C. S. Lewis Christian Essays
By Duncan Rize
Anyone who is familiar with the
Chronicles of Narnia and
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will have knowledge of the Christian apologetics writer C. S. Lewis. One particular group of his writing that has become very popular is his collection entitled
Mere Christianity.
Mere Christianity is a group of four essays C. S. Lewis wrote during World War II. It was published in the United States in 1952.
Right And Wrong As A Clue To The Meaning Of The Universe
This first essay, as the title suggests, deals with the debate between right and wrong. The essay goes on to discuss that we all have a conscience to distinguish exactly what is right and what is wrong. Lewis goes on to remark that people who do not follow what is right are slaves to evil, especially when though they know what they are doing is not right. Finally, all through this essay, Lewis reinforces that a Moral Law exists that allows us to judge what is right and what is wrong.
What Christians Believe
In the essay entitled, “What Christians Believe”, Lewis cautions people to not say that they believe in God but do not believe in Jesus. C. S. Lewis presents one statement that has made him famous. He writes of the situation in which you can either believe that Jesus was a mere man and that he was either a crazy lunatic, a liar, or that he was telling the truth. Lewis writes that he would like the reader to see Jesus as more than just a teacher but rather someone who was telling the Truth and is the Son of God.
Christian Behavior
In the essay entitled, “Christian Behavior”, Lewis goes back to discussing the moral laws that govern us. First he writes about how we have a higher power
whose work we must be constantly doing. From here, C. S. Lewis describes all the different attributes associated with moral values. These include qualities such as Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.
Surprisingly for the time it was written, Lewis speaks on sexual morality as well. He describes those who satisfy there pleasures without thinking about it are just gluttons to the pleasure they receive. From here Lewis moves on to discuss Christian marriage and how a marriage can survive if the couple think beyond their feelings.
Beyond Personality: Or First Steps In The Doctrine Of The Trinity
In this essay, Lewis reminds people that they can truly know God by remembering and grounding ourselves in His Word (the Bible). Lewis also uses this essay to present his views on the Trinity.
Duncan Rize loves the writings of C.S. Lewis and works with the marketing group at www.LearningByGrace.org. Learning by Grace manages of a number of internationally known online K-12 academies including www.TheGraceAcademy.org, www.TheJubileeAcademy.org, www.TheMorningStarAcademy.org and www.TheNarniaAcademy.org . This article is © 2005 ELRN, Inc. and may be quoted in whole or part as long as the author (Duncan Rize) and source (www.TheNarniaAcademy.org) are credited.
