Book IV: Beyond Personality or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity

I. Making and Begetting

A discussion about life and how it relates to God.

1. What does the word Theology mean? Are you interested in having the clearest and most accurate ideas about God?
2. Lewis makes an analogy between Theology and a map, can you describe this analogy?
3. Do you think a person can gain eternal life by experiencing some kind of feeling of the presence of God? What are the criticisms that Lewis has regarding feelings about God?
4. Lewis describes the popular religion of his day as being an acknowledgment of the excellent moral teachings of Jesus. Why does Lewis say that this religion is unable to make any difference in the world?
5. What is the difference between begetting and creating?
6. Think of some things (objects biological or non-biological) in the Universe. How are they like God?
7. How is the life of man different from the life of God?
8. Lewis uses the terms Bios and Zoe. Can you describe the meaning of these terms?

The Three-Personal God

A discussion of the divine personality, it's qualities, and how it works in our lives.

1. With respect to concepts of God and personality, how is Christianity "the only one on the market" as seen by Lewis?
2. Lewis describes God's personality as being on a divine level. How is the divine level of personality different than the human level of personality?
3. Why does Lewis say it isn't any good talking about a three-personal being?
4. Lewis says that when a Christian kneels down in his bedroom to pray he is being caught up into Zoe, what does he mean by this?
5. Why is the Christian community the one really adequate instrument for learning about God?

Time and Beyond Time

A discussion of how God exists outside of time.

1. Do you have trouble with the idea that God listens to prayers from many people all at the same time?
2. Lewis makes an analogy to God's existence being like a writer of a novel. Describe this analogy. Where does the analogy break down?
3. If we picture life as a straight line along which we walk moment by moment then God is …?
4. Why does having a history mean losing part of your reality?
5. How did Lewis resolve the dilemma of God knowing exactly what decisions we will make in the future and people still having free will?

Good Infection

Lewis discusses how the persons of God are connected.

1. How does Lewis relate two books, one on top of the other, to God eternal and Christ the Son?
2. As Lewis explains the Father and the Son, he points out one of the problems of getting away from the words of the bible. What is the problem he encountered and why is it good to go back to the bible?
3. Why does the phrase, "God is love" have no meaning without at least two persons?
4. How is the phrase, "love is God" different from "God is love"?
5. What does Lewis say is perhaps the most important difference between Christianity and other religions.
6. According to Lewis, where does the third person of the Trinity come from?
7. Lewis describes the relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit as a dance. He also says that we acquire life by "good infection". Can you describe the dance and the concept of good infection?

V. The Obstinate Toy Soldiers

Lewis uses a toy soldier analogy to describe how Christians are transformed into the likeness of Christ.

1. Lewis opens this chapter by reminding us of the current state of mankind and reiterating the purpose of the Son of God becoming a man. Can you describe these two things?
2. Describe in detail the natural life in each of us. Why does the natural life want to be left to itself? Do you see the natural life at work in your self?
3. Lewis makes an analogy with a tin soldier and Christ. Can you describe the analogy?
4. Can you describe how Christ had to kill his human desires at every turn of his earthly career?
5. Where does the tin soldier analogy break down?
6. What is the difference that God has made to the mass of humanity? Why is it not necessary for us to climb up into spiritual life by our own efforts?

VI. Two Notes Two explanations on ideas from chapter V.

1. Lewis refers to one of his critics who asked why God did not beget many sons at the outset instead of using the method of transformation described by Christianity. What are the answers which are given to these questions?
2. Lewis describes Christian doctrine as teaching that human beings are like organs in a body. Trying to make people all the same is called ? Trying to make people forget that they are part of an organism is called?
3. Which is worse, Totalitarian thinking or Individualist thinking? (trick question!)

VII. Let's Pretend

Lewis uses two stories to illustrate the concept of Christian New Birth.

1. According to Lewis, what do the words "our Father" which open the Lords prayer mean?
2. What good is there for a person to pretend by dressing up like Christ?
3. How does Christ turn our pretense into reality? How is this different from listening to our conscience?
4. How does "good infection" work through people? Why should we not pin our whole faith on any human being?
5. Is Christianity simply a matter of reading what Christ said and trying to carry it out?
6. What are the two discoveries which Lewis made as he began to be transformed by Christ?

VIII. Is Christianity Hard or Easy?

An attempt to harmonize the hard and easy aspects of the Christian life.

1. According to Lewis, what is the whole of Christianity?
2. What happens to a person (who is not a Christian) when they attempt to obey their conscience completely?
3. Lewis says the Christian way is both harder and easier than the "give in to conscience" way. Can you explain why? Can you cite some of the bible verses which give support to the way of Christ being harder and easier than life outside of Christ?
4. The first thing a Christian should do every morning is...

IX. Counting The Cost

Counting the cost means understanding the command "Be ye perfect" and it's implications.

1. According to Lewis, the Lords words, "Be ye perfect" mean...
2. How is the Lord like a dentist in regard to perfection?
3. Why should Gods demands for perfection not discourage our feeble attempts at doing good?
4. What is the plan that God is determined to carry out in our lives? How does it manifest itself in our lives?
5. Describe the house analogy Lewis borrowed from Geaorge MacDonald.

X. Nice People or New Men

Discerning genuine Christian life from the life of an unbeliever.

1. Should all Christians be obviously nicer than all non-Christians? What is the result of careless lives displayed by Christians?
2. Why can the world not be divided into Christian and non-Christian by observed behavior?
3. Describe the factory analogy which Lewis uses when comparing lives in and out of Christ.
4. Do nice people need Christ as much as mean tempered people? What is God watching and waiting for in each person?
5. According to Lewis, the only things we can keep are...
6. Lewis wonders if a nice world would be harder to save than a miserable one, why?

XI. The New Men

Lewis uses the idea of evolution to describe the Christian transformation.

1. What is the next step in the evolution of man that Lewis describes?
2. How does this "new step" differ from previous ones?
3. How is Christ not merely a new man but the new man?
4. How are the new men recognized?
5. Are all people in Christ the same? How is being in Christ like light or salt?
6. What is the principle which runs through life from top to bottom?