A Mere Christian by Ron Smith, MD Available Online Now

When C. S. Lewis compiled his World War II radio talks into the book Mere Christianity, I don’t think he understood fully at the time, the profound effect it would have. His book is both apologetic to non-believers as well as to Christians themselves.

I started teaching Mere Christianity to our adult Sunday school class almost a year ago. Not only was it a very rewarding experience, it has spurred me on in my own Christian faith.

What I have found is that not only is Lewis’ work on basement level Christianity important, it is even more important today than it was in his era. As a Christian, my heart breaks for Christians everywhere who are swayed like seaweed with the currents of modern thinking. Unknowingly they are abandoning the very foundational elements of a Biblical relationship as the sharpness of black and white gives way to lukewarm grays of modern thought.

I wrote A Mere Christian to remind fellow Christians of our roots and to bring back the contrast of black and white. We are created by God in whom there is a settled holy nature. He does not change with time. Indeed he is outside of time and unaffected with our frailties.

Our youngest daughter Laura Michelle passed on in April of 2012, and it was just after that when Stacy and I became acutely aware of the toll that our spiritual warfare with her severe debilitating condition had taken on us. We had lovingly cared for her all of her twenty-four years, Stacy during the day, and I at night, and we were tired. We were both strong Christians since early childhood, but like all warriors we needed refreshing.

We had also nearly reached the double nickel of senior citizenship which meant we could see equally as well looking forward our last twenty-five years  as all those years before. The combination of events was ripe for a better understanding of God than we ever could have imagined.  The result of this is A Mere Christian.

Ron Smith, MD