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MERE CHRISTIANITY IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH
Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate such an enthusiastic response! In the past six months, 79% of readers have left a 5-star review. Thank you.
This book has been created for all those who said, "I tried to read it but couldn't make my way through it."
When I first read Mere Christianity, I couldn’t help but wonder if the average North American reader could fully grasp the essence of this book without an English-to-“English” dictionary at their side. Even I, though born and raised in England, found myself Googling the meaning of some of Lewis’s colloquialisms from the 1940s. Lewis himself acknowledges the shifting nature of language and word usage over time, and I’ve taken the liberty to present you with an original paragraph of his work, alongside my own “simple English” interpretation.
Original
A gentleman, once it has been spiritualized and refined out of its old coarse, objective sense, means hardly more than a man whom the speaker likes. As a result, gentleman is now a useless word. We had lots of terms of approval already, so it was not needed for that use; on the other hand, if anyone (say, in a historical work) wants to use it in its old sense, he cannot do so without explanations. It has been spoiled for that purpose.
Revised
The word “gentleman” originally had a clear meaning. It referred to someone who had a coat of arms and owned land. When you called someone “a gentleman,” you were not complimenting them but stating a fact. If you said someone was not “a gentleman,” you were not insulting them but providing information.
The motivation behind my effort to rework the original manuscript of Mere Christianity aligns with what I believe inspired Lewis to write his book in the first to help readers discover their ultimate purpose and engage in a personal relationship with the living God.
Despite over seventy years passing since its initial publication, Mere Christianity continues to grace the best-seller lists, standing the test of time. It’s worth noting that the original text of Mere Christianity is now in the public domain.
C.S. Lewis, the renowned Professor of English at Oxford University, was a literary giant. Clive Staples Lewis authored many famous novels including the Chronicles of Narnia series and The Screwtape Letters. The most recent estimate for sales of his books is in excess of 200 million copies.
Lewis was born in 1898 in Belfast, Ireland, while I came into the world fifty-three years later in Worcester Park, England. Lewis endured the horrors of trench warfare at the Somme during World War I. I was conceived six years after the end of World War II. Lewis found solace in Christ at the age of 33, deeply influenced by his dear friend J.R.R. Tolkien and other spiritual companions. Similarly, it wasn’t until I reached the age of 35, also influenced by friends, that God broke through my hard, prideful shell and radically changed my life.
Enjoy!
© David O. Harrison, 2023
Published by 1000810095 ONTARIO INC.
Public domain copyright restricts the distribution of this work to the following sovereign Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, and Canada
This book has been created for all those who said, "I tried to read it but couldn't make my way through it."
When I first read Mere Christianity, I couldn’t help but wonder if the average North American reader could fully grasp the essence of this book without an English-to-“English” dictionary at their side. Even I, though born and raised in England, found myself Googling the meaning of some of Lewis’s colloquialisms from the 1940s. Lewis himself acknowledges the shifting nature of language and word usage over time, and I’ve taken the liberty to present you with an original paragraph of his work, alongside my own “simple English” interpretation.
Original
A gentleman, once it has been spiritualized and refined out of its old coarse, objective sense, means hardly more than a man whom the speaker likes. As a result, gentleman is now a useless word. We had lots of terms of approval already, so it was not needed for that use; on the other hand, if anyone (say, in a historical work) wants to use it in its old sense, he cannot do so without explanations. It has been spoiled for that purpose.
Revised
The word “gentleman” originally had a clear meaning. It referred to someone who had a coat of arms and owned land. When you called someone “a gentleman,” you were not complimenting them but stating a fact. If you said someone was not “a gentleman,” you were not insulting them but providing information.
The motivation behind my effort to rework the original manuscript of Mere Christianity aligns with what I believe inspired Lewis to write his book in the first to help readers discover their ultimate purpose and engage in a personal relationship with the living God.
Despite over seventy years passing since its initial publication, Mere Christianity continues to grace the best-seller lists, standing the test of time. It’s worth noting that the original text of Mere Christianity is now in the public domain.
C.S. Lewis, the renowned Professor of English at Oxford University, was a literary giant. Clive Staples Lewis authored many famous novels including the Chronicles of Narnia series and The Screwtape Letters. The most recent estimate for sales of his books is in excess of 200 million copies.
Lewis was born in 1898 in Belfast, Ireland, while I came into the world fifty-three years later in Worcester Park, England. Lewis endured the horrors of trench warfare at the Somme during World War I. I was conceived six years after the end of World War II. Lewis found solace in Christ at the age of 33, deeply influenced by his dear friend J.R.R. Tolkien and other spiritual companions. Similarly, it wasn’t until I reached the age of 35, also influenced by friends, that God broke through my hard, prideful shell and radically changed my life.
Enjoy!
© David O. Harrison, 2023
Published by 1000810095 ONTARIO INC.
Public domain copyright restricts the distribution of this work to the following sovereign Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, and Canada
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
354 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 23, 2024
The only reason this doesn't get the 5 stars I give Lewis is that David Harrison took away too many of the analogies and metaphors that CS Lewis uses to make his points so clear in the original. Everyday English is not too far removed from English during Lewis's time. I appreciate the translation of colloquial terms and word pictures. But otherwise... yeah.
May 16, 2024
Classic
I hadn't ever read this before and had heard some negative things about C S Lewis. I haven't really read any thing here where he is in error. A few things he just didn't have further information about. I don't agree with everything he said, but feel that when it comes to what is important that he got it right. I've been a follower of Christ for many years. I am assured of my salvation and realize that following Christ is a journey. I am a spirit filled believer.
I hadn't ever read this before and had heard some negative things about C S Lewis. I haven't really read any thing here where he is in error. A few things he just didn't have further information about. I don't agree with everything he said, but feel that when it comes to what is important that he got it right. I've been a follower of Christ for many years. I am assured of my salvation and realize that following Christ is a journey. I am a spirit filled believer.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews