C. S. Lewis"s 'mere Christianity' (ebook)

Argumento de C. S. Lewis"s 'mere Christianity' (ebook)

Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis's eloquent and winsome defense of the Christian faith, originated as a series of BBC radio talks broadcast during the dark days of World War Two. Here is the story of the extraordinary life and afterlife of this influential and much-beloved book.

George Marsden describes how Lewis gradually went from being an atheist to a committed Anglican—famously converting to Christianity in 1931 after conversing into the night with his friends J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugh Dyson—and how Lewis delivered his wartime talks to a traumatized British nation in the midst of an all-out war for survival. Marsden recounts how versions of those talks were collected together in 1952 under the title Mere Christianity, and how the book went on to become one of the most widely read presentations of essential Christianity ever published, particularly among American evangelicals. He examines its role in the conversion experiences of such figures as Charles Colson, who read the book while facing arrest for his role in the Watergate scandal. Marsden explores its relationship with Lewis's Narnia books and other writings, and explains why Lewis's plainspoken case for Christianity continues to have its critics and ardent admirers to this day.

With uncommon clarity and grace, Marsden provides invaluable new insights into this modern spiritual classic.

"Books on Lewis abound. Marsden’s belongs on the top shelf."--Booklist

"[A]n insightful historical sketch"--The Gospel Coalition

"A superb study of C. S. Lewis's greatest work. Marsden succeeds both in illuminating the success of Mere Christianity and enriching our own reading of this seminal work."--Alister McGrath, author of C. S. Lewis--A Life

"This is a match made in heaven: C. S. Lewis, modernity’s most influential Christian voice, interpreted by George Marsden, leading historian of Christian intellectual culture. Mere Christianity has taken on a life of its own, winning converts by its peculiar blend of rhetoric and reason. In unveiling the life of this book and taking the measure of its influence, Marsden has given us an indispensable key to the mind and stature of its author."--Carol Zaleski, coauthor of The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings

"A significant contribution to Lewis scholarship. No one has surveyed the reception history of Mere Christianity as well as Marsden has done here, and given the enduring popularity and influence of the book, this is a task well worth doing."--Alan Jacobs, author of The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis

"Though there have been analyses of Mere Christianity before, none has been so comprehensive or serious as this one. Marsden has subjected Lewis's book to an assessment more searching and satisfying than anything so far in print."--Michael Ward, University of Oxford, author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis0Introduction 1
Chapter 1 War Service 19
Chapter 2 Broadcast Talks 35
Chapter 3 Loved or Hated 58
Chapter 4 A Classic as Afterthought 84
Chapter 5 Into the Evangelical Orbit 97
Chapter 6 Many-Sided Mere Christianity 116
Chapter 7 Critiques 139
Chapter 8 The Lasting Vitality of Mere Christianity 153
Appendix Changes in Mere Christianity Compared to the Original Three Books 189
Acknowledgments 193