Have you read much C. S. Lewis? Most people have read at least parts of the Narnia series, and some have read the Screwtape Letters. I find that so many people do not realize the variety and depth of the books this man wrote. When my husband and I led small groups in our church, we taught several different groups using the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. We read a small section each week, and then had discussion. We mostly just came up with questions as we went. The first time I heard that my friend and colleague Stacy was writing the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal — my first thought was “Wow, we could have used this for small group!” And I am sure we will when we are meshed into a church enough to host small groups again. But, the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal is not just for small groups at your church — it was written by Stacy Farrell of Home School Adventure Co. to use in your homeschool.
People are often overwhelmed by the depth of C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity and what Stacy has done is break it down into easily manageable chunks and provided questions. These are questions that force you to really wrestle with what you read until you fully grasp what you have read and either agree or disagree. No skimming allowed! It’s a system that works, and the questions she has written reveal her mastery of the material.
Written for 7th grade and up, the journal along with Mere Christianity provide a 1/2 credit for high school Bible. In fact, the book itself was written to be used in conjunction with several other books I have suggested in the past (Philippians in 28 Weeks, Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics, and The Wise Woman Literary Analysis Journal), and together these four books create a powerful Critical Thinking course for the Christian student. I am having my students work through all of these books in order to prepare them to be thinking adults in a world where people prefer to be spoon-fed what to think.
The Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal comes either spiral-bound, or as a pdf with permission to print copies for your immediate family. Since each page has room to record your answers, I would much prefer to have spiral-bound copies for each of my students to keep for future reference. This is important material! However, the PDF is of the type-it-in variety which makes it particularly appealing to someone who doesn’t like to hand-write anything (like my son). And it can always be printed and stored in a binder as well.
My Bottom Line: I am highly recommending the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal and all of the companion materials from Home School Adventure Co. Please read my reviews of The Wise Woman Literary Analysis Journal, Philippians in 28 Weeks and Philosphy Adventure. Once you buy one of the books by Stacy Farrell — you will come back for more!
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