--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If Mere Christianity helps make…" description: "\"“If Mere Christianity helps make Christianity comprehensible, Orthodoxy makes it weird again.”\" — Leah Libresco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/leah-libresco-102344_christianity_if-mere-christianity-helps-make-christia_1243109.jpg" --- # If Mere Christianity helps make Christianity… ![“If Mere Christianity helps make Christianity comprehensible, Orthodoxy makes it weird again.” quote by Leah Libresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/leah-libresco-102344_christianity_if-mere-christianity-helps-make-christia_1243109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/leah-libresco-102344_christianity_if-mere-christianity-helps-make-christia_1243109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/leah-libresco-102344_christianity_if-mere-christianity-helps-make-christia_1243109.jpg) > ““If Mere Christianity helps make Christianity comprehensible, Orthodoxy makes it weird again.”” [Leah Libresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-libresco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts two Christian works, suggesting Mere Christianity simplifies the faith while Orthodoxy restores its mystery and complexity. **In simple terms:** Orthodoxy adds mystery to a simplified Christianity. Key Takeaway Embrace both clarity and mystery in faith. Themes Christianity Mystery Orthodoxy Religion Simplicity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type critical analytical When to use this quote - Personal study - Church teaching - Interfaith dialogue - Academic lecture Key Concepts Theology Interpretation Complexity Faith Exegesis Questions to Reflect On - How does mystery enrich belief? - What is lost when faith is overly simplified? A Different Perspective Simplicity may overlook depth of tradition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christianity Comprehensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-comprehensible-3888597/) [Comprehensible Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comprehensible-orthodoxy-3888598/) [Mere Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere-christianity/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy/) [Orthodoxy Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy-makes-1308332/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) ## Related quotes > [Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be a Christian than it was in Jesus' day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/accumulating-orthodoxy-makes-it-harder-year-by-year-to-be-a-christian/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man is enabled to repent and pick himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-same-way-a-christian-is-not-a-man-who-never-goes-wrong-but-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I work in theology and Christian books all day long, when Im studying, so its just kind of nice to pick up something different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-work-in-theology-and-christian-books-all-day-long-when-im-studying/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“Funny how it all turns to theological babble the more we try to identify just exactly what we’re talking about with this whole law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/funny-how-it-all-turns-to-theological-babble-the-more-we-try-to/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [As an atheist evolving to agnosticism, and seeking answers to whether or not belief in God is potentially rational, my life was turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/as-an-atheist-evolving-to-agnosticism-and-seeking-answers-to-whether/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [“Suggestions for further reading Karen Armstrong, Jerusalem; Jorge Luis Borges, Ficciones; Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha; Deepak Chopra, God: A Story of Revelation; Kahlil Gibran, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/suggestions-for-further-reading-karen-armstrong-jerusalem-jorge-luis/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Certainly, I find that 'Mere Christianity' speaks to me. So why am I still an agnostic? Beats me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/certainly-i-find-that-mere-christianity-speaks-to-me-so-why-am-i/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [“Ever since I served as an infantryman in the First World War I have had a great dislike of people who, themselves in ease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ever-since-i-served-as-an-infantryman-in-the-first-world-war-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-look-for-truth-you-may-find-comfort-in-the-end-if-you-look-for-2/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." ~ Mere Christianity, By C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-son-of-god-became-a-man-to-enable-men-to-become-sons-of-god-mere/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [ I was about 21 when I read that \[Mere Christianity\], and my faith was really being shaken during those days. Its a great, classic book. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-was-about-21-when-i-read-that-mere-christianity-and-my-faith-was/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis argues that human beings cannot be truly good or moral without faith in God and without submis- sion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-zuckerman/in-mere-christianity-c-s-lewis-argues-that-human-beings-cannot-be/) [Phil Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-zuckerman/) > [You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-thought-you-were-going-to-be-made-into-a-decent-little-cottage/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“In Mere Christianity, no less than in his more fantastical works, the Narnia stories and science fiction novels, Lewis betrays a deep faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/in-mere-christianity-no-less-than-in-his-more-fantastical-works-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“And we cannot keep our balance. Myth gives way to Reason. Revelation to Orthodoxy. We must dance or go mad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cheetham/and-we-cannot-keep-our-balance-myth-gives-way-to-reason-revelation-to/) [Tom Cheetham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cheetham/) ## More by Leah Libresco > [“The problem of evil has always seemed to me to be the price we pay for having an intelligible world, one that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-libresco/the-problem-of-evil-has-always-seemed-to-me-to-be-the-price-we-pay/) [Leah Libresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-libresco/) [Explore all 2 Leah Libresco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-libresco/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. 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