Mere Christianity A Study Guide for Small Groups, Exercises of Christianity

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Mere Christianity

by C. S. Lewis

A Study Guide for Small Groups

Mere Christianity Study Guide

Mere Christianity Study Guide

PREFACE .............................................................................................................. - 1 -BOOK I: RIGHT AND WRONG AS A CLUE TO THE MEANING OF THE UNIVERSE ............. - 2 -

1. THE LAW OF HUMAN NATURE ............................................................. - 2 - 2.3. SOME OBJECTIONS ........................................................................... - 3 -THE REALITY OF THE LAW.................................................................. - 4 - 4.5. WHAT LIES BEHIND THE LAW ............................................................. - 5 -WE HAVE CAUSE TO BE UNEASY ......................................................... - 6 - BOOK II:1. WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE .................................................................... - 7 -THE RIVAL CONCEPTIONS OF GOD...................................................... - 7 - 2.3. THE INVASION.................................................................................. - 9 -THE SHOCKING ALTERNATIVE .......................................................... - 11 - 4.5. THE PERFECT PENITENT................................................................... - 13 -THE PRACTICAL CONCLUSION .......................................................... - 20 - BOOK III:1. CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR ....................................................................... - 22 -THE THREE PARTS OF MORALITY ...................................................... - 22 - 2.3. (^) SOCIAL MORALITY .......................................................................... - 26 -THE CARDINAL VIRTUES ................................................................. - 24 - 4.5. MORALITY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS .................................................... - 28 -SEXUAL MORALITY .......................................................................... - 30 - 6.7. CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE..................................................................... - 32 -FORGIVENESS ................................................................................ - 35 -
2. THE GREAT SIN .............................................................................. - 38 - 9.10. CHARITY ........................................................................................ - 40 -HOPE............................................................................................. - 42 - 11.12. FAITH ............................................................................................ - 45 -FAITH ............................................................................................ - 47 - BOOK IV: BEYOND PERSONALITY: FIRST STEPS IN THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY ... - 51 -1. MAKING AND BEGETTING................................................................. - 51 - 2.3. THE THREE-PERSONAL GOD ............................................................. - 53 -TIME AND BEYOND TIME.................................................................. - 55 - 4.5. GOOD INFECTION ........................................................................... - 57 -THE OBSTINATE TIN SOLDIERS ........................................................ - 59 - 6.7. TWO NOTES ................................................................................... - 61 -LET'S PRETEND............................................................................... - 62 - 8.9. IS CHRISTIANITY HARD OR EASY? .................................................... - 64 -COUNTING THE COST ...................................................................... - 66 - 10.11. NICE PEOPLE OR NEW MEN .............................................................. - 68 -THE NEW MEN ................................................................................ - 70 - Excursus: C. S. Lewis and Evolution .................................................................. - 72 -

Mere Christianity Study Guide - 2 - Book I-

BOOK I: RIGHT AND WRONG AS A CLUE TO THE MEANING OF THE UNIVERSE

1. THE LAW OF HUMAN NATURE

A. It is Universal

1. Whether they admit it or not, all men recognize it, and even appeal to it. cf. Rom 2.14-
2. It is not the same as the "laws" of physics or chemistry. What does this say about the difference between humans and other created things? cf. Gen 1.26- 27; 2.
3. It cuts across all cultural, temporal, and geographical boundaries. From the Code of Hammurabi to "We hold these truths to be self-evident…" there are intrinsic notions of Right and Wrong. Differences are mostly in application, preferences, or technology. Perversions are limited to cults or societies that are generally short-lived.
4. Some try to suppress it, or apply it inequitably. cf. Rom 1.18- B. It is universally broken – no one is keeping the Law cf. Rom 3.9, 23; Jas 4. 1. Why do humans not follow their own law as other objects do? cf. 2 Cor 4.3-4 What is the result of this?
5. The natural tendency of recognizing failure is to shift blame. But in actuality this proves our knowledge and guilt! cf. Gen 1.8-

CONCLUSION: Like it or not, there IS a Universal standard or Right and Wrong, or Law of Human Nature, and NO ONE is keeping it!

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2. SOME OBJECTIONS A. "Moral Law" is just evolved herd instinct. 1. Sometimes Right and Instinct conflict with each other We honor those who overcome fear to protect or save someone else even at their own peril. There is a difference between "want" and "ought." This is precisely the difference between desire and conscience. cf. Rom 7.21- "The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play; our instincts are merely the keys." 2. When two impulses conflict, the stronger should win. The very fact that there is a conflict tells us there is another set of impulses that is a "decider." This cannot be an instinct, but something with higher authority. -- cf. Gen 2.16-17; 3. 4- 5 3. If Moral Law were an instinct, we should have instincts that are objectively "good" and "bad." Instincts, are not good or bad; it is how we use or suppress them that determines morality. An important corollary : Making any instinct an absolute guide results in evil and cruelty. Mercy without Justice, or Justice without Mercy both have tragic consequences. cf. Matt 12.7; Luke 1. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." B. Moral Law is just social convention 1. Just because something is taught doesn't mean it can't be Moral Law. cf. Deut 6.4- Conventions on the other hand must be taught and learned, and vary across cultures. Moral Law is inherently known or discovered. 2. People tend to magnify the differences in morals between cultures. 3. We make judgments about morals or conventions as to whether one is "better" than another. This requires a higher standard by which to judge.

QUESTION : Do Moral Laws change over time? What about their application? What examples does Lewis give to address this issue? Can you think of any others?

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4. WHAT LIES BEHIND THE LAW A. Two main views of the Universe 1. The Materialist View What is has always existed or came into being by random chance 2. The Religious View There is some mind behind the Universe with purpose and will 3. Both views have existed from antiquity; one is not more 'modern' than the other. B. Science cannot determine which of these views is right 1. Science can address "What?" or "How?" but not "Why?" 2. True scientists understand this distinction. Whom does Lewis say usually confuses these issues? C. The only thing in the Universe we can know more about than we can learn from observation is ___________. 1. We could not deduce a Moral Law from mere external observation. Why? 2. A message from a reality beyond our Universe would require a supernatural means of delivery. cf. Deut 29.29; 1 Cor 2.6-13; John 1.9- 3. What does the fact that we have received some message tell us? What does Lewis mean by the statement that "There has been a great deal of soft soap talked about God for the last hundred years."? D. Side note: The Life-Force Philosophy The view that some sort of impersonal force or élan vital is behind the Universe: "Matter or mind, reality has appeared to us as a perpetual becoming. itself, but it is never something made. Such is the intuition that we have of mind when we draw aside It makes itself or it unmakes the veil which is interposed between our consciousness and ourselves. intellect and senses themselves would show us of matter, if they could obtain a direct and This, also, is what our disinterested idea of it." -- Henri Bergson, Chapter IV in Creative Evolution , 1911, 1. Does this remind you of any movies? 2. Why does this view fall apart? 3. Why is it so attractive? 4. What would you say to the question Lewis poses at the end of this chapter?

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5. WE HAVE CAUSE TO BE UNEASY A. "Going back is the quickest way on." 1. Going forward is not always progress if you are headed in the wrong direction 2. Sometimes progress means turning the clock backward 3. The sooner you correct the error, the faster progress will be made Why is this so difficult for us? B. What we can discover on our own about the source of Moral Law 1. The Universe was made by a great but merciless artist 2. This Being is interested in right conduct, or 'good.' 3. However, this goodness is not indulgent or soft. 4. If this Being is not a Person, there can be no forgiveness What is our dilemma with respect to goodness? -- cf. Isa 6.1-6; Heb 10.26-27, 12.28-29; Isa 47.12- What is our only Hope and Comfort? -- cf. Rom 6.17-18, 7.21-8.1; 2 Thess 2.16- C. We can't find comfort without first experiencing dismay cf. Matt 5. 1. When does Christianity start to make sense? 2. To whom did Jesus say He came? cf. Matt 9.10-13; 3. What does Lewis say we must seek to find comfort?

“Most of us have got over the pre-war wishful thinking about international politics. It is time we did the same about religion.”

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D. The big question: Why has the world gone so wrong?

1. Why did Lewis (and many others) reject Christianity's answer to this question?
2. Outline of Lewis' logic:
   • The Universe is unjust and cruel.
   • But how do I know what justice and cruelty are?
   • If they are my own notions, I can't make this statement about the Universe.
   • On the other hand, if they are absolute, transcendent realities, I must accept an ordered reality and that the Universe has meaning.
3. Lewis claims that "atheism is too _____________." Is that true?

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2. THE INVASION A. Another view that is too simple: "Christianity-and-water" 1. God's OK, you're OK and He would never condemn anyone, much less send them to hell. C. S. Lewis calls this view, along with atheism, ______________________________. 2. Real things are not simple What silly strawman argument does Lewis say "people who are not silly" use? 3. How does Lewis say we should deal with such people? 4. God did not invent religion, much less make it simple. 5. Reality is usually odd, not neat and tidy. 6. Reality is not usually what you would have guessed it to be. How does Lewis say this helps him believe Christianity is real? B. The dilemma: How can a Universe that is bad and meaningless contain creatures who know that it is bad and meaningless? 1. Christianity says this is a good world gone bad. -- cf. Gen. 3.17-19; Rom. 8.20- 2. Dualism says there are equal and opposite forces of good and evil battling for the Universe. How does Lewis say Dualism compares to Christianity? C. The big problem with Dualism 1. Good and evil cannot be mere preferences or they cease to have any true meaning. 2. One must be right and the other wrong, or mistaken. 3. This leads to the unavoidable conclusion that there is a standard from some Power or Being that supersedes and hence created the other two. Our definitions of good and evil are merely descriptions of relationship with or against this Being.

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3. THE SHOCKING ALTERNATIVE A. Is this current state of affairs in accordance with God's will? -- cf. Ezek 18.23,32; 33.11; 2 Pet 3.9; 1 Tim 2.3-

1. If it is not, how can we explain God's omnipotence?
2. What example does Lewis give of this idea?
3. If a thing is free to be good it is also ______________________________. cf. Gen 6.5-
4. Free will makes evil possible but true love or joy is impossible without it. B. The outcome of Free Will
   1. The outcome must have been worth the cost.
   2. Lewis says arguing against God is like ________________________________________. “If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will…then we may take it it is worth paying.”
   3. "The better stuff a creature is made of…then the better it will be if it goes right, but also the worse it will be if it goes wrong." C. Where Satan went wrong
   4. Wanting to be first—God, in fact. cf. Gen 3.5-6; Isa 14.12-
   5. Trying to find happiness apart from God leads to the opposite.
   6. The reason it never can work: God designed the human machine to run on ________________. cf. Ps 1.1-4; John 4.31-
   7. This is the key to human failure throughout history. D. What God has done about it.
   8. He gave us conscience.
   9. He sent the human race ___________ ____________.
   10. He selected a nation to forge into His own people.
   11. He came to earth as a Jewish man, and made a shocking claim.

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E. For anyone but God to claim the authority to forgive sins is "so preposterous as to be comic."

1. Why is this so?
2. How did the opponents of Jesus react to these claims? -- cf. Matt 9.1-8; Luke 7.48-50; Mark 2.5-12;
3. The possible alternatives to Jesus' identity: He is either _______________, _________________, or __________.

“You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" -- John 20.

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C. The nature of repentance

1. As Lewis states in the previous chapter, we replaced God with self.
2. This is not merely a flaw that needs correction, it is hostility and rebellion toward God! cf. Rom 5.10; Col 1.21-
3. Repentance is the act of laying down arms, ceasing hostility, having a change of heart, and getting back on the right path.
4. Repentance is not just hard—it is impossible except for a perfect man, but then he doesn't need to do it.
5. Repentance is not something God demands so He can take you back; it is simply a description of what turning back to God is.
6. How does God help us repent? D. The Catch-22 and a way out.
7. We need to repent but we cannot. God on the other hand does not need to repent, so it is foreign to His nature. He cannot place that nature within us because it is not in His.
8. But what if God became a man?
9. Now God can not only submit, suffer, and die—He can do it perfectly! -- cf. 2 Cor 5.21; Gal 3.13; 1 John 3.4-
10. We can share in God's death because He has died, but He had to become a man to do it. -- cf. Heb 2.14-15, 5.8-9; Gal 2.20; Rom 6.3-11; Phil 2. E. The complaint (?!)
11. Since Jesus was God, it was easy for Him.
12. In what sense is this true?
13. How does Lewis address this complaint? What examples does he give? “Such is my own way of looking at what Christians call the Atonement. But remember this is only one more picture. Do not mistake it for the thing itself: and if it does not help you, drop it.”

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Arthur Stanley Eddington -- 28 December 1882 – 22 November 1944 Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington was anEnglish astrophysicist of the early 20th century.the natural limit to the luminosity of The Eddington limit, stars, or the radiation generated byaccretion onto a compact object, is named in his honour. He is famous for his work regardingthe Theory of Relativity. Eddington wroteannounced and explained Einstein's a number of articles which theoryEnglish-speaking world. World War I of general relativity to the severedcommunication many linesand of scientificnew developmentswere not well known in England. He in German science alsoexpedition in 1919 that provided one conducted an eclipse ofrelativity, and became known for his the earliest confirmations of popular expositions and interpretations of the theory. Eddingtonunderstanding of also investigatedstellar processes. He began this in 1916 with investigations of the interior of stars through theory, and developed possible physical the first true explanations for Cepheid variables. He began by extending Karl Schwarzschild's earlier work on radiationpressure in Emden polytropic models. These models treated a star as a sphere of gas held up against gravity by internal thermal pressure, and one of Eddington's chief additions was to show that radiationpressure was necessary to prevent collapse of the sphere. He developed his model despite knowingly lacking firm foundations for understanding opacity and energy generation in the stellar interior. However,his results allowed for calculation of temperature, density and pressure at all points inside a star, and Eddington argued that his theory was so useful for further astrophysical investigation that it should beretained despite not being based on completely accepted physics. James Jeans contributed the important suggestion that stellar matter would certainly be ionized, but that was the end of any collaborationbetween the pair, who became famous for their lively debates.

During the 1920s and 30s Eddington gave innumerable lectures, interviews, and radio broadcasts onrelativity (in addition to his textbook Mathematical Theory of Relativity), and later, quantum mechanics. Many of these were gathered into books, including Nature of the Physical World and New Pathways inScience. Albert Einstein called Eddington's books "the finest presentation of the subject in any language." His skillful use of literary allusions and humor helped make these famously difficult subjects quiteaccessible.

Eddington's books and lectures were immensely popular with the public, not only because of Eddington’sclear and entertaining exposition, but also for his willingness to discuss the philosophical and religious implications of the new physics. He argued for a deeply-rooted philosophical harmony between scientificinvestigation and religious mysticism, and also that the positivist nature of modern physics (i.e., relativity and quantum physics) provided new room for personal religious experience and free will. Unlike manyother spiritual scientists, he rejected the idea that science could provide proof of religious propositions. He promoted the infinite monkey theorem in his 1928 book The Nature of the Physical World, with the phrase"If an army of monkeys were strumming on typewriters, they might write all the books in the British Museum". His popular writings made him, quite literally, a household name in Great Britain between theworld wars.

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Brief Description of some Atonement Theories (Taken from thepaulpage.com unless noted otherwise) The Classical (Ransom) Theory Theologians have attempted for centuries to weave these concepts into a comprehensive explanation of the atonement. The verses from Colossians were used to define the earliest theory of atonement. This “classic” doctrine, taught for the first 1000 years of Christian history described Christ’s work as a victory over Satan and a liberation of all human kind. Specifically, so the theory goes, Christ was paid as a ransom to the devil to free people’s souls. This was a clever ruse on God’s part, however, for unknown to the Devil, Jesus was actually God in person. Unable to constrain Jesus’ divine soul, the devil was defeated and Christ emerged victorious. This view was taught consistently by nearly all of the Church fathers including Augustine. Satisfaction or Penal Substitution Theory In the eleventh century Anselm of Canterbury developed a theory of atonement to explain why Jesus had to die. He said that the debt of sin was so great that humanity could not possibly pay it. Only God, in the person of Christ, could do so by undergoing the agony of the crucifixion. So Jesus became our substitute and satisfied God’s requirements under the law. Moral Influence or Exemplary Theory In reaction to Anselm, another early theory of atonement was put forth by the medieval theologian Peter Abelard. This theory, known as the “moral influence” theory, said that God exhibited love at the cross in such a way that contemplation of the cross would move us to repentance and faith. The actual act of salvation occurs in the believer’s subjective response to the cross. Christus Victor Model After Anselm and Abelard, the idea of atonement as a ransom to, or defeat of, the devil was more or less abandoned by theologians of subsequent eras. Bishop Gustaf Aulén, a historical theologian from Sweden, whose work was first translated into English in 1931, began a movement to breathe new life into the abandoned classic theory, and his title (Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement) popularized the name for it. He argued that the “classic” doctrine was not a crude, pictorial expression from a long-gone era, but rather a fully theological explication of Christ’s saving work.6 The Christus Victor perspective is that God, in Christ, intervened in the world to stand up to Satan and the forces of idolatry, materialism, violence and domination. Jesus came to free all creation from the warping power of sin, showing with his life and teaching what it means to be fully human in the will of God.

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Covenantal View of Atonement A view of atonement that reflects the principles of the New Covenant and emphasizes a grace-based justice (or righteousness) rather than law-based punitive justice can be summarized as follows:

• The meaning of the atonement is that God has executed the promised liberating justice for everyone (especially those who are forsaken, destitute, and excluded). God has done so by being faithful to God’s ancient covenant in raising up Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant apart from the law.
• Jesus’ death on the cross symbolized an ancient covenantal transaction familiar to all Hebrew people. As mediator of the covenant, his death put the covenant or will into effect.
• The resurrection is the Christian metaphor for the triumph of divine justice over sin, alienation, and death. Jesus completed the covenantal transaction that began with Abraham and culminated in the resurrection. It opened the door to a new covenant relationship with all people based not on law but on a promise.
• We also become mediators of this justice when we extend God’s covenant promise of grace to all the downtrodden and outcast of society, for they too have full standing under the New Covenant as God’s people. We become mediators of this justice when we extend compassion, forgiveness, and understanding in all our relationships and when we advocate for human rights and dignity. The Participatory View of Atonement (from Bayne and Restall) Christ’s death is not presented as something we must emulate, nor is it presented as persuading God to forgive us, as constituting restitution for our debts, as punishment for our misdeeds. Instead, Paul is portrayed as focused on ontological and relational matters. This focus is encapsulated in Paul’s frequent references to Christ as ‘the Second Adam’, a phrase that is code for Paul’s notion that Christ’s death brings about a new human nature (a new Adam) (Rom. 8:19-22; Col. 1:15-20); we are quite literally born again in the sense that we are literally new creatures (Gal. 2:20). This new identity, grounded in the Christian’s participation in the death and resurrection of Christ as the Second Adam, is symbolized – and perhaps even constituted—by the rites of Baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism symbolizes death to the old self and rebirth, participating in new life “in Christ”; the Eucharist involves partaking in the blood and body of Christ. These rites are thoroughly participatory. Participatory language also infuses Paul’s conception of the Church, which he describes as the body of Christ. Paul describes the Spirit as marrying the Christian to Christ so that “the two become one flesh” (Rom. 7: 1-4; I Cor. 6:15-18). How does participation deal with sin? According to Paul, our change of identity liberates us from sin: since we are no longer bound by (or under the sway of ) sin, we are free to participate in a restored relationship with God. In fact, Paul seems to think that we in some way participate in Christ’s relationship with God (cf. Romans 6:8–11: the Christian is “alive