Personal GodLewis explains that the Christian God is “three-Personal” — that is, three Persons in one God. He claims that this makes God “more than” or “beyond” personal. There is only one God, but there are three Persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: God left “clues” of His existence in nature and spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament Scripture (God the Father). Then, He revealed Himself in Jesus Christ (God the Son). Then, after Jesus’ resurrection, His early disciples discovered that God actually dwelt inside them also and moved through them (God the Holy Spirit).
From what I understand, Lewis seems to be arguing that the Holy Trinity is extremely difficult to begin to comprehend because our minds are limited. God exists in a “higher dimension” (He is not constrained in our space-time universe. After all, He created the physical universe, so He transcends it.), so it is hard to grasp how God can be three Persons in one Being. But Lewis says that our job is primarily to approach Him in prayer and worship, and not mainly to fully comprehend His nature, for that is impossible, at least in this life.
Lewis also writes that we can only “see” God through our own selves — but only if our hearts are pure and our souls are clean — and in communion with a family or a group of fellow believers: the Church, which is Christ’s body here on earth.
I don’t know if I agree with Lewis that the Holy Trinity is “more than” personal. What does it mean to be “more than” personal? For me, God is either personal or impersonal. He is either a Mind or an abstract entity.
I am also not sure if he explained well what the Holy Trinity really is. He seems only to be saying that since God exists in a dimension “higher” than our own, that His being Three Persons therefore is beyond human comprehension. I think that we can at least know that God’s being Three Persons in one Being is not logically contradictory. But I probably just missed something.
I love what he said about seeing God through our own pure and clean selves. It’s so fascinating to think that our own selves — our own hearts and our own souls — are actually "instruments" through which we can “view” the Supreme Being who created all of the universe and all of life.
Book 4, Chapter 3: Time and Beyond TimeLewis talks about God's "Timelessness" -- His attribute of being beyond Time. God created Time, so He transcends it; He is not bound by it. So, He has "plenty of time" -- or rather, He has no time limitations -- to listen to our prayers, for example. He is like an author of a novel -- He is not constrained by the "invented time" within the story, unlike the characters He created. We, on the other hand, experience Time as a continuous "stream of moments" -- one moment followed by another, and so on.
God did not lose His Timelessness when He entered human history in Jesus. Yes, He lived life as a human being, but He was or is also fully God.
Lewis also talked about human free will and God's omniscience. Some people object that because God knows what we are going to do in the future (since He is omniscient), we are not really free. Lewis argues that that's not true. We are still actually free: Again, God is beyond Time. He simply watches over us as we make our decisions. His watch over us and His knowledge of what we're going to do doesn't determine our ability to choose our actions. Therefore, we're free.
I like how Lewis compared God to an author of a novel. Since He "invented" the Time within the story, He is not really bound by it. So He has "all the time in the world," so to speak, to spend with each of the characters. It's a wonderful realization because it assures us that God has more than enough time for each and every one of us.
The subject of human free will and the omniscience of God is tough to comprehend. But I agree, as far as I understand it, that there's no contradiction between the two (free will and omniscience). God's knowledge of the future does not influence or determine our ability to choose freely our actions. His knowledge of what we're going to do does not really eliminate our options, nor does it take away our freedom to choose.
Book 4, Chapter 4: Good InfectionLewis explains that the Father and the Son in the Holy Trinity have always existed. When we say that the Father begot the Son, we’re not saying that the Father existed before the Son, or that the Son began to exist, or that there was a “time” that the Son did not exist and the Father brought Him into existence. No, the Father and the Son, although the former begot the latter, have always existed simultaneously. Lewis illustrated this by offering as an analogy two books lying on top of each other on a table. The first book, the one at the bottom, causes the second book at the top to rest several inches from the table instead of on the surface of the table. The cause and effect in this case are simultaneous. Similarly, when a person imagines a picture in his mind, the mental image that results (effect) occur simultaneously with the act of imagination (cause). So it is with the first and second members of the Holy Trinity.
Lewis also explains what the phrase “God is love” means. It means that God is actually a community of persons, involved in an exchange of love, and not merely a single person. Since God is love there must be within God at least two members — the Lover and the Beloved. That Lover must be the Father and His Beloved must be the Son. And, since the love that is exchanged between the two is concretely real, He must be a Person, too. This third Person must be the “Holy Ghost” or the “Holy Spirit”. Lewis likens this exchange of love within the Holy Trinity as a kind of “drama” or “dance” and our job, our single most important goal or mission as Christians, is to “step into” that pattern, and thereby participate in the dynamic activity, of the love or power within the Holy Trinity. It is such an unimaginably awesome and beautiful offer to us, because we are given the opportunity, as God’s creatures, to share in the Divine Life within God, so that we are actually drawn and caught into the infinite love and life of God, wherein lies true joy, power, love, peace, and eternal life. And all we need to do is to follow Jesus! All that’s required of us is to become His disciples, so that we become like Him — in a very real sense, His sons and daughters. The Life that we receive as a result is a life that is begotten (and thereby eternal) and not merely made (and thereby temporal).
This chapter just blew me away. I never understood the Holy Trinity like this before. I mean, I had an inkling about what the Triune God is like. But never was it explained to me in simple terms and beautiful language. Of course, this is just scratching the surface. The Holy Trinity is a great mystery. Christianity teaches us that the human mind cannot really fully comprehend the Holy Trinity.
These are my favorite quotes (this is practically half the chapter!):
“All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that ‘God is love’. But they seem not to notice that the words ‘God is love’ have no real meaning unless God contains at least two Persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love. Of course, what these people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love is God’. They really mean that our feelings of love, however and wherever they arise, and whatever results they produce, are to be treated with great respect. Perhaps they are: but that is something quite different from what Christians mean by the statement ‘God is love’. They believe that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else.”
“And that, by the way, is perhaps the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions: that in Christianity God is not a static thing—not even a person—but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance. The union between the Father and the Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is also a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable, but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the ‘spirit’ of that family, or club, or trade union. They talk about its ‘spirit’ because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving which they would not have if they were apart. It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the differences between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.”
***
“And now, what does it all matter? It matters more than anything else in the world. The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of this three-Personal life is to be played out in each one of us: or (putting it the other way round) each one of us has got to enter that pattern, take his place in that dance. There is no other way to the happiness for which we were made. Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection, if you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry. Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever? Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die?”
“But how is he to be united to God? How is it possible for us to he taken into the three-Personal life?
“You remember what I said in Chapter 1 about begetting and making. We are not begotten by God, we are only made by Him: in our natural state we are not sons of God, only (so to speak) statues. We have not got Zoe or spiritual life: only Bios or biological life which is presently going to run down and die. Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ. If we do, we shall then he sharing a life which was begotten, not made, which always has existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we share in this kind of life we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has—by what I call ‘good infection’. Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”
Book 4, Chapter 5: The Obstinate Toy SoldiersLewis explains that we are like stubborn little toy soldiers because God offers us a stupendous gift -- to become real men -- yet we insist on remaining creatures made of tin. This is what God did: He sent His Son into the world of toy soldiers and became a real man -- His "tin" nature fused with His divine nature so that He became a real live man. In principle, Jesus already solved the problem: He already saved us -- all that's left is for us to say "yes" to Him. All we need to do is to get close to Him and "catch" the "good infection". When we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us, and He will work in us and through us, and transform us into persons like Himself -- and we will receive the Life that is begotten and eternal.
I appreciate Lewis' use of analogies to clarify his ideas: We are statues or tin soldiers. Our Maker, out of love for us, became like us -- statues or tin soldiers -- but unlike us, He actually came to life. And He is offering each of us the same amazing gift of Life.
I love this:
"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
Book 4, Chapter 6: Two NotesLewis clarifies two points from the previous chapter: (1) God did not beget many sons from the very beginning for a reason. What He did was that He gave Man the opportunity to become His sons. However, Man misused the free will that God gave him. God gave him free will because He wants him to freely choose his actions. Without free will, genuine love is not possible. Also, it seems impossible for there to be more than one Son in the Holy Trinity. Several Sons are possible only if there's space and matter, because each Son would have to be different from the others in terms of His shape, location, etc. But then, the Holy Trinity has always existed; it existed prior to the universe. Thus, there's only one Son. (2) Although humanity is just, in a sense, one organism (like a tree), each of its individual members are still important. In the Christian community or Church, each member belongs to the same body, and each plays a different but significant role.
Lewis' explanations make sense to me, so I accept them.
Book 4, Chapter 7: Let's PretendLewis talked about theology in this book (Book 4): What God is (His nature) and what He wants from us, or what He wants us to do. So far, in the previous chapters, Lewis has shown that, with respect to God’s nature, He is three-Persons in one God; that He is eternal or timeless (He has always existed); and that there’s only one Son. With respect to what God wills for us, Lewis explained that God wants to transform us into persons like Himself — truly sons (and daughters) of God, and not merely His creatures. In this chapter, Lewis admonishes us to start pretending that we are actually already sons of God. Slowly and surely, as we pray regularly and as we live out our faith, Jesus will help us become “little Christs”.
I find Lewis’s advice of “good pretense” very helpful. That is the first step to becoming Christ-like: to first pretend that we are like Jesus, even though we aren’t yet like Him. Another step is to recognize how sinful we really are, and how far we fall short in God’s eyes. In truth, we cannot change ourselves into “little Christs” on our own. Only God can help us do that. So, it’s required of us that we surrender ourselves to Him so that He can start working with and through us.
It was tempting for me to think that Jesus is just somewhere “out there” (in Heaven) listening to my prayers whenever I make them; that He is distant. It’s good to be reminded that Jesus actually is beside us every time we pray to Him. Remember that He is not constrained by space and time because He is the Creator of space and time, so He can be “present” beside each and every one of us every time we kneel and direct our thoughts to Him. He always hears our prayers, even though we may not feel that He is there.
I like these quotes:
“We must be thankful to all the people who have helped us, we must honor them and we must love them. But never, never pin your whole faith on any human being: not if he is the best and wisest in the whole world.”
“And now we begin to see what it is that the New Testament is always talking about. It talks about Christians ‘being born again’; it talks about them ‘putting on Christ’; about Christ ‘being formed in us’; about our coming to ‘have the mind of Christ’.
“Put right out of your head the idea that these are only fancy ways of saying that Christians are to read what Christ said and try to carry it out—as a man may read what Plato or Marx said and try to carry it out. They mean something much more than that. They mean that a real Person, Christ, here and now, in that very room where you are saying your prayers, is doing things to you. It is not a question of a good man who died two thousand years ago. It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has. At first, only for moments. Then for longer periods. Finally, if all goes well, turning you permanently into a different sort of thing; into a new little Christ, a being which, in its own small way, has the same kind of life as God; which shares in His power, joy, knowledge and eternity.”
Book 4, Chapter 8: Is Christianity Hard or Easy?Lewis repeats his point that, as Christians, we only have one job or mission in life, and that is to become "little Christs". That is what Christianity at bottom is all about. Now, that is in one sense hard and in another sense easy. In a sense, it's hard because it requires the giving up -- the total surrender -- of our entire self to Jesus. Jesus wants the whole of us. He wants every bit of us. That experience is a kind of death. That's why Jesus called it "taking up one's cross". It's hard because it directly opposes what our ego wants -- ease, comfort, money, power, pleasure, etc. But we must do it. Otherwise, we will pine away and die a spiritual death. In another sense, it's easy because Jesus will take over us. His graces will flow through us and He will place His Will within is, so that it will be He who will work through us.
I agree. That's why at the heart of Christianity, we see Jesus crucified. The Christian way is all about self-denial and suffering. It's all about following Christ's way of the cross. We can expect there to be lots of trials and pains along our path to God.
But, it all becomes easier eventually, because Jesus takes upon Himself our burdens and troubles, our worries and concerns, our hurts and disappointments, and all the other emotional, psychological and spiritual baggage we have amassed for ourselves as we lived our lives away from God. He carries our burdens for us, takes our hand, and leads us, so our path is clearer for us, our hearts and minds are lightened, and we are at peace and joyful.
Book 4, Chapter 9: Counting the CostLewis writes that God's ultimate plan for us is nothing less than perfection. He wants to transform us into perfect beings. Maybe not in this life, but as close as possible to it before we die. Of course, we can always refuse Him. He won't force us. But if we allow Him, He will perfect us. He is the Potter, we are His clay. He is the Vine Grower, and He will prune us. He is the Blacksmith, and He will pound on us and purify us with fire. He is the Designer, and we are His houses. And because He is God, we can expect that the end-product (namely, us) of all His molding, pruning, pounding, purifying and designing to be utterly beautiful and radiant -- in other words, perfect.
It's such a sobering thought... I am so far away from perfection. I mean, I have only just began to take a few, timid steps to following Jesus seriously. There's still countless miles and miles I have yet to travel. I also badly need to trust God more. I need to surrender every bit of my self, every aspect of my life, to Him.
Book 4, Chapter 10: Nice People or New MenLewis argues that God does not merely want “nice people”, He wants “new men”. He doesn’t want you merely to be a “nice guy” (or gal), He wants to transform you into His son (or daughter). In other words, He wants to change your very nature — from that of a mere creature to that of a son (or daughter) — and not simply improve your personality.
Lewis also talks about an objection that some people have about Christianity: “If Christianity is true, why are some, if not many, Christians mean and corrupt? Why are they no different in their behavior and lifestyle than some non-Christians?” The assumption there is that, if Christianity is true, it should work in that it should make its followers nice and good.
Lewis seems to agree that that is a reasonable objection. He says that if Christianity is true, it should convert the character of the people who profess to follow it.
I’m not sure if I agree. Many Muslims are compassionate. Does it follow therefore that Islam is true? Many Buddhists are peace-loving. Does it follow therefore that Buddhism is true? Many atheists are decent. Does it follow therefore that atheism is true? Obviously not. Similarly, the fact that there are many Christians who are kind and loving does not prove Christianity’s central truth claims that God exists and that He revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ (One way of proving the claim that God exists, for example, which Lewis has done, is to show that the existence of a Moral Law points to the existence of a Mind behind the Law). Or, put another way, the fact that there are many Christians who are ill-tempered and obnoxious does not disprove Christianity. All that it shows is that Christians, or people who call themselves Christians, can be hypocritical. But come to think of it, who isn’t a hypocrite? Aren’t we all sinners within the Church? And that is just to be expected, because after all, that is the very reason why Jesus came into this world in the first place — because we are sinners and He wants to save us.
But I agree with Lewis that God does not simply want a surface-level change from us, which is what mere niceness is. It’s very easy to be nice, especially if you are already endowed with a naturally pleasant temperament and you live a comfortable life. It’s much harder if you are naturally irritable and you often experience hardships. What God wants from us, whether we have a natural tendency to be nice or not, is for us to give ourselves to Him and trust in Him so that He may transform our nature into His likeness. It goes without saying that men who are new and transformed also become nice.
Book 4, Chapter 11: The New MenLewis explains once again that Christ's plan is to transform all of us into His sons and daughters. He wants to change our very nature from mere creatures to "gods". He talks a bit about Evolution to show that this transformation will be a kind of development from a lower form of life to a higher form of life. But unlike Evolution, it won't involve a natural process. Rather, it will come to Nature from "outside". Moreover, people can refuse it. He says that, actually, these New Men and Women are already among us today. Because the transformation has already occurred and is still happening. It started with Jesus and His resurrection and continues to this day. These New Men and Women are perhaps Modern Saints.
Lewis also writes about the great paradox of Christianity: Jesus taught us that we can only find our true self if we lose it or give it up for His sake. When we surrender every bit of our selves to Him, He takes over us and His thoughts and Will will become ours. Then we will discover our true personality in Him.
I wonder, why do we find our true self when we forget all about it and give it up for His sake? How does it happen? How do we find our true self in Jesus? Maybe this is the reason: God created us, so He knows each one of us perfectly well. He knows us intimately. In fact, there's nothing about us He doesn't know about. He knows our peculiarities and what makes us special and unique because He Himself planted those traits in us. Therefore, our real identity resides in Him. The more we get to know Him; the more we get to know His will and think His thoughts, the more will we begin to get an idea of who we really are. Because when we are close to Him, we see ourselves the way He sees us. Whereas when we are far from Him; when we are outside His grace and dwell outside His will; when we go about our own individual ways apart from Him, we will be at the mercy of our nature as mere creatures -- we will be determined by our impulses and desires and lusts and whims, and we will lose ourselves in our emotions and moods.
I agree with Lewis's arguments in general, and his discussion of the Holy Trinity and His call for us to become His sons and daughters made sense to me. I therefore give it 5 stars.
