Mere Christianity Bible Study – The Cardinal Virtues

I. This chapter is another way in which the subject of morality has been divided by older writers

A. 3 Theological Virtues

1. only Christians know about

2. Lewis does not deal with in this chapter

B. 4 Cardinal Virtues

1. “cardinal” = the hinge of a door = “pivotal”

2. all civilized people know

II. The 4 Cardinal Virtues

A. Prudence

1. practical common sense

2. do not remain childlike in intelligence - be “as wise as serpents”

3. Christianity is an education itself

B. Temperance

1. going the right length and no further

2. Christians are not teetotalists (completely abstaining)

3. one of the marks of a bad man is he cannot give up a thing without having everyone else to give it up

4. Christians must focus temperance in all aspects of life, not to lose focus on God

5. abstain for good reasons – use prudence

6. the things are not bad in themselves

C. Justice – fairness, honesty

D. Fortitude – courage (“Guts”)

1. courage in danger

2. courage in pain

**Continually encompassing these virtues make a virtuous man à character

III. Three wrong ideas encouraged by thinking only particular actions are a virtue

A. We lose the idea of reasons behind an action being important in an action

B. We might think only God wants obedience to a certain set of rules instead of a particular people

C. That these virtues are only important in this present life

What does Lewis mean by “without these qualities, nothing can make a Heaven that could make them happy with the deep, strong, un-shakeable kind of happiness intends for us.