Mere Christianity vs Short studies on great subjects: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Theology, Christianity, Essays, History
Mere Christianity
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says”
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First broadcast as informal radio "talks" and later published as three separate books, The Case for Christianity, Christian Behaviour, and Beyond Personality are presented together in Mere Christianity. In his…
Short studies on great subjects
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There was a time—a time which, measured by the years of our national life, was not so very long ago—when the serious thoughts of mankind were occupied exclusively by religion and politics. The small knowledge which they…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Mere Christianity highest: Mere Christianity 4.4 · Short studies on great subjects 3.9.
- Mere Christianity is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for Short studies on great subjects.
- Mere Christianity has the widest readership — 472094 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Mere Christianity | Short studies on great subjects | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.4 (472094) | 4.2 (4) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (374) | — |
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Reception
| Mere Christianity | Short studies on great subjects | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 472094 | 4 |
| Editions | 109 | 35 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 366174 | — |
| Reading it now | 36239 | — |
| Written reviews | 16870 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 9857 | — |
| Pages | 141 | 398 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Mere Christianity or Short studies on great subjects?
Mere Christianity has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Mere Christianity 4.4/5, Short studies on great subjects 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Mere Christianity or Short studies on great subjects?
Mere Christianity is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Mere Christianity (141 pages, ≈ 2 h 37 m); Short studies on great subjects (398 pages, ≈ 7 h 22 m).
Which is harder to read: Mere Christianity or Short studies on great subjects?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Mere Christianity: Challenging; Short studies on great subjects: Demanding.