Rating: 
Summary: A Great Simplistic View of A Complex Subject
Review: After reading several books on a similar topic that did nothing but confuse me, I was glad that I came upon C.S. Lewis's work. All of the other books about the existence of God are way off in their own world, and discourage anyone who feels lost in their ideas about God. This book really explained the reasons that God must exist, and then moved on to easily describe the major beliefs of Christians, without leaving anyone out in the cold on what the key issues actually are. This book is perfect for the agnostic, the atheist, and even the Christian that wants to know the logical and simple reasons that C.S. Lewis came to be a Christian. Over and over, his words made me see even the simplest concepts of religion in a completely new light. I was greatly impressed and have already read this book multiple times.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Read, But Has Some Problems
Review: This is a very easy read, and it gives much insight into how Lewis saw religion and Christianity. It is very dated; I wonder how many people here would agree that it is a woman's duty to obey her husband.I was kind of surprised at the number of very weak arguments and ridiculous assumptions in this book. One example is the circular logic of using scripture to try to convince us of Jesus' divinity. We believe he is the son of God because the New Testement shows that to be the case, and we believe the New Testement is correct because we believe that Jesus is the son of God. In fact, I think this is the only time Lewis tries to make a case for Christianity in Mere Christianity; he does try many times to make a case for theism. I find Lewis' strategy to discredit those who disagree with him very similar to the strategy creationists use to try to discredit Evolution. They take certain unproven theories of evolution, and use the fact that they are not proven to assert that the FACT of evolution (that life forms tends to change over time) is false, even though they understand it as fact themselves. Lewis will attack weak claims made by some of the opposition, and then assert that the entire opposition has been discredited, even though the entire opposition doesn't make those weak claims. It's disconcerting to witness someone fool so many people using these kinds of dishonest tactics. Well, this has mostly been very negative, but I am glad I read Mere Christianity. It is well-written, and it is extremely insightful in a number of ways. On the issue of critics of this book getting few "helpful" votes... That some of the critics are not backing up what they say is merely an excuse. Many reviews that praise the book without backing the praise up AT ALL are getting all or almost all yes votes. I have provided examples in my review and it is going to be infested with many hypocritical no votes, not because I didn't support my assertions enough, but because people merely disagree with me about C.S. Lewis and religion.
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY WORTHWHILE BOOK
Review: Recently, I've run into several people who say they find reading C.S. Lewis difficult. What??? C.S. Lewis had the cleanest, most lucid prose style ever known to English (His poetry however is another case). I guess I am left asking--like the Professor in Lewis's The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe--"What are they teaching in schools these days?" Now that that is out of my system: Mere Christianity is a fine book. It played a huge part in my own acceptance of Christ as my Savior. Lewis's arguments for the presence of a universal standard of behavior, of the presence of conscience/the Holy Spirit met me right where my atheistic/agnostic self had been living. "If we do not believe in decent behavior, why should we be so anxious to make excuses for not having behaved decently?" Lewis follows his opening argument by presenting what he sees as the basic Christian beliefs and the general characteristics of Christian living. In the chapter titled The Invasion Lewis states the position of the Christian in the world quite succinctly and eloquently: "Enemy-occupied territory--that is what the world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." Lewis's arguments are chock full of such vivid passages. His real strength is in the boiling down of his arguments. Lewis gets to the absolute core of True Christian beliefs and traditional Christian living. At the end of the last century the magazine Christianity Today called Mere Christianity the Christian book of the century. I personally think that this is a bit of an overestimation (the Bible speaks to all generations and is the book of every century), but Mere Christianity is indeed a worthy book. I give Mere Christianity my full recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Mere Christianity
Review: This palpable book was origionally a talk that C.S. Lewis gave over WW2 radio, so the reader will note that it has been simplified(like a talk) so that a less educated man could read and understand it. I've found Mere Christianity to be a giant help in my christian studies, for C.S. Lewis is a great theologian and a great writer as well. Mere Christianity is a collection of 3 books, the first half is pure philosophy, then secondly is pure theology. Alot of the philosophy goes along the lines of Immanual Kant's arguments for God, "the moral law". Lewis addressed and challenged the great scientist Sigmond Freud more then once in this book. But if you want to learn more about Freud and Lewis' conflicting concepts, I'd sugjest that you'd read a religous philosophy book called "The Question Of God". It is a debate! Theism VS. Atheism! ...Interestingly enough
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: Cs lewis was a very intelligent man. He has alot of insight into why society is the way it is. I suggest everyone read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Merely wonderful...
Review: C.S. Lewis was a rare individual. One of the few non-clerics to be recognised as a theologian by the Anglican church, he put forth the case for Christianity in general in ways that many Christians beyond the Anglican world can accept, and a clear description for non-Christians of what Christian faith and practice should be. Indeed, Lewis says in his introduction that this text (or indeed, hardly any other he produced) will help in deciding between Christian denominations. While he describes himself as a 'very ordinary layman' in the Church of England, he looks to the broader picture of Christianity, particularly for those who have little or no background. The discussion of division points rarely wins a convert, Lewis observed, and so he leaves the issues of ecclesiology and high theology differences to 'experts'. Lewis is of course selling himself short in this regard, but it helps to reinforce his point. The book looks at beliefs, both from a 'natural' standpoint as well as a scripture/tradition/reason standpoint. Lewis looks both at belief and unbelief - for example, he states that Christians do not have to see other religions of the world as thoroughly wrong; on the other hand, to be an atheist requires (in Lewis' estimation) that one view religions, all religions, as founded on a mistake. Lewis probably surprised his listeners by starting a statement, 'When I was an atheist...' Lewis is a late-comer to Christianity (most Anglicans in England were cradle-Anglicans). Thus Lewis can speak with the authority of one having deliberately chosen and found Christianity, rather than one who by accident of birth never knew any other (although the case can be made that Lewis was certainly raised in a culture dominated by Christendom). Lewis also looks at practice - here we are not talking about liturgical niceties or even general church-y practices, but rather the broad strokes of Christian practice - issues of morality, forgiveness, charity, hope and faith. Faith actually has two chapters - one in the more common use of system of belief, but the other in a more subtle, spiritual way. Lewis states in the second chapter that should readers get lost, they should just skip the chapter - while many parts of Christianity will be accessible and intelligible to non-Christians, some things cannot be understood from the outside. This is the 'leave it to God' sense of faith, that is in many ways more of a gift or grace from God than a skill to be developed. Finally, Lewis looks at personality, not just in the sense of our individual personality, but our status as persons and of God's own personality. Lewis' conclusion that there is no true personality apart from God's is somewhat disquieting; Lewis contrasts Christianity with itself in saying that it is both easy and hard at the same time. Lewis looks for the 'new man' to be a creature in complete submission and abandonment to God. This is a turn both easy and difficult. 'Mere Christianity' was originally a series of radio talks, published as three separate books - 'The Case for Christianity', 'Christian Behaviour', and 'Beyond Personality'. This book brings together all three texts. Lewis' style is witty and engaging, the kind of writing that indeed lives to be read aloud. Lewis debates whether or not it was a good idea to leave the oral-language aspects in the written text (given that the tools for emphasis in written language are different); I think the correct choice was made.
Rating:
Summary: Christianity...No, seriously.
Review: I feel somewhat foolish giving C.S. Lewis a book review. Formerly a rigid atheist, Lewis tested the tenets of Christianity with his intellect. This was no small test. Lewis, an Oxford alumni and professor, put his faith in the one who claimed to be the Messiah to a people needing salvation. If you are searching for absolute truth, or if you seek something more than what you see from your so-called "Christian" neighbors, read this book. If you are an agnostic, read this book. Atheist? Read the book. Do you go to church every Sunday? Read it! Frequent the bars? It's okay. Read the book at the bar. I guarantee that C.S. Lewis will paint an attractive picture of what Christianity is all about. You will not feel threatened. You will not be judged. I will, however, guarantee a mental work-out. Further, you will see Christianity for what it truly is. No, seriously.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyed it, but not without its problems
Review: Lewis was no doubt a gifted writer and a man of strong religious conviction. As a lapsed Catholic of fifteen years, I am only recently beginning to rediscover my own connection to my faith. The Pastor at the Episcopal church I am attending (I am done with the Roman Catholic church, but there is something comforting to me about the structure of the Episcopal service) recommended this to me. I read it in a couple of days, and I did enjoy it, though it had a few jarring moments: some owing to some of the more antiquated social notions (mentioned in other reviews) and others having to do with the fact that someone born in a far away land with no knowledge of Jesus Christ could never be saved. Spiritually, intellectually, morally, I just can't buy that Christianity is the way, the only way for everyone. It certainly is for me, but I think it's somewhat patronizing and ignorant to view that whole world through that kind of lens. Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Judaism, all devout practitioners seek truth in their own way, and it would be wrong-headed to presuppose the superiority of one over all the other (leaving aside for a moment the interpretations in some of these faiths that call for subjugation of women, etc.). I did like the civil war metaphor, however, which I thought quite apt, and his rejection of the warm and fuzzy God, or as he called it "Christianity and Water" which gave me a good chuckle. Otherwise, my larger problem with this book was that the book comes across as philosophy lite. I think Lewis covers the bases of the faith adequately and in an approachable way, but he concocts syllogisms and metaphors in a way that is just not sufficiently rigorous for me from a forensic or philosophical perspective. There's some circularity, some GIANT hypotheses that he treats too casually as truths, and some chilidishly simplistic allegories. As a student of philosphy (M.A. not Ph.D. unfortunately), I found this to be profoundly frustrating. I was waiting for the core of the argument (a la Aquinas, More, Descartes, Kant, etc) and it never really comes. Having said all this, I did enjoy it, and it does encapsulate the major points very well. I just wish it could have had the same lighthearted tone but espoused a more sophisticated approach. Faith affirming, yes, in a way... but not the be all end all.
Rating:
Summary: It just makes sense
Review: It took me a few tries to get past the first couple of chapters in this book--see, I already believe in Christ and the first few chapters seem to address concerns for non-Christians. I almost gave up on it, but I'm really glad I didn't. Once I got into it, it really made sense and came to occupy a place close to my heart. C.S. Lewis' perspective really brought together much of what I believed, but was unable to but into thought or phrase (this is probably why he's a writer, and not me). It filled in a lot of gaps in my faith, and now it's one of my all-time favorite books of any genre ever. It's not just a good read, it can save your life--it did mine. I can't recommend it highly enough for you if you're a Christian, as well as a gift for people on the fence.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and Brilliant
Review: (...) Personal Opinion:
This book is quite a heavy reading. You have to concentrate and think as you read in order to fully understand his arguments. But you will get a lot out of it once you understand them. C.S. Lewis writes from a layman's perspective, so you will not be tripped by any technical theological jargons. In the morality section of the book, you will find the espoused values going against modern society's mindset. I'm surprised that many of his arguments for morality is still highly relevant today, even though it's written decades ago. This is a good book to read if you want to understand Christianity in its purest form. Recommended!
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