The New Men | C. S. Lewis

An episode of the Reformed Thinking podcast, hosted by Edison Wu, titled "The New Men | C. S. Lewis" was published on March 1, 2026 and runs 23 minutes.

March 1, 2026 ·23m · Reformed Thinking

0:00 / 0:00

Summary

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - The New MenIn his exploration of Christian transformation, C. S. Lewis compares the process of becoming a Christian to a radical, unexpected leap in human evolution. While many people assume the next stage of human development will simply involve greater intelligence or mastery over nature, Lewis argues that a true evolutionary step brings a completely new kind of change. According to the Christian view, this next step has already occurred, beginning with Christ two thousand years ago. Instead of just producing brainier humans, this transformation changes individuals from mere creatures of God into sons of God.This new stage of development differs significantly from biological evolution. It is not driven by sexual reproduction, but rather transmitted through personal contact with Christ, a process Lewis calls good infection. Furthermore, unlike previous evolutionary changes that simply happened to organisms, this transformation is entirely voluntary; humanity has the choice to accept or reject it. The stakes are extraordinarily high, as individuals either gain an infinite prize by being turned into gods, or they miss out entirely.Lewis notes that these new men are already present in the world, often recognizable by their quiet strength, happiness, and selfless love, rather than any overt religious display. Importantly, yielding to Christ does not mean losing one's individuality. Using analogies of light making objects visible and salt enhancing the distinct flavors of food, Lewis explains that surrendering to Christ actually brings out a person's true, unique self. Conversely, those who try to maintain their independence are merely controlled by their heredity, physical urges, or societal influences. Ultimately, a person can only discover their real personality by completely forgetting themselves and seeking Christ.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Episode Description

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - The New Men

In his exploration of Christian transformation, C. S. Lewis compares the process of becoming a Christian to a radical, unexpected leap in human evolution. While many people assume the next stage of human development will simply involve greater intelligence or mastery over nature, Lewis argues that a true evolutionary step brings a completely new kind of change. According to the Christian view, this next step has already occurred, beginning with Christ two thousand years ago. Instead of just producing brainier humans, this transformation changes individuals from mere creatures of God into sons of God.

This new stage of development differs significantly from biological evolution. It is not driven by sexual reproduction, but rather transmitted through personal contact with Christ, a process Lewis calls good infection. Furthermore, unlike previous evolutionary changes that simply happened to organisms, this transformation is entirely voluntary; humanity has the choice to accept or reject it. The stakes are extraordinarily high, as individuals either gain an infinite prize by being turned into gods, or they miss out entirely.

Lewis notes that these new men are already present in the world, often recognizable by their quiet strength, happiness, and selfless love, rather than any overt religious display. Importantly, yielding to Christ does not mean losing one's individuality. Using analogies of light making objects visible and salt enhancing the distinct flavors of food, Lewis explains that surrendering to Christ actually brings out a person's true, unique self. Conversely, those who try to maintain their independence are merely controlled by their heredity, physical urges, or societal influences. Ultimately, a person can only discover their real personality by completely forgetting themselves and seeking Christ.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainer

Spotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdw

https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730