• Mere Christianity

  • By: C. S. Lewis
  • Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
  • Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (12,322 ratings)

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Mere Christianity

By: C. S. Lewis
Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
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Publisher's summary

Mere Christianity is C.S. Lewis' forceful and accessible doctrine of Christian belief. First heard as informal radio broadcasts and then published as three separate books, The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality, Mere Christianity brings together what Lewis sees as the fundamental truths of the religion. Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations, C.S. Lewis finds a common ground on which all those who have Christian faith can stand together, proving that "at the center of each there is something, or a Someone, who against all divergences of belief, all differences of temperament, all memories of mutual persecution, speaks with the same voice".
©1942 C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Geoffrey Howard's performance is superb; he is clear and unhurried, giving just the right emphasis and/or inflection....Whether or not one agrees with Lewis's arguments, it is a pleasure to hear such a skillful reading of an eloquent work." (Library Journal)

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Pillar of Christian Philosophy

I read this book because I am an avid fan of Peter Kreeft, who is a convert philosophy professor at Boston College. Dr. Kreeft teaches this book in a couple of his courses, and suggests that all Christians should read this book on a regular basis. Truth is revealed by God in scripture and holy tradition, but the same truth can also be revealed by reason. This book is a brilliant attempt at the latter. My only critique is that this narrator is apparently running while narrating as evidenced by his audible gasps before every sentence.

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    2 out of 5 stars

Biblical Wash

The only chapter in the book that didn't require you to have read and accepted the bible from cover to cover is the first chapter (and I happen to just patently disagree with his view in that chapter). The rest is C.S. Lewis's views on many holdings of the christian faith, much of which are presented verbatim in his words as: "these are merely the facts of christianity". If you're skeptical at all about the authenticity of the bible beyond jesus being a moral teacher, 90% of this book will be disappointing as it just explains what a "true" christian ought to be like (according to the author). It talks nothing about the convention of jesus being a man and a savior and how his life validates the premise of christianity (and, by association, a departure from judaism).

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    5 out of 5 stars

awesome, yet oft-abused, work

I listened to this book in audio format from Audible, and although I had read it multiple times--the audio format added a whole new rich texture that I enjoyed thoroughly. Lewis' clarity never ceases to amaze me and strengthen my faith. One thing I do want to note though is how Lewis is misused. Often I hear many Christians state (sometimes as an excuse to avoid taking a position on the things that God intends us to study) that they just practice "mere Christianity." Lewis would not have approved. He never intended his work to be used in that manner. I suggest these "mere Christians" re-read this book and take to heart Lewis' admonition that the basic principles he elucidated are not intended to be a stopping place, but rather a juncture that we all pass through in the "hall" on the way to the "room" that will be our home. We are not intended to remain in the milk of "mere Christianity," but to move on to the rich and bountiful meat of deep study and immersion into the joy of knowing God.

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Mere Christianity

Great book for a new student and believer. I was moved to tears

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    5 out of 5 stars

Brain Food

As an atheist religion major in college, the Christian apologists of the "Enlightenment" were some of the most circular reasoning folks to ever breathe (best example: Descartes). Were it up that that bunch, I’d still be an atheist today. But given only C.S. Lewis and his incredible gift for reason and rhetoric, I’d be a Christian, or at least an open-minded atheist. The only pitfall I can see to listening to this audiobook is the painful realization that most contemporary writers lining the bestseller lists are second-rate thinkers at best (a strong argument against the microevolutionary theory, one to which I still subscribe).

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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible

I can't say enough good things about this audiobook. It is easily the best one I have encountered, both in content and in "listenability". The author makes amazingly well thought-out points using words and examples that anyone can understand. Simple but not simplistic. And the narrator really pulls it off. With a light British accent, he sounds just like you would think C.S. Lewis would sound. Easy to understand and pleasant to the ear.

I've already listened to this book twice, and I'm sure I will listen many more times in the years to come.

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Must read

An absolute must read for anyone that takes God seriously. A phenomenal mix of philosophy and spirituality, CS Lewis has few intellectual rivals

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More of the same

I’d heard good things about this book. As an atheist, I wasn’t expecting to get anything life-changing out of it, but at least I thought it would deliver new, intelligent thought.

I thought wrong, as it turns out.

It’s the same old self-serving stuff that’s been written as nauseum since about 350 A.D., explaining the Golden Rule in 150,000 words or more. It’s complete with massive errors of logic, repeated inconsistencies, tautologies, circular reasoning, comical leaps of logic, references to unquestioned authority, arbitrary cultural tastes poorly disguised as universal truths, and completely and arbitrary views.

There are zero references as to how late Bronze Age campfire stories and tall tales about genocidal tribal chiefs and their tales of vengeful deities who have their children murdered are supposed to tell us anything at all.

More of the same.

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Amazing

Loved this book! I received and felt the spirt and message. Jesus is King❤ seek the light.

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Great book for the new christian or interested.

Great instruction for christian living, and uses logical argument for those who appose christian ideals.

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