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Mere Theology: A Guide to the Thought of C. S. Lewis
What did C. S. Lewis believe about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, heaven, hell, creation, the Fall, the forgiveness of sins, marriage and divorce, war and peace, the church and sacraments, masculinity and femininity? Lewis was not a professional theologian, but anyone who has read his writings--whether fiction or nonfiction, essays or correspondence--knows that profoundly Christian convictions permeate them all. The more one reads, the more it becomes clear that Lewis could write with charity and simplicity while preserving theological accuracy because he was well informed and thoroughly grounded in the Christian faith. Will Vaus has masterfully brought together Lewis's thought from throughout his voluminous writings to provide us a full-orbed look into his beliefs on twenty-five Christian themes. This book gives us not only a comprehensive view of Lewis's theological convictions but also guidance and encouragement for our own spiritual journeys toward the God whom Lewis found so real, personal and present.
266 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 15, 2024
This book is basically "Spark Notes" for anyone who wants to generally know what Lewis thought about different elements of Christianity. Vaus has written and thematically organized chapters that serve as short summaries of Lewis's opinions on major theological points (e.g. persons of the trinity, creation, salvation, moral law, eschatology, angels and demons, heaven and hell, plus things like hierarchy among gender roles, etc.)
You can tell that Vaus is well-steeped in Lewis's life, thought, and works. He pulls lots of citations from his lesser-known writings, including essays and letters.
You can tell that Vaus is well-steeped in Lewis's life, thought, and works. He pulls lots of citations from his lesser-known writings, including essays and letters.
July 28, 2013
As far as compendiums of CS Lewis's thought go, this is easily among the best. Vaus has extensive theological training and it shows. This work is different from the rest of the (often needless) summaries of Lewis's thought, usually reduced to a few chapters on Narnia. In many ways it is like a systematic theology of CS Lewis. Granted, we really do not need another book on CS Lewis (and surely we do not need another book review!!!); rather, we need men to write in the spirit of CS Lewis. That said, there are still elements of Lewis's thought that have not received their due reward (e.g., his violent and armed resistance to the New World Order in *That Hideous Strength!*).
Vaus loosely summarizes Lewis's worldview around the tenets of the Nicene Creed. And taking our cue from the Nicene Creed, we will start with Lewis's *mere Christianity.* Contra to the soft modernists at the CS Lewis message boards, Lewis's *mere Christianity* was not a watered-down, shave-off-the-rough-edges Christianity. Lewis said regarding the Church--you do not stop searching until you find the truest expression of Christianity. That means, ultimately, you will have to say that other expressions are--to a degree--wrong.
Vaus, an Evangelical, has a rather startling chapter on prayer. Most of it isn't any different from other evangelical manuals on prayer.
Sex and Male/Female Relations
*The Space Trilogy* is one of Lewis's least-read works. THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH shows Jane Studdock having to undo her feminism and surrender to the reality that hierarchy is real, and in that hierarchy--particularly her husband--she will have to learn to surrender to her husband's masculinity and relish in that reality. This may be Vaus's best chapter.
Following that fact, Lewis introduces us to monarchy as a real category. (I've been attacked so often for being a monarchist it's not funny. I wouldn't mind the criticisms of monarchy if they didn't suck so badly. There are good criticisms of monarchy out there; they're just rarely offered.). Accepting monarchy isn't the big issue. Vaus/Lewis suspects that our reticence to monarchy stems from a secret urge to egalitarianism. But if hierarchy is a legitimate social and moral category, then why can't monarchy be just as legitimate a political category? In any case, Vaus quotes a beautiful and stirring passage from *That Hideous Strength* telling when Jane Studdock first looks upon the face of Dr Ransom--a man who is a true warrior-priest--and her world is unmade. Reading between the lines, Lewis is telling us she looked upon the face of true, holy monarchy for the first time. She saw in Ransom the ancient wisdom and holy strength of the kings of old. You simply do not find this in democratically-elected officials.
The more theological chapters--dealing with the Trinity and Scripture--are okay, I guess. After several years and several thousand double-columned pages reading the Church Fathers on the Trinity and Christ, I'm not too interested in what Vaus has to say on it. No offense. And that's because Lewis and Vaus commit theological howlers at times (e.g., saying Christ has one will; formally, that's the heresy of monotheletism; page 81).There are some gems, though--where Vaus compares Lewis's "Cosmic Dance" to Gregory of Naziansus. That's cool by me.
Conclusion:
The book is not without it's problems. But I don't want to dwell on the problems.
Vaus loosely summarizes Lewis's worldview around the tenets of the Nicene Creed. And taking our cue from the Nicene Creed, we will start with Lewis's *mere Christianity.* Contra to the soft modernists at the CS Lewis message boards, Lewis's *mere Christianity* was not a watered-down, shave-off-the-rough-edges Christianity. Lewis said regarding the Church--you do not stop searching until you find the truest expression of Christianity. That means, ultimately, you will have to say that other expressions are--to a degree--wrong.
Vaus, an Evangelical, has a rather startling chapter on prayer. Most of it isn't any different from other evangelical manuals on prayer.
Sex and Male/Female Relations
*The Space Trilogy* is one of Lewis's least-read works. THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH shows Jane Studdock having to undo her feminism and surrender to the reality that hierarchy is real, and in that hierarchy--particularly her husband--she will have to learn to surrender to her husband's masculinity and relish in that reality. This may be Vaus's best chapter.
Following that fact, Lewis introduces us to monarchy as a real category. (I've been attacked so often for being a monarchist it's not funny. I wouldn't mind the criticisms of monarchy if they didn't suck so badly. There are good criticisms of monarchy out there; they're just rarely offered.). Accepting monarchy isn't the big issue. Vaus/Lewis suspects that our reticence to monarchy stems from a secret urge to egalitarianism. But if hierarchy is a legitimate social and moral category, then why can't monarchy be just as legitimate a political category? In any case, Vaus quotes a beautiful and stirring passage from *That Hideous Strength* telling when Jane Studdock first looks upon the face of Dr Ransom--a man who is a true warrior-priest--and her world is unmade. Reading between the lines, Lewis is telling us she looked upon the face of true, holy monarchy for the first time. She saw in Ransom the ancient wisdom and holy strength of the kings of old. You simply do not find this in democratically-elected officials.
The more theological chapters--dealing with the Trinity and Scripture--are okay, I guess. After several years and several thousand double-columned pages reading the Church Fathers on the Trinity and Christ, I'm not too interested in what Vaus has to say on it. No offense. And that's because Lewis and Vaus commit theological howlers at times (e.g., saying Christ has one will; formally, that's the heresy of monotheletism; page 81).There are some gems, though--where Vaus compares Lewis's "Cosmic Dance" to Gregory of Naziansus. That's cool by me.
Conclusion:
The book is not without it's problems. But I don't want to dwell on the problems.
May 9, 2022
This is an excellent guide in my view to C.S. Lewis's theology. The author gives a good outline and background to Lewis's' thinking. Well worth to have in one's library. In fact it was such a good read that I will look to get other books by Will Vaus. Kudos to the author for his take on C.S. Lewis. And I agree with Vaus that we do not have to accept all of Lewis's stances on various things to learn from and appreciate his writings.
December 27, 2023
A well-structured, easy to read survey of Lewis's thoughts as revealed in his writing.
December 9, 2008
Was C. S. Lewis a theologian? He denied, rightly, that he was a professional theologian, and always addressed those who were with respect and deference (if sometimes also with biting criticism). He made a concerted effort to avoid being original, wishing only to explain and defend the common core of Christian belief shared by all historic Christian churches throughout the ages. Yet if we define a theologian as a teacher of Christian doctrine, then Lewis was arguably the most important theologian of the Twentieth Century, the man who possibly got more Christian thinking into the heads of more people than anyone other than Billy Graham, who concentrated more on decisions than on thinking. There have been books on Lewis’s treatment of specific doctrines, but until now no one has tried to synthesize and evaluate Lewis’s theology as a whole under one cover. Vaus’s book therefore fills in a critical gap in Lewis studies.
Mere Theology then is attempting an important job. Its success in performing it is mixed. On the positive side, Vaus summarizes Lewis’s thinking accurately and sympathetically. The best and most helpful feature of the book is that under each topic Vaus treats Lewis’s writings in chronological order, so that we have an opportunity to see whether and how Lewis’s thinking developed on that subject. Vaus critiques Lewis’s theology from a standpoint of moderately conservative Protestant Evangelicalism. His own theological bias is neither hidden nor is it obtrusive. When he dissents from Lewis, he does so appreciatively and gently, suggesting (often helpfully, in my estimation) avenues or options in certain doctrines that Lewis might profitably have explored. Vaus admirably avoids falling into the temptation that has consumed so many students of Lewis: to try to make him over into their own image, to make him more Evangelical (or Fundamentalist, or Roman Catholic) than he really was.
Despite all these excellent qualities, I found myself getting impatient with the book. My only criticism could be stated in four words I often find myself writing on student papers: “less summary; more analysis!” People already familiar with Lewis’s corpus will find themselves getting bogged down in interminable paraphrase, endless recasting of things Lewis already said better. They will skim past these pages to find at the end of the chapter often only a paragraph or two of analysis and critique, sometimes perfunctory and disappointing. People who are not already familiar with the Lewis corpus ought to reading it instead of Vaus.
Vaus says he wants his book to be able to serve as an introduction to Lewis for people who have never read him (17). Really, this is quite pointless. Give such people Mere Christianity or one of the Narnia books instead, and give those of us who are in a position to be devouring secondary works about Lewis a meatier study, for goodness’ sake! Mere Theology is not bad; it is worth buying for its comprehensiveness, its balance and irenic tone, and its chronological treatment—but it could and should have been a more satisfying study than it is. Alas.
Reviewed by Donald T. Williams
Mere Theology then is attempting an important job. Its success in performing it is mixed. On the positive side, Vaus summarizes Lewis’s thinking accurately and sympathetically. The best and most helpful feature of the book is that under each topic Vaus treats Lewis’s writings in chronological order, so that we have an opportunity to see whether and how Lewis’s thinking developed on that subject. Vaus critiques Lewis’s theology from a standpoint of moderately conservative Protestant Evangelicalism. His own theological bias is neither hidden nor is it obtrusive. When he dissents from Lewis, he does so appreciatively and gently, suggesting (often helpfully, in my estimation) avenues or options in certain doctrines that Lewis might profitably have explored. Vaus admirably avoids falling into the temptation that has consumed so many students of Lewis: to try to make him over into their own image, to make him more Evangelical (or Fundamentalist, or Roman Catholic) than he really was.
Despite all these excellent qualities, I found myself getting impatient with the book. My only criticism could be stated in four words I often find myself writing on student papers: “less summary; more analysis!” People already familiar with Lewis’s corpus will find themselves getting bogged down in interminable paraphrase, endless recasting of things Lewis already said better. They will skim past these pages to find at the end of the chapter often only a paragraph or two of analysis and critique, sometimes perfunctory and disappointing. People who are not already familiar with the Lewis corpus ought to reading it instead of Vaus.
Vaus says he wants his book to be able to serve as an introduction to Lewis for people who have never read him (17). Really, this is quite pointless. Give such people Mere Christianity or one of the Narnia books instead, and give those of us who are in a position to be devouring secondary works about Lewis a meatier study, for goodness’ sake! Mere Theology is not bad; it is worth buying for its comprehensiveness, its balance and irenic tone, and its chronological treatment—but it could and should have been a more satisfying study than it is. Alas.
Reviewed by Donald T. Williams
February 12, 2010
This book works best as a distillation of the conclusions that C. S. Lewis came to or that he popularized. It does a poor job at demonstrating Lewis's reasoning, the process by which he arrives at those conclusions.
For me, at least, Lewis's reasoning is the most powerful and enjoyable component of his overall work. I disagree with him strongly on several points, but am fascinated by the questions he raises and the way he goes about to answering them. Reading Lewis has forced me to rethink much what I had thought I believed.
Consequently, I would recommend this book only to those who have already read a strong sampling of Lewis's religious commentary and his fiction. The stronger the sampling, the better. However, the more the recommendee has read of Lewis's work, the less he'll need this book.
What I would have liked is to hear more from Vaus himself. What, for example, does he think of Lewis's famous "trilemma" argument that allegedly proves Christianity to be true? Vaus occasionally defends Lewis against his critics, although not always successfully (his argument that Lewis was not a misogynists rests mostly with the probably true assertion that Lewis treated women with respect during his lifetime....no thought given to whether his ideas might trend toward misogyny.) But we hear very little commentary.
Critical commentary is not Vaus's goal, but the book would be much more worthwhile if there were more of it.
For me, at least, Lewis's reasoning is the most powerful and enjoyable component of his overall work. I disagree with him strongly on several points, but am fascinated by the questions he raises and the way he goes about to answering them. Reading Lewis has forced me to rethink much what I had thought I believed.
Consequently, I would recommend this book only to those who have already read a strong sampling of Lewis's religious commentary and his fiction. The stronger the sampling, the better. However, the more the recommendee has read of Lewis's work, the less he'll need this book.
What I would have liked is to hear more from Vaus himself. What, for example, does he think of Lewis's famous "trilemma" argument that allegedly proves Christianity to be true? Vaus occasionally defends Lewis against his critics, although not always successfully (his argument that Lewis was not a misogynists rests mostly with the probably true assertion that Lewis treated women with respect during his lifetime....no thought given to whether his ideas might trend toward misogyny.) But we hear very little commentary.
Critical commentary is not Vaus's goal, but the book would be much more worthwhile if there were more of it.
January 6, 2012
Many have long loved CS Lewis for his works in Christian fantasy and some of his popular writing such as Mere Christianity and Screwtape Letters, among others. I have tried to read some of these in the past but nothing ever really "connected" with me that I felt I could get from other authors in the areas of theology and practical Christian living. Overall, I found this book by Will Vaus valuable for what it was intended for - to help folks like me better understand CS Lewis and philosophy across a broad range of subjects in Christian doctrine. What fascinated me in many ways is that Lewis was highly orthodox in his beliefs but he had a different way to reason and argue for his stances than I had seen from other writers. Since The Lord of the Rings theatrical series was so highly popular - and I loved the series, it was a good time for me to take a closer look at CS Lewis. The fact that this book was given to me as a gift helped motivate me as well. This is a pretty good book for those who want CS Lewis in a nutshell or and introduction to his writings. I think the book is a 3.5 and is worth the time for those who want a closer look at CS Lewis.
January 5, 2011
A very well researched summary of the thinking of C.S. Lewis on a variety of theological topics, such as creation and evolution, the Trinity, free will and divine sovereignty (a great chapter), purgatory, hell, heaven, and much more. I was impressed by the author's scholarship, and I may add this one to my library in the future. I found the book useful in three ways: First, it collects Lewis' thinking on a particular topic all in one place. So if you want to look up Lewis' actual words in the future, it's quite easy. Second, it's a great summary to refresh your memory of Lewis' argument or metaphor. Third, you can see the development in Lewis' thought, especially in the chapter on free will and divine sovereignty.
While some readers were disappointed by the lack of commentary, I think that was by the author's intention. He wanted to display Lewis's own thinking with only minimal commentary and critique.
While some readers were disappointed by the lack of commentary, I think that was by the author's intention. He wanted to display Lewis's own thinking with only minimal commentary and critique.
September 22, 2010
The book generally tells you more about the systematic theology of the author than the free and lucid thinking of C. S. Lewis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2013
Interesting at first but half way through it quickly descended into dullness and triviality.
August 31, 2015
Dipping in to accompany reading of "Mere Christianity" -- used as reference and didn't really read very much.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews