PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS
MERE CHRISTIANITY
CHAPTER 1: Making and Begetting
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It's always important to remember the flow of thought in Mere Christianity. The beginning of the book deals with the fact that there is right and wrong in the universe. Why does this exist? Because a righteous God has created the universe and His name is Jesus. We have just looked at different ways in which Christ wants us to live righteously. Now Lewis is showing us how we can live a righteous life. In fact it is the only way that we can live a righteous life.
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What does the word "theology" mean?
Why would a person want to study theology?
"You are not _____________________: why should you be treated like _______________?"
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Lewis compares theology to reading a map of the Atlantic ocean. Lewis says the map is valuable for 2 reasons. What are those 2 reasons?
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One of the neat things that Lewis brings to the table is a wealth of knowledge about what other Christian writers wrote, modern as well as ancient. These men will definitely enrich your relationship with Jesus if you allow them to.
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People used not to be as educated as they are today. Today they demand expertize in all areas, including theology. If Christian leaders don't present a good defense of Christianity, then younger people are going to believe that there is NO defense of Christianity. That is truly sad. In one place Lewis states that he has found that whenever he presents Christ with all the evidence to a young adult, that young adult accepts Christ. In other words, if we lose the present generation, the fault lies at the feet of adults. Yet, Lewis goes on to say, you can't present something to somebody else you've never even had yourself.
If you do not study theology, you will have ideas about God. According to Lewis what is true about those ideas?
What is true about the ideas which are being trotted out as novelties today?
A great example of this is The DaVinci Code. It basically is bringing up the first controversy the early church had to deal with Gnosticism. Anybody who has read the writings of these early Christian thinkers will know how to deal with junk like The DaVinci Code.
Believing in the popular religion of England today is like what?
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"But it tells you much less than the whole truth about Christianity and it has no practical importance at all."
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If it were not difficult, then what would be true about Christianity?
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Why does this point shock us (the modern man)?
In what sense are we already sons of God before we become Christians?
The NT though speaks of "sons of God" in a different sense.
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When was Christ begotten according to this Creed?
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When you beget something, what do you get?
What happens though whenever you make something?
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When God makes something, what is NOT made?
Because God made man, he is not God. He may be like God; however, he is not God. "They are more like ____________________ or _______________ of God."
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Lewis goes on to show you how what God makes is like God in one way or another. For example, how is space like God?
Matter?
The vegetable world?
Insects?
Higher mammals?
Man?
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Although we use the word "life" for both spiritual and natural life, we are confusing the terms. How does Lewis illustrate this confusion using the analogy of space?
The spiritual life and biological life are so different that Lewis gives each a different name. What is the name he gives "biological" life, and what is the name he gives to "spiritual" life?
The difference between the 2 kinds of life are as different as a photo of a place and the place itself, and as different as a statue of a man and the man himself. A man who changed from having Bios only to having Zoe would be like what?
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Earlier we talked about how mythology is evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Think back now for a moment about some of the greatest stories and myths in our culture. Pinochio is about what? My Fair Lady (Pygmalion)? Beauty and the Beast? Cinderella? All these stories speak to our deepest desires to be transformed. Only Christianity offers you that hope and power to be changed. If we are truly going to live righteous lives, the same kind of life that the Son of God lives, then we must be truly transformed. We must truly be changed to be like Jesus. That is what the rest of Mere Christianity is about.
Book Four
Chapter 1
Lewis says that although many people tell him to stick to "practical theology," he refuses to do so. Why?
Why did the old RAF officer reject any talk of theology?
When a person turns from the tremendous experience he has had with God to the creeds which talk about God, he feels like he has turned from something very real to what?
In what 2 ways is Christian theology like the map of the ocean?
Why is theology so important, especially these days?
What 2 things does the popular idea of Christianity teach today?
If Christ offers no more than a more advanced teaching on how to be good, why would it be useless to study Him?
What three things though do Christian writings teach us about Christianity?
Why shouldn't we be surprised that Christianity is difficult to understand?
What point does Christianity make which gives us the greatest shock?
When one of the Creeds says that Christ is the Son of God "begotten, not created," what event is it NOT referring to?
What do the words "begotten" or "begetting" mean?
When God begets something, what is begotten?
Although man is like God (has the "shape" of God in a spiritual sense), he does not have what?
What is one thing man in his natural condition does NOT have?
According to Lewis this change from Bios life to Zoe life is what Christianity is all about. The world is like a workshop full of statues. What rumor is running around?