This is the second podcast in a three-part series on one of C S Lewis’ most important books, Mere Christianity. In this section we cover Christian morality, how Christians ought to behave. (Of course this may be different from how they actually behave). Jack (C S Lewis was known as Jack) argued for the truth of Christianity in the previous sections, and now he assumes that Christianity is true and asks the question what implications that has for us.
Jack has organized this section as follows. First he defines the scope of morality or Christian behavior, and illustrates its three parts by the use of an image of ships in convoy. Next he looks at four principles or virtues that almost all people everywhere recognize as valid: They are
- Prudence = common sense
- Temperance = moderation in all our pleasures
- Justice = honesty and fairness
- Fortitude = courage
This done, Lewis addresses some controversial topics.
- Sex and marriage
- Politics and morality
- Christianity’s relationship to psychoanalysis
- Forgiving our enemies
Next, we look at the sin of Pride and the virtue of Humility, and finally Jack reviews the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Although this is intended for a Christian audience, it can be read with profit by folks from a variety of faith backgrounds, including those who have no faith at all.
This show can only give an overview of these topics, and I strongly recommend that you read the book yourself to get the complete picture.