Mere Christianity: Book 4, Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis

Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about the theory of evolution, the idea that human beings evolved from earlier life forms. Some imaginative writers have tried to imagine what the next step in evolution will look like—but usually these writers, in trying to describe a “superman,” wind up imagining something “a good deal nastier than man.” Mostly, they imagine humans become smarter or stronger than they are now.

Lewis speculates that the next step in evolution has already happened, and didn’t involve people becoming smarter or stronger, but rather transitioning from being creatures of God to sons of God. After Christ’s example, people learned how to embrace God and become divine.

The “evolution” of man to Christianity is different from earlier forms of evolution in several ways. First, Christianity isn’t perpetuated through sex, but rather through prayer, baptism, and ritual. Second, Christianity isn’t a biological certainty or a genetic inheritance; it’s a choice that all humans must make. Third, Christianity is predicated on the immortality of Christ; he continues to inspire humans and lead them to salvation. Fourth, the Christian “jump” in evolution didn’t happen gradually; compared to earlier evolutionary changes, it diffused across the planet in “a flash of lightning.” Fifth, the stakes of Christianity are higher than those of previous evolutionary changes, because Christianity concerns the survival of the soul, not just the body.

Christianity has, in short, created a group of “new men.” These people are united in their worship of Christ, even if they’re very different from one another. Many people are frightened that God’s salvation will destroy individuality altogether. In response, Lewis compares the human race to a group of people blundering around in the dark, none of whom have ever seen light. If one were to explain to this group that a light was about to turn on, they might be worried that the light would “destroy” their personalities by shining equally on all of them—when in reality the light would illuminate everyone and show how different they all were.

Lewis proposes a second analogy: imagine a foreigner who’s never tasted salt before. If you offer this person a pinch of salt, and then explain to him that many English dishes contain salt, he might reply, “I suppose all your dishes taste exactly the same.” In fact, the great thing about salt is that it enhances the tastes of many different foods instead of making them taste the same. By the same logic, Christ’s salvation will make humans into “little Christs”—but it won’t make everyone the same. Lewis further suggests, “The more we get what we now call ‘ourselves’ out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become.”

Humans are too hasty to say that their tastes, beliefs, and styles define their “personalities.” But “personality,” as it’s generally understood, is something of an illusion. People base their personalities on all sorts of external influences—propaganda, their friends, alcohol, books, movies, etc. Christianity strips away so-called personality and reveals a person’s true character. Lewis argues, “Unless you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self.”

The strange thing about Christianity is that if people worship Christ in order to “find their true selves,” they never will. In the same way that writers will never be original if they try to be original, or party guests will never make a good impression unless they stop fixating on making a good impression, Christians will only be able to achieve enlightenment, shedding their old selves, when they stop thinking about the rewards of Christianity, and instead just “submit.”

To be a true Christian, a human being must be willing to sacrifice everything—self, ambition, earthly desires, etc. The only thing good Christians must desire is Jesus Christ himself—and when they desire Christ, they will “find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”