TSL Chapter 25 -- Merely Christian

Summary

Screwtape spends a letter complaining about the good Christians now in The Patient's orbit. The trouble -- the real trouble -- with them is that they're... wait for it...

Merely Christian.

(Italics in original).

They don't mix some kind of nonsense (Psychology, Faith Healing, Vegetarianism, etc.) in with their Christianity. Nothing trendy. Nothing Fashionable. Screwtape detests this, and spends the rest of the chapter writing about the wonders of Fashions and Vogues (caps in original).

The value of these is that they distract. Men in the grips of Fashions and Vogues will focus on one element of doctrine to the exclusion of others. Even where the doctrine is correct (example: Puritanism's prohibitions against lust), it's still an over-focus leading to something else slipping in.

The Plain Old Christian maintains 360-degree vigilance. He is not sucked into the timely or trendy.

Screwtape concludes by noting that the tendency to focus on the new is built into Man's nature. Men like both change and sameness, but the focus on the emerging over the emerged can be used against them. It takes their eye off the ball, as it were.

My Thoughts

Screwtape is cranky and ponderous here but it's hard to fault his basic message: that attempts to put Christianity into some kind of modern context run a risk of corrupting the message. And even if one is careful to make sure the message is correct, being timely instead of timeless is probably a mistake.

I suspect that this is more of an issue for people preaching: mixing in some Vegetarianism (or whatever) is probably a good way to get people's attention... a quick boost in apparent relevance and a way to appeal to people who have concerns beyond a life-long spiritual journey. For someone who was working on a syllabus, this advice would be hugely valuable.

Likewise for someone shopping for a Church: If I were looking for a Church, I might find myself drawn to one that mixes in trendy ingredients -- hey! Look! Interpretive dance! -- unless I were warned away.

Lewis strikes me as a harsh critic, and while I'm sure he'd have all kinds of things to say about Ascension (my current church), I can't imagine he'd fault us for being Fashionable. Not in the way he means it, anyway.