What is Mere Christianity?

[SalesianSDB]

I just read C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity for an Intro to Christian Theology class at my university. Loved the book. Reading it makes me want to become a theologian!

Anyways, Lewis wrote the book to tell people what is “mere” Christianity, what Christianity is at its core that all Christians have in common. He describes it as a hallway with many doors. All the doors are the different denominations, his book is the hallway.

So when the class finished with the book our professor told us what he thinks “mere Christianity” is to him.

Creation/Creator- God is the creator. As the creator he created us in his image and likeness.

Freedom- God gave us freedom. It is because of that freedom that we have fallen short and sinned and needed a savior. So Christ came down for us. Yet we still have freedom now to do the right thing and the freedom to accept Christ or reject him.

According to my professor, he sees Creation/Creator and Freedom as two main points to mere Christianity because from Creation/Creator and Freedom you can derive all other things from in Christianity.

So if someone asked you what is “mere Christianity” what would you answer? What are the elements that all other things are derived from in Christianity?

I kind of have to agree with my professor.

 

[RPRPsych]

I just read C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity for an Intro to Christian Theology class at my university. Loved the book. Reading it makes me want to become a theologian!

Anyways, Lewis wrote the book to tell people what is “mere” Christianity, what Christianity is at its core that all Christians have in common. He describes it as a hallway with many doors. All the doors are the different denominations, his book is the hallway.

So when the class finished with the book our professor told us what he thinks “mere Christianity” is to him.

Creation/Creator- God is the creator. As the creator he created us in his image and likeness.

Freedom- God gave us freedom. It is because of that freedom that we have fallen short and sinned and needed a savior. So Christ came down for us. Yet we still have freedom now to do the right thing and the freedom to accept Christ or reject him.

According to my professor, he sees Creation/Creator and Freedom as two main points to mere Christianity because from Creation/Creator and Freedom you can derive all other things from in Christianity.

So if someone asked you what is “mere Christianity” what would you answer? What are the elements that all other things are derived from in Christianity?

I kind of have to agree with my professor.

I’d say Creation, God’s Love and God’s Justice are probably the pillars on which you could construct such an edifice, since freedom and grace are free gifts from a loving God.

(I’ve personally been a bit uncomfortable with the phrase “mere Christianity” - there’s nothing “mere” about it, unless you’re just using a figure of speech, but that’s just me, I guess.)

 

[Iron_Donkey]

I think that pretty well covers it.

I kept thinking that you might have to include something like “certain things that we say are divinely revealed actually are.” For example, that Jesus the historical figure is exactly who He says He is, and hence identical to the Jesus of faith. But that may be something that we can argue off the first two plus historical data, and so may not be required to be said from the beginning.

I also considered that the doctrine of the Trinity might need to be specified, but then I think this comes as a result from one Creator, freedom, the historical fact that we misused that freedom, and then understanding subsequent events that we can deduce to be the Creator’s reaction to our misuse.

Also, as a note, I also would say that mere Christianity is in fact Catholicism, or at least the basis for a faith that when followed through logically becomes Catholicism. I wouldn’t say that it’s a hall with many equally good doors, but rather a path leading towards the truth, but one which many people veer off a little bit and end up somewhere that is somewhat wrong.

I think Lewis, in trying to find a common denominator as it were, headed for the root of this path, the part of the path that every Christian treads before having an opportunity to wander off to the side, and called that root, and perhaps the first couple logical steps beyond, mere Christianity.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

I would say at the very core, believing in God and that He created the universe and mankind and believing that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and that Jesus rose again in 3 days. To me that’s the very core of belief. Anything different from that makes you another religion all together. If you at least believe that then I think God can work with that.

 

[Mumbles140]

The Creed is a great place to start!

 

[IronMIke]

It is Catholicism less; purgatory, praying to saints and Mary, real presence.
, confession to a Priest

well in basic terms anyway

 

[Mumbles140]

It is Catholicism less; purgatory, praying to saints and Mary, real presence.
, confession to a Priest

well in basic terms anyway

Although the above is a personal definition, as opposed to Lewis’, I find humor because Lewis believed in most (if not all) of these things, and supported his beliefs by logical reason. The Great Divorce is entirely about the necessity of Purgatory…