C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity

Clive Staples Lewis, often referred to as C.S. Lewis, was an apologist, theologian, philosopher, and author whose literary works captured hearts and minds. Lewis applied his intellectual ability and creative genius in each of his publications. Primarily known for his best-selling series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis wrote several other books for the defense and explanation of Christianity. Clive wrote in such a way that not only grabbed the reader’s attention but helped them to better understand the depths of the faith. Though many of his works were filled to the brim with imaginative concepts, Lewis’s faith was governed by reason. In his early years, Lewis denied God all together - utilizing his philosophical background to argue against

In one of his most famous books, Lewis stated, “Ever since I became a Christian, I have thought that perhaps the best, perhaps the only service I could do for my unbelieving neighbors was to explain and defend the belief” (Lewis viii). This book, titled Mere Christianity, details the tenets of Christianity in a way that any individual can comprehend - as long as they can perceive abstract thoughts. Mere Christianity is a book composed of four parts. In part one, Lewis proposes the idea of moral law or the law of human nature - the notion that there is a universal code for what is “good” and what is “bad.” He suggests that this law, that we all tend to obey, was created by an almighty being. In the second part of the book, Lewis introduces theories about who this higher being may be. One of the most important conflicts handled by Lewis in this text is the idea that a higher being would allow good and evil to coincide in our lives - a concept that caused Clive to deny the existence of God for several years of his life. Through this, Lewis speaks of free will - the idea that we are given a choice. When given the option of temptation and goodness, we have the opportunity to decide for ourselves rather than being forced into goodness. Lewis writes, “If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having”