PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS
MERE CHRISTIANITY
BOOK THREE: CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR
Before reading the chapter and answering the following questions, number your paragraphs from 1-8.
Paragraph 1:
What do really great moral teachers never do?
Who introduces new moralities?
According to Dr. Johnson instead being instructed, what do people really need in the area of morality?
Paragraph 2:
Why or why not?
Instead of replacing or superseding the ordinary human arts and sciences, what does Christianity do to these arts and sciences?
Paragraph 3:
If we let the church lead out in this way, will society benefit?
What though do we normally mean whenever we say that the church should lead out in society?
When the church leads out in this way, is society benefitted? Why or why not?
Whose job is it really to lead out in society, the clergy or the lay people?
Paragraph 4:
In a Christian society what is the relationship between man and work?
In a Christian society what will work produce? What will it not produce?
Should the aristocratic, superior attitude a part of Christian society?
On the other hand, what will the Christian society always insist on?
In this Christian society whom are we to obey?
Thirdly, what else should be a characteristic of Christian society?
Paragraph 5:
On the other hand, the family life and code of manners in this Christian society would seem what?
According to Lewis would we like all the different aspects of this Christian society? Why or why not?
Paragraph 6:
According to the Greeks, Jewish OT, and medieval Christian teachers what is one bit of advice we have disobeyed in our modern economic system?
Lewis admits that there might be a difference between what the 3 great ancient cultures condemned and what we are doing. He does though want to be honest and share with us what?
Paragraph 7:
In the frightening parable of the sheep and the goats what seems to be the point that everything turns on? (I would advise you to read this parable in Matt. 25:31-38.)
Lewis wasn't kidding when he called this a "frightening" parable. Jesus is claiming that the way you treat the Christian poor determines your eternal destiny. This should frighten many people.
Whereas it is true that we should create a society in which poverty does not exist, what have we done though if we quit giving to the poor until that kind of society does exist?
What is the only safe rule to giving?
If our lifestyle matches that of others who earn the same income we do, are we giving away enough?
All this talk of giving applies to charities in the common way. What does the distress of relatives, friends, neighbors, and employees demand of us?
To what extent should we give to this latter group?
What is our greatest obstacle to charity?
What is the next greatest obstacle to charity and how does it show itself?
Paragraph 8:
The problem with the Left is that it tries to force redistribution of wealth by means of the government. The Bible, while promoting redistribution of wealth, emphasizes a voluntary redistribution of wealth. See 2 Cor. 9:6-7.
Instead of trying to find out how Christianity addresses society, what are we really trying to do?
What 2 things must happen before a true Christian society will emerge?
What 3 things must happen before "Do as you would be done by" becomes a reality?
Book Three
Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3: Social Morality
According to Lewis did Jesus come to preach a new morality?
Does Christianity profess to have a detailed political program for each particular society for each moment it exists?
Whenever we rightly claim that the church ought to lead out in society, what should we mean by the word "church"?
In a Christian society will there be passengers and parasites?
According to Lewis what kind of economic system would the Christian society resemble?
According to the NT why are we to work?
According to Lewis how will the Left respond to what he has just said and how will the Right respond?