From there, Lewis talks about what Christians believe.  One must remember that Lewis was not always a Christian himself—baptized at birth, Lewis was an atheist until age 32.  (Fun fact, J. R. R. Tolkien was one of Lewis’ close friends and part of the reason for his conversion.)  So, Lewis thoroughly understands the opposing viewpoint.  Mere Christianity does not belittle non-Christian ideas, but rather works through them to help the reader make sense of the religion.

As a Christian myself, the most interesting part of the book to me was on Christian behaviors.  In it, Lewis goes through ideas central to Christian morality, forgiveness, charity, hope, and faith.  I was struck by how relevant his words still are today—certainly, he must have seemed revolutionary when first published.  I especially liked the chapter on “Christian Marriage”, which gave a different perspective on relationships from what our culture seems to tell us.

The last section of Mere Christianity is geared toward people young in their faith or looking to go deeper with it.  Lewis fleshes out what he introduces in the other sections, providing a closer look at what it means to be a Christian.  He makes sense of the Christian relationship with God, and how God calls us to be new people.  In all, it is a fantastic section for anyone who isn’t quite satisfied with their current faith.

Mere Christianity has short chapters—5-10 pages—and I read it over several months.  It turned out to be the perfect thing to contemplate while brushing my teeth!  Take your time in reading this book and reflect on it as you go.  You might find that it would be a great evangelism tool or a perfect book study to do a chapter or two a week.  Next time you need a book to read, consider picking up Mere Christianity.  C. S. Lewis did a lot more for the literary world than just The Chronicles of Narnia!

If you would like to read/listen to Mere Christianity online, go to http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/ and click on the “Apologetics” link.

Caitlin Kempf is a member of Cornerstone and heads their student prayer team.