C.S. Lewis uses rhetoric in his essay “What Christians Believe” in order to try to persuade people to believe, or at least tolerate Christian beliefs. Everything he says is to show this side of the argument to his audience, those who don’t understand Christianity—Catholic or Protestant.
He works off the assumption that his audience might not understand the different details of what Christians believe about the universe, God, and Christ himself. But he does it in almost a scientific way—using logic. While Lewis will occasionally use emotional persuasive tactics, he mainly uses logical ones. The reason for this is both implied and stated—he understands his audience’s world view because he himself was once an atheist. Attempts to persuade his audience by using religious ties intended to invoke an emotional response would not have been as effective. He knew this, and the fact that he would first explain the other views made him even more credible and trustable.
However, Lewis does work off the world view that his audience does know what Christians are. Because of this, he never explains that Christians believe in Christ. He believes that everyone who will read his paper knows about Christians, that they have heard of them. It was right after World War II, so it was a fairly safe assumption. The beliefs surrounding good and evil were so skewed by Hitler’s regime, that it was necessary to reinforce the basics of Christianity for the world. Circumstances—time, place, audience—made Lewis’s writings rhetorically appropriate.
His purpose in all this is to show people what Christianity is about—and that it isn’t just an escape for people desperate for a purpose in life. Lewis wants to show that Christianity makes sense logically, at least to some extent. His central message is a similar. He wants people to at least consider Christianity completely, because to not do so would make void at least some of what people who only believe part of it completely believe. And that it is the only way to view the world without contradicting yourself.
I thought this essay was awesome! I loved reading it. I felt like all my faith was somewhat justified. As members we are taught to believe based on our feelings of the Spirit. And that's how it ought to be. It is, however, satisfying to see things logically once in a while. Like a second witness to the Holy Ghost. haha Idk. I just liked seeing his point of view line up logically with the inspired doctrines released by the prophets of the Church.
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