Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Mere Evangelism: 10 Insights From C.S. Lewis to Help You Share Your Faith

Rate this book
Let C.S. Lewis inspire and equip you to share your faith.

Evangelism is an extraordinary task; it’s what God uses to bring people from death to life. But it has always been difficult.

C.S. Lewis was used by God in the conversions of countless people, from friends and acquaintances in his own lifetime to modern-day readers of books such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity (the most influential Christian book of the 20th century). As Tim Keller comments, “C.S. Lewis was incredibly skilled at getting Christianity across in a way that’s powerful to thoughtful people." So, if we want help with evangelism, there is much we can learn from the clarity and imagination of this hugely influential Christian writer.

You may feel inadequate to the task; after all, there is only one C.S. Lewis. But evangelist Randy Newman skillfully helps us to apply the methods Lewis used (storytelling, humor, imagery and more) in our own conversations.

You will be equipped to talk about your faith and engage with unbelievers wisely, whatever their attitude towards the Christian faith.

160 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

75 people are currently reading
259 people want to read

About the author

Randy Newman

79 books2 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
107 (50%)
4 stars
73 (34%)
3 stars
28 (13%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Gailey.
116 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2021
"Its the intertwining of the two forces of mind and imagination that, I believe, made C.S. Lewis such a powerful evangelist, not only for me but for countless others".

Hands up if you struggle with personal evangelism 🙋‍♂️

Randy Newman is here to help. Mere Evangelism draws upon both the familiar and lesser known works of the influential Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, in an attempt to identify the core principles of soul winning.

Those new to the work of the Oxford professor will not only appreciate this book as an introduction to his core beliefs but will also get a taste of how and why he has played such a huge role in the conversion of many to the faith. Lewis aficionados will be aware of many of the stories and quotes mentioned in this book, but will still be edified by their application to spreading the gospel.

I greatly appreciated Randy's emphasis on pre-evangelism, the idea that in many cases groundwork needs to be laid before a person is receptive to the gospel. This step, although marvellously used by Lewis, is often side-lined by evangelicals, perhaps due to an anti-intellectectual tendency within evangelicalism. This book shows that while you don't need to have all the answers, there is a great need to devote time to building relationships and preparing responses to tough questions.

We are also reminded of the wealth of tools at our disposal, many of which were modelled by Lewis in some way. We can appeal to clues that point to Christ, turn the tables on sceptical arguments and use powerful imagery that capture the heart along with the mind. Some may come easier to us than others, but each, according to God's will, can be a catalyst in someone's conversion story.

There is a temptation to get caught up in the wonderful and profound prose of Lewis whilst missing the person that he was ultimately pointing to - Jesus Christ. Newman avoids this pitfall by putting the Oxford apologist's in his rightful place. Scripture is rightly held as the much higher standard for evangelistic advise, and Lewis' deficiencies are honestly addressed.

This was a really helpful guide to personal evangelism with powerful insights from one of my favourite Christian writers.

*Huge thanks to The Good Book Company for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Peter.
25 reviews2 followers
November 21, 2021
Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected I would. Takes the good stuff from Lewis and applies it.
Profile Image for Micah.
Author 3 books59 followers
August 17, 2024
A good friend and budding C.S. Lewis fan offered me a copy of this book and I figured I had to give it a try. It was an encouraging read all around.

Often time, religious evangelism is identical in technique and even motivation, to a sales pitch. There is nothing more uncomfortable to my personality than an attempt at convincing someone else that they should buy in. I love hosting deep philosophical conversations where the waters tend to get muddier, not clearer. I’ve come to a spiderwebbing network of conclusions about the universe and consciousness and the placement of mankind and the individual within the knowable, but those kinds of conversations tend to span a lifetime and frequently trail off without any conclusion or consensus. Is it even responsible to encourage someone to come to the same logic conclusions you’ve reached at the end of your mental exercises?

For me, this book was a reminder that it’s okay to encourage people to agree with our conclusions, and it’s also not our responsibility to convince anyone of anything. The text is as much about general Christian living and C.S. Lewis’ personal communication techniques as it is about sharing faith. It is full of gentleness and reminders of how to care for people well when communicating. I found a few of Newman’s final conclusions a bit dismissive of legitimate questions and even Lewis himself in gray areas, but in general he sets a tone for storytelling and life sharing that encouraged me to be more available to others, more trusting with my own story, and more willing to direct conversations toward conclusions.
Profile Image for Bob Mendelsohn.
296 reviews12 followers
December 1, 2021
I’ve been an evangelist for all of my 50 years in the faith and this book is a rare find. A great read. Worth your investment of time which is a much more worthy expense than money. Randy has superb insights into the thinking of the other and from that angle shared some systems and options that might help move one towards Messiah.

Yes I know much more about the author than I did previously but also and perhaps more importantly more about CS Lewis too.

In the end I’m grateful for the pointers to stop and stare at eternal things and from that relationship to share the good news with more folks. Thanks Randy. Well done.
Profile Image for Peter Dray.
Author 2 books37 followers
August 17, 2022
An introduction to the evangelistic approach of CS Lewis, with contemporary applications. Those who are familiar with Lewis or the work of apologetics won't find much that's new here. But I enjoyed coming across a few of Lewis' quotes that I'd not read before. The chapter on metaphor pushed my rating up from three to four stars.
Profile Image for Tyler Burton.
73 reviews9 followers
November 20, 2023
Most books struggle to do one thing one well, but Newman has written a book that does two things well. It both faithfully introduces the reader to CS Lewis’ ministry as an apologist/evangelist, and it serves as a practical resource to become a better participant in the Great Commission. It also makes me want to go read Mere Christianity again.
Profile Image for Chloe.
183 reviews4 followers
December 22, 2023
Like a lot of books on evangelism, this one is best done at a slow walk. This book, though simple and not terribly long, is dense with thoughts and reflections on sharing one’s faith. Newman combines his winsome style with the timeless words of Lewis to produce a very enjoyable exploration on the topic of evangelism.
93 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2023
If you are a fan of Lewis and his rhetoric, this is something of a practical biography. Fun C.S. Lewis facts and examinations of how he argued for the gospel, and encouragements for those who are equally working to have gospel conversations with those around them.
Profile Image for Sydney Taylor.
1 review1 follower
January 20, 2025
This book is so practical, so well done, and I would give a rec to anyone who is learning to share their faith. Even though this is something I have been doing for a while, this book helped to rekindle my confidence in small ways for how God can use someone like me to impact His Kingdom.
Profile Image for Panda Incognito.
4,662 reviews95 followers
September 28, 2021
This book is conversational and easy to read, helping readers consider ways that C.S. Lewis's perspective and methods could help them in their efforts to have spiritual conversations with friends. Randy Newman shares his own testimony, explaining why C.S. Lewis's apologetic writing was instrumental to him coming to faith, and he provides an introduction and summary of Lewis's work that will be helpful for people who aren't very familiar with him, and a good refresher for those who are. This book could have easily become an extension of a C.S. Lewis fan club, but Newman does not strike that tone at all, and focuses on key elements of the Christian faith over and above Lewis's helpful approach to sharing them. Readers don't have to be Lewis fans to enjoy this book or find it helpful.

Near the beginning, Newman focuses on the importance of "pre-evangelism" as the removal of roadblocks that would prevent someone's consideration of the Christian faith. He also writes about different elements of gospel-focused conversations, emphasizing the importance of respecting other people, taking their objections seriously, and providing gentle, appropriate pushback in areas of disagreement. He also encourages readers to consider Lewis's use of creative imagery to help people relate spiritual concepts to their everyday life. Overall, he shows us that even though none of us can be C.S. Lewis, we can all discuss matters of faith with other people in healthy, constructive, and caring ways.

Mere Evangelism: 10 Insights From C.S. Lewis to Help You Share Your Faith is an interesting, helpful book that applies many of Lewis's ideas and methods to current Christians' lives. At first, I wondered how much impact a book like this could have, since people can just read Lewis's writings for themselves, but Newman summarizes and draws out key elements in a helpful way, honestly addresses some of Lewis's weakness, and helps update Lewis's coverage of now-historical cultural factors and issues for a twenty-first century audience. This is a helpful supplement or introduction to Lewis's apologetic writing, and is full of clear, practical encouragement and advice for Christians.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ming  Chen.
480 reviews
July 6, 2024
Brilliant stuff. Newman gives ten points from Lewis that aid us in evangelism, both illustrating how Lewis employed these tactics in his own writings and moreover how Scripture justifies these reasons. I will provide two of his points to demonstrate the "vibe" of the book, as the cool kids say nowadays.

One point is the notion of different joys, or what Lewis called "Joy" with a capital j. Newman notes that in Acts 14:17, Paul points to God's provision of "food and gladness", and he encourages us to do something similar. We should note parts of Creation which are particularly joy-evoking when viewed through a Christian lens, seek to connect with others and convey this idea, and moreover to expand our joy-filled sights. Lewis himself mentions this idea plentifully in works like Surprised by Joy .

A second point is the idea of creating discomfort for the unbeliever. Newman notes that a certain discomfort or tension is created even by the Old Testament: God is presented as simultaneously loving yet just, and it does not seem like He can simply farewell our sins with an apathetic wave of His hand. However, it is only in Christ's work that God can be, as Paul says in Romans 3:26, "just and justifier". Newman then fascinatingly applies this idea to contradictions in worldview. A simple example is the moral relativist who does not like people pickpocketing his wallet. These contradictions are not merely intellectual, Newman seems to posit, but moreover induces a kind of nauseous existential tension. Newman reminds one of Schaeffer at this point.
17 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2023
This book challenged and encouraged me! I’ve never read anything at length by C.S. Lewis, but after reading this book, I definitely want to. Randy Newman uses Lewis’s approach to evangelism to inspire Christians today. The apologetics of Lewis and the centrality of the gospel make this such a compelling read. Randy writes with clarify, sharing the good news of the gospel within its pages, inspiring readers to do the same in their everyday lives.

Although hard to choose, 2 of my favorite chapters were chapters 3 and 5.

In chapter 3 “The Honoring of Objections”, Randy guides the reader through Lewis’s intention to not just gloss over objections, but rather listen to them and understand them. Lewis then weakens the objections by challenging them with questions and follows with offering the gospel as something better. It’s not about just pounding the Bible over peoples’ heads because that can often fall on deaf ears.

Chapter 5 is titled “The Centrality of the Gospel” and how could that not be a favorite part of this book (and life as a whole)? Randy Newman reminds the reader that one should be able to clearly and concisely explain the gospel. That’s the foundation of evangelism.

I’m leaving this book wanting to be a better evangelist and read more from both C.S. Lewis and Randy Newman. 10/10 recommend.
Profile Image for Cathy.
615 reviews12 followers
April 22, 2022
The author was a leader in Cru, and in this book he connected C. S. Lewis's apologetic ministry with the evangelistic strategy Cru promotes. (The book never specifically said that, though; It's just the sense I got out of it lol) He talked about many of Lewis's apologetic essays are a form of pre-evangelism, how Lewis addresses unbeliever's questions, how Lewis delineated the gospel message, how Lewis used imagery, how Lewis pushed back on some non-Christian thoughts and bluntly declared them wrong. He also talked about Lewis's heart for evangelism in taking on the BBC broadcast program that ultimately became the book Mere Christianity, and how Lewis asked for prayers for his ministry in his private letters. He connected all of this to teachings in the Bible and examples of the disciples, and he encouraged readers to follow the examples of Lewis and the disciples by taking steps very similar to what Cru has always promoted in its four spiritual disciplines materials and evangelism outreach.
Profile Image for Matt Koser.
80 reviews10 followers
April 4, 2025
This was fine. Pretty basic principles with some good Lewis quotes. I think it could have been an article instead of a full book.

______
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, arguments were very weak, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), maybe I disagreed somewhat, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything or it was a strong argument even if I disagree, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: incredible book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
14 reviews
April 5, 2024
In this delightful little book, Randy Newman traces out several of the techniques C.S. Lewis used to convince people to consider the claims of Jesus. Newman shows how Lewis would meet people where they were at, take time to lay the right foundation, use imagery and stories to engage people’s imaginations along with their reason, and seek to anticipate and answer people’s objections, all while remaining winsome. Newman draws upon quotes from Lewis’s many books and essays to illustrate how he used these techniques. This is a great resource for those who want to take seriously the charge to “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…with gentleness and reverence.” ( 1 Peter 3:15-16)
240 reviews
July 11, 2024
This is a super straightforward little book that does exactly what it claims to do. It's a handbook on the entire evangelistic process, from "pre-evangelism" to a call to respond, using lots of references to Lewis to bolster the ideas. I honestly thought the whole thing was brilliant. There was nothing particularly earth-shattering about it, but it was done really well, and the last couple of chapters in particular really made me feel the weight of our evangelistic charge. It was very encouraging, hit almost all of the main issues within evangelism, and ended on a high note. I think this would be well-worth reading for any Christian who feels unequipped to evangelize, and even for any who just want to look at it from a fresh perspective.
Profile Image for Alex Ezra.
50 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2023
I really got a lot of great ideas from this book. The author does a great job of pulling from C.S. Lewis's excellence at evangelism. It seems like it's designed for a Christian with moderate to expert levels of evangelism. As an avid C.S. Lewis fan, I though the book was interesting and enlightening. It's given me confidence to be able to share my faith with more training and help others find the truth.
Worth the read for any fan of Lewis.
Profile Image for Elisabeth Aubut.
57 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2025
Newman unpacks C. S. Lewis’s evangelistic strategies, helping us share our faith in an intelligent and respectful manner. I especially appreciated the emphasis on pre-evangelism (including the concept of joy and our “cause to be uneasy”) as well as the importance of extending an invitation to salvation. These two elements are often neglected, and Newman provides great ideas to incorporate them effectively. I will likely return to this book for insight.
65 reviews3 followers
April 17, 2022
Great read, powerful applications

I think this book is the one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read on evangelism. Very concrete examples of how to share the Good News. I highly recommend it.
60 reviews2 followers
July 4, 2025
Randy was a friend from church who I knew before he passed away. This book has excellent stories and information about how he and C.S. Lewis approached apologetics and evangelism. Highly recommended for Christians who want to think about how they are sharing their faith.
Profile Image for Brandon Rathbun.
181 reviews11 followers
January 9, 2022
Enjoyed this more than I thought!
Great balance of commentary on Lewis and authors own thoughts
5 reviews
July 12, 2022
I was challenged to think through how I would explain my own conversion using illustrations as C. S. Lewis used in his writings. Prayingbfor opportunities to use them.
Profile Image for Gena Tarrell.
96 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2023
Witnessing is something we are commanded to do by Jesus. It is hard for me to do in most situations. This gives compelling reasons, ideas on approaches, and statements while reaching out to others.
Profile Image for James Brixey.
260 reviews20 followers
Read
May 19, 2024
A great book

He has a chapter where he addresses the fact that he isn't _that_ Randy Newman.

Aside from that, lots helpful.
However, it mostly just made me want to read more c s Lewis
Profile Image for Bella Schroeder.
27 reviews
October 12, 2021
When I first saw the option to review this book, I immediately clicked it without concerning what I was getting myself into. This tends to happen a lot in my life. I tend to take on more than I can do, but somehow it always seems to work out in the end. You see the reason I chose to review this book, was simply because it was based on the teachings of C.S Lewis. Growing up, I have found that while many of Lewis’ books are difficult to understand at first, they provide tons of insight into the Christian faith.

When I began reading this book, I found it hard to understand at first, but the more I dove into reading this book, the more I saw that I was overthinking what Newman had laid out for me as the reader of the book. The more I read this book, the more I realized that this book was conversational and easy to read.

At the beginning of this book, Newman lays out what pre-evangelism is. To put pre-evangelism simply; it is the removal of anything preventing someone from considering faith in Jesus Christ. Newman does this by laying out things we need to consider, such as gospel-centered conversations, respecting other beliefs and values, and providing genteel disagreements. In the end, Newman ultimately proves to us that we will not be like Lewis in our attempt to share our faith, but we can still adopt his methods of sharing the gospel.

Mere Evangelism is a helpful book that applies Lewis’ ideas of our current life as Christians. When I picked this book to review, I did not think that it would have such a huge impact on my life. I figured that this book would give me some insight into Lewis’ views, but I did not imagine how much insight it would give me.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own and not paid for.
Profile Image for Timothy Klob.
42 reviews
July 11, 2025
Excellent overview of C.S. Lewis's views on evangelization with practical applications for modern Christians
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.