Title: Mere Christianity

Author: C. S. Lewis

This is a classic of Christian literature. And I recommend it to all Christians, young or old, mature or not. I even recommend it to non-Christians. C. S. Lewis was an atheist before he came to Christ, so he understands and has worked through many common intellectual barriers to Christianity.

But more important than that, C. S. Lewis has an uncanny knack of being able to simplify some of the more difficult to grasp theological concepts of Christianity, breaking them down into more simple ideas which are more easily understood.

My only caution is that one must understand that this was originally a radio broadcast, which Lewis then wrote out and published. In some sections he takes a little more time to explain/explore things which he couldn’t quite go into so much detail about on the radio. This makes for, I think, a more conversational tone of writing, which is very easily read. But also, this was originally published in the early 1940s in England, which means that there are certain cultural (english) and sociological (note the World War II influences) references and metaphors/analogies which can take a post-2000 mind a couple of extra seconds to translate.

That said, the issues C. S. Lewis tackles are timeless and his explanations still relevant. If you haven’t read this, grab a copy and dive in – I think it’s a book everyone should go through at least once in their life.

Additional Links:
Mere Christianity article on Wikipedia
Also, please check out the Wikipedia’s page on C. S. Lewis – it is very informative and thorough, and contains much more information than I could include on this page.

Title: The Great Divorce

Author: C. S. Lewis

I’m not quite sure what I had in mind when I picked this book up, but a full length analogical story definitely was not in my mind when I started. But that really didn’t matter, because that’s exactly what Lewis wrote in “The Great Divorce”.

In it, Lewis used a rather interesting vision of what heaven and hell are (not) like. I say “(not) like” because Lewis admits in his introduction that this was intended from the first to be a moral story, not an exploration of what might be. He explains his purpose in a clarity that only a writer of his caliber can explain – and I highly recommend reading the introduction, because it is short and simple, but sharply insightful.

The great divorce which Lewis is writing about is that great separation between Heaven and Hell. To me, it seems, the primary concern is with personal priorities and values. How much value do you place in your children, your friends, your personal opinions and soapboxes thereof? Lewis deftly and surgically dissects these and exposes their inherent danger.

I fear to attempt to explain much more for two simple reasons. I think my explanations will confuse more than intrigue, for I don’t quite have the talent of Lewis for simplicity. And secondly, I would rather you approach this book with an open mind and experience an allegorical journey which is even more piercing for yourself than the title character, one which is written by a master of the genre.

So yes, I absolutely recommend this book. To everyone. It challenges you to think. I recommend it for teenagers as well as for adults. It would be a great book to read through with your children. Just get your hands on a copy and dive in!

Additional links:
Wikipedia article on The Great Divorce.