What does it mean to live well and what gets in the way?

In this third part of our four-part series on C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” our hosts discuss “Christian Behavior.”

Rick, Natalee, and Elliot start off with a review of these twelve chapters, including:

• Lewis discusses how Christians should live, but it never makes any references to Scripture.
• What is morality?
• What are the cardinal virtues and how do we follow them?
• What does social morality look like and how does it impact politics
• Why psychoanalysis (which was a popular topic at the time) isn’t in conflict with Christianity.
• What C.S. Lewis doesn’t like about Freud.
• Sexual morality and Christian marriage (as told by an unmarried man)
• The difficulty of true forgiveness
• “The Greatest Sin” (spoiler – it’s pride. Find out why.)
• “Theological Virtues” of charity, hope, and faith – and what was so unique about faith that needed two chapters.

Our hosts then turn to what the lessons were in this section and what some of the problem areas are when reading it in a modern context. The conversation covered:

• More about “The Greatest Sin” – Pride.
• How vices and virtues are at the heart of Lewis’s understanding of morality.
• Lewis’ unorthodox but compelling views of heaven and hell, including how individual actions compound upon eternity.
• The problems reading Lewis in a modern world including his limited understanding of love and marriage, his homophobia, and his misogyny.

Despite any issues, the hosts end with one lesson each that they think readers could take away from this section of the book.

• Rick: “Part of the human condition is our brokenness, but there was one person who wasn’t broken and is our model for life: Jesus Christ.”
• Natalee: “Being a Christian takes work and constant reconnection with call and community.”
• Elliot: “Virtues are not cages; they’re pathways to true freedom.”

Two books recommended this week were:

N.T. Wright’s “Jesus and the Victory of God” and “Surprised by Hope.” If you order through these links from St. David’s Bookshop site, each order supports St. David’s International Outreach ministries.

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Cross Connections is a ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA and is hosted by the Rev. Rick Morley, Elliot VanHoy, and Natalee Hill.

Logo graphic design and podcast production by Natalee Hill. Stock Media Music provided by Marscott and MoodMode / Pond5.

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