Mere Christianity

Personally, I would give it 6 Stars! I gave only 4 because people are, I believe, more likely to read a score that is less than perfect. So what is the problem? Well, it is best to keep in mind that the Author was what they called an Oxford 'Don,' which is to say that he was an obviously well known person, but he had tenure, and he not only taught, but spoke in perfect English. More than that, there is—and probably still is, to a degree—a specific 'Way' that any student of any of Oxford Colleges are expected to speak. In the Narnia Books, he narrates as one might hear from your Grandpa or favorite Uncle who was known for his wonderful storytelling. How do I mean? Well, as a benevolent but with a touch of, 'Now, don't tell your Mum that I told you this tale, but what I tell you is absolutely true!' This book, Mere Christianity was actually a series of BBC talks during the 2nd World War...aimed at a better-read and -schooled audience 70+ years ago!

I am tempted to give this two starts but some of the things I read here are quite... Nice. They are capable of putting a smile on someone's face but saying this as euphemistically as possible the way he explains things is quite simple. It got really annoying and I didn't make it past a quarter of the book. If God is the reason why we search to do good that's nice and this is a "nice" book to point that out.

Lewis leads the reader along with him as he constructs Christianity; reminding me of Jesus' parable of the wise builder in Matthew 7:24–27: building it as though it were a house. The foundation is first laid of human nature and our relationship to the law. He builds on top that our relationship to our creator and then to each other. All the while, Lewis draws comparisons between our other options: if we are to think of ourselves as the judge of “good” or if we choose not to accept our creator as God etc., and brings about logic and reason. Having come from an atheist view and later choosing to follow Christ, Lewis brings about some hard truths which may come off as offensive, but for good reason. “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or...[for full review and more like it go to "booked and convicted" blog]