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 and 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?


II.  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? 


III.  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?

IV.  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?






	



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