It has entered my mind to formulate a list of books which have been meaningful to me, both in the pleasure they offer and also in the effect they had. These are books which stand above.
Mere Christianity
And we’re back at C. S. Lewis. I can still plainly remember the first time I read this book; it was the only time I have been to New York. My dad read to me and my sister often as children, and the Chronicles of Narnia were the staple of our bedtime. While our family settled down into the hotel room, my dad pulled out an unassuming, little book. It was by the same author of our childhood stories, and came to my father highly recommended. Or so I remember. As this list will attest, I do not bother with trivialities like biographies or histories, but am far more interested in dragons, spaceships, and ghosts, but this was my first foray into something altogether different, into what became one of my favorite genres, apologetics.
It was unlike anything I had ever heard, and when my father grew tired, I greedily asked to borrow it for the night. Come to think of it, I guess I stole that one too.
Not only did I find the contents masterful and mind opening, but the language itself was rich and engaging. It was clear without being simplistic; its sentences were complex, and yet understandable. The best part that I remember is how it asked the reader to think. The title outlines the contents well: This book merely explains what Christians, in all their different forms, believe, and the rationales behind their beliefs.
This book outlined a method for the clear communication of ideas (Christian or otherwise), but it also taught me how beautiful English can be. There is a style and aesthetic in the writing of Lewis’ apologetic works which I love. He is one of few capable of presenting facts, arguments, and ideas not just clearly and not just competently, but in a way that isn’t dry; it is as if he were alive and sitting beside you.
This is a beautiful book with a powerful message.
Tale Told 