What was the original title of C.S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity when first published in 1952?

C.S. Lewis’s book was first published under the title Mere Christianity in 1952.

The book grew from radio talks Lewis gave for the BBC during the Second World War. The broadcasts were issued in separate print collections before being revised and combined as Mere Christianity. The final title refers to the basic beliefs shared by historic Christian traditions rather than to the distinctive practices of one denomination.

The book is arranged in four parts: “Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe,” “What Christians Believe,” “Christian Behaviour,” and “Beyond Personality.” Lewis uses ordinary language, analogies, and step-by-step arguments rather than writing as a formal theologian.

A common mix-up comes from the earlier titles. Broadcast Talks appeared in 1942, Christian Behaviour in 1943, and Beyond Personality in 1944. These collections supplied material for the later unified volume, but they are not the final book’s original title.