Hello
'Mere Christianity' I am Pastor Jae-hoon Lee of Onnuri Church
From today on,
we will be studying together
'Mere Christianity' by C. S. Lewis
Many people know about the name C.S. Lewis,
but not many know who he was or
the deeper meaning
behind his books
So I'd like to study 'Mere Christianity' a book that's not only one of
Lewis' most loved works but also one of the most impactful
in Christian history
'Mere Christianity' is one of
the most influential books
in Christian history
Interestingly, after Lewis passed away
this book
gained even more popularity
especially among English-speaking Christians
It started selling millions of copies each year
Along with his 'Chronicles of Narnia'
and J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of Rings'
These works influenced the Christian worldview
and literature of the 20th century for many in the English-speaking world
The fact that C.S. Lewis' influence grew
even more after he passed
shows that
his books hold timeless truths
I believe that truth is often
more influential after its time
Let's now dive into
'Mere Christianity' together
'Mere Christianity'
The preface states, 'Mere Christianity'
was originally presented as
a series of broadcast talks on BBC Radio
It was also during the World War II
The talk on the radio during the war
has now been split into several books,
impacting many people today
Rather than refining Mere Christianity
with literary techniques or polished language,
Lewis explains that
he aimed to keep the spontaneity
and conversational tone of his talks,
making readers feel as if they were listening
to a broadcast, not just reading a book
which is covered in the preface
Lewis also clarifies that 'Mere'
and the phrase 'Mere Christianity'
are not original to him
He borrowed the phrase
from Richard Baxter,
who was a Puritan pastor
He clearly states this in the preface
So why 'Mere'?
Why this word?
Lewis explains several reasons for this
First,
(Why 'Mere'?) He felt it was best
to avoid highly theological
or historically controversial points
To clarify the historically accepted
and uncontentious
(e.g. Trinity, original sin, salvation) core doctrines of Christianity,
the central and foundational beliefs,
or the greatest common denominator
That's the first reason behind 'Mere'
Second of all,
he makes sure to remove any potential
stumbling blocks for non-believers
when approaching the Christian faith
His goal was to focus solely
on aspects that would allow non-believers
to see Christianity in its essence,
presented in rationally and reasonably
That was his second intent behind 'Mere'
He describes his broadcast talks
as being like a hall,
with doors that lead into various rooms
This hall isn’t the ultimate destination
(Starting point for deeper truths) but an entryway
to the many rooms, such as
the storehouses of Christian truths
This is his humble expression
He never claims that this single book
encompasses all Christian truths
or fully explains every aspect of the Bible
He’s a literary scholar, not a theologian
After his conversion from agnosticism,
as a literary scholar, he wanted to share
the core Christian truths that he now accepted,
the truths upheld by believers across history
The approach he took was
to reject the 'watered-down faith',
or what Lewis terms as
'Christianity and water'
to describe a diluted, pseudo-Christianity
straying from orthodox beliefs
In addition,
Lewis recognized the early signs
of what we now call 'Post christianity'
or 'Postmodernism', trends that were
already emerging in his time and are evident today
Amid the devastation of war
and people’s deep questions,
like, “Is God truly alive?”
and, “Does truth exist?”
At a time of such profound questions,
Lewis reached many through his talks,
illuminating people's hearts with the truth
So, as a believer and a writer not a theologian or pastor
Lewis was able to explain the biblical worldview in a way that connects
It's become a must read,
loved by so many, even today
Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Chapter 1 The Law of Human Nature
The title of Book 1 is as follows
Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Pay attention to 'Clue'
that denotes a lead or a hint
Meaning, 'Right and Wrong' is
'Clue' to the meaning of the universe
Why did Lewis say 'Right and Wrong'?
Keep this question in mind as we read on
The title of Chapter 1 is 'The Law of Human Nature'
Lewis explains various laws in this book
One is 'The Law of Morality',
or moral law
Another is 'The Law of Nature'
Also, 'The Law of Human Nature'
These are used interchangeably
'The Law of Nature', 'The Law of Human Nature',
and 'The Law of Morality' all mean
(The Three Laws) the law that defines right and wrong
which he adopted
He starts the book with an example of people quarreling
Everyone quarrels
'Quarreling', what does it mean?
Lewis offers this question
Human quarreling happens
because we think
we are right and they are wrong
Then, by what standard
do we judge that right and wrong?
Quarreling occurs because we all think
we are right and they are wrong
Then regardless of the side, there is a shared belief in something
It is believing that
one holds a standard for judgment
If people didn’t believe in a standard of right and wrong,
there will be no quarreling
He is using everyday quarrels
to illustrate the existence
of a law of right and wrong
This demonstrates that there are standards and rules
that we assume that the other person ought to know
That is his explanation
However,
unlike natural, scientific, or physical laws (e.g., gravity),
we choose to follow The Law of Human Nature
There is no choice in following scientific and physical laws
It's a law we can't help but follow
and breaking it only leads to trouble
He explains that the moral law, the Law of Human Nature,
or the law of right and wrong, differs in that
humans can choose to follow it, unlike scientific or physical laws
This fundamental principle shows similarities
across all times, countries, and cultures
The morality presented in the Bible
and what cultural anthropology believes to be right,
or the general moral principles, hold similarities
This is the insight Lewis builds on
(Key Point) Therefore, all humans on earth
(1. Awares right and wrong) hold a sense of
how they ought to act in a certain way
(2. Non-compliance) The problem is,
humans fail to act accordingly
Human nature holds this contradiction
Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Chapter 2 Some Objections
In the second chapter,
Lewis expects objections to his claim
"Then where did The Law
of Human Nature, or of Morality, come from?"
(Objection 1) "Is it not herd instinct?"
That is the first objection
He explains that the moral law is different from the herd instinct
with an analogy of piano keys
With the analogy of piano,
each instinct is like a piano key
The Law of Human Nature
consists of each and every piano key
(Sheet Music - Moral Law) and creates a harmonious piece
So these are two different things
The fact that there are many keys does not create an harmony
Likewise, many human instincts
do not create an harmony, left on their own
(Combining instincts cannot produce moral law)
Therefore, Lewis explains that for human nature (piano keys)
to produce a beautiful harmony,
there must be
a governing law (the sheet music) above these various instincts
Therefore, the Law of Human Nature is
not simply a collection of human instincts
He explains it as something that directs
these instincts, creating harmony and melody
The second question posed is,
(Objection 2) "Is the moral law not merely
a social convention instilled through education?"
As briefly mentioned,
The moral standards of one era or one country
are not significantly different
from those of another era or country
(Moral law = math?) There exists a consistent
and similar law that underlies all moral systems
There is no fundamental difference
The fact that there are degrees of morality
suggests evidence of a true morality
as a standard of judgment
Therefore, it implies
that humans hold a law that they did not make
This urges us to consider that humans exist under a law
of right and wrong, as Chapter 1 and 2 explains
Next, in Chapter 3, we'll explore explanations
for the existence of such a law
Why did C.S. Lewis use 'Mere'?
1. Excluding points tied to church history
2. Removing what might hinder nonbelievers
3. Defending Christianity through rational and logical approaches
4. 'Mere Christianity' = a hallway leading to various rooms
Hallway = an entry point to deeper Christian truths
Book 1 Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe
Chapter 1 The Law of Human Nature
1. Law of Human Nature = moral law (The Law of Right and Wrong)
Basis for quarreling (Basis for law of right and wrong)
People argue because they believe in differing standards of right and wrong
3. Moral law is optional, Laws of nature (e.g. gravity) are not
4. Similarity between biblical and universal morality
[Key Point] -All humans recognize what is right (moral law)
-Nevertheless, they fail to follow it
Chapter 2 Some Objections to Moral Law
Objections to Moral Law
1. Objection Q: Is it not herd instinct?
A: No, morality is distinct from herd instinct
2. Objection Q: Is it not taught through education?
A: No, it transcends time and cultural boundaries