Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Week 23: Book III, Chapter 12 — Faith (Part II)
Read Book III, Chapter 12 of Mere Christianity ('Faith' — the second part)
Previewing Week 23 of Mere Christianity
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 29-week guide when you’re ready.
Lewis now addresses the second and deeper sense of faith — not as holding on, but as the great surrender that changes everything.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Lewis distinguishes between faith as intellectual assent and faith as the total self-surrender he describes here. Why does he say that the virtuous pagan (someone who works very hard at being good) may actually be further from salvation than someone who knows they cannot manage it at all?
2.He describes the experience of coming to the end of your moral effort — realizing that trying your hardest has still left you far short. What does Lewis say this moment of moral bankruptcy is actually *for*?
a.Have you had a moment of moral bankruptcy — realizing that trying harder was not going to be enough? What came of it?
b.Why is this moment, which feels like defeat, actually the necessary precondition for real transformation?
3.Lewis says that once you genuinely try to be perfect, you discover that you need Christ not just as a teacher or example but as a rescuer. How does serious moral effort lead to grace, rather than away from it?