C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity: A Biography

C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) remains most famous for his novels, but he also maintains an enduring influence on Christian theology (he was even named “the hottest theologian of 2005” by Time magazine). Marsden, professor emeritus of history at the University of Notre Dame, traces the history of Lewis’s most famous work of popular theology, Mere Christianity, originally compiled from a series of BBC broadcasts during the height of WWII. This study is packed with information about Lewis, the evolution of his beliefs, and the humble beginnings of his popular book. In exhaustive detail, Marsden describes Lewis’s unlikely rise as a BBC radio broadcaster, the theological wisdom he propounded, and the public reception of the broadcasts, cataloguing Lewis’s admirers as well as his many detractors. Marsden also chronicles Lewis’s rise as “a champion among evangelicals,” especially throughout America, due to his bestselling book, explaining how and why it has managed to outlast its era and become a classic of Christianity. Admirers of Lewis as well as those interested in the origins of recent Christian thought will be happy to dive into this densely packed volume. (Apr.)