Customer Reviews
Your nicked - By: Dom.Russell, 21 Jul 2008 
This book is the citizens arrest of Christianity. Logical, well written & dangerous. You really can't read it without coming to a decision of whether to agree with his conclusions or not.
Good fun, though not logical - By: another reader, 16 Jun 2008 
Lewis writes brilliantly & will persuade those who wish to persuaded. There is of course nothing logical about Christianity, as some Christian apologists have recognized from Tertullian's certum, quia impossible est to Sir Thomas Browne: "Methinks there be not half enough impossibilitiesin religion for an active faith."
An example of Lewis's fallacious argument is seenin his declaration that Jesus' declaration that he is God is either a lie, a statement of a madman, or something worse. In fact, there is no reasonable certainty that Jesus ever made this claim, since it appearsin the least historical of the gospels (none of which were written by the original disciples). For a good, scholarly study of the gospels, see Spong, Rescuing the Bible from fundamentalism : a bishop rethinks the meaning of Scripture.
Lewis' stancein this book is kind persuasion of the average reader. Thus he must ignore historical & anthropological data that show that the belief human sacrifice is necessary to please the god(s) has antecedents thousands of years before Christianity. Obviously many people still find credible the idea that only a human sacrifice can please God (yes, we all know Christians believe Jesus to be God, but Jesus suffered horribly as a human being). A god who requires human sacrifice (note precedentsin OT) because all human beings inherit the guilt of their supposed first parents, Adam & Eve, is a bronze age god. The old, bloody ideas of collective, inherited guilt requiring human sacrifice keep marching on.
simply wonderful! - By: A. foley, 21 Apr 2008 CS Lewis shinesin this book. He has the extraordinary ability to see into the heart of things & to provide simple answers to complex questions concerning christianity & humanity. Like the desert fathers, he shows considerable understanding of the human psyche & on every page, demonstrates his extraordinary humanity. I laughedin a deep & hearty way (and with joy) at some of his thoughts. Well done Mr Lewis; I hope & pray that you see the good Lord face to face!
a masterpiece of thoughts - By: Tristan Massy-birch, 06 Apr 2008 this is BRILLIANT! Lewis explains to the heart, as well as the head... simply a must read for anyone, especially those searching & unsure. its not 'proof' as the atheist demands proof, but i was smiling with joy that God can be explained so elequently & logically... this book breathes hope. it will certainly get the brain cogs working if nothing else!
Mere Fiction - By: Elputo, 01 Feb 2008 
Mere Christianity is a very simple book. Hence the very simple nature of this review.
Firstly, Clive (The "C" bit of C. S. Lewis) thinks it solidifies his arguments to say "I used to be an atheist, but..." when all that does is add to the horror at how he could let himself get so caught-upin fairyland.
Secondly, most of the metaphors Clive attempts to use to demonstrate the apparent virtues of his new-found creed are cheap & inappropriate. Take the idea that "a hand without a body is like a man without a god"- this is blatant nonsense- man can & does function perfectly well without the need for a god. This is a yellow-weak approach to philosophy, transparent & belonging to the collective consciousness's sewage system.
Thirdly, this book serves as a very useful document to affirm to the atheist that he is correct. Nothingin here- not the suggestion that creation is too beautiful to be a cute combination of accident & evolution, nor the idea that most people have believedin a God throughout history so they can't all be delusional- is even remotely convincing, thus the atheist will quickly emerge from this childish stroll all the firmerin his original convictions.
Finally, & most worryingly of all, this book makes a more convincing case for Christianity than its modern equivalent- Anglican Bishop Tom Wright's "Simply Christian"- probably because it steers clear of theology (mythology?) & focuses instead on word-spinning of the lowest vulgar denomination. No wonder the gullible love Aslan so!
