Chapter 9: Charity

I. Charity, love in the Christian sense
    A. Charity is more than alms.
    B. Charity is not an emotion.
II. Loving neighbor as self
    A. Charity is like self-love but directed towards other.
    B. Liking or affection are natural, not a sin.
    C. Liking and affection can aid charity.
    D. Taken to the extreme, they can undermine charity.
III. Becoming charitable
    A. Affectionate feelings are not the path to charity.
    B. Feelings are hard or impossible to manufacture and are of little use to charity.
    C. Rather than waiting for feelings of love, act as though you love.
    D. Loving actions lead to love.
    E. Likewise, cruel actions lead to hatred.
IV. The increase of good and evil
    A. A small action of love can have great results for good.
    B. A small indulgence or negligence can have disastrous results for evil.
V. Love of God
    A. Love of God is not a feeling.
    B. To act as God wills is the love of God.
    C. God’s love for us is relentless.

Discussion Questions: (pp.129-133)
    1. How can one master natural affections and disinclinations in order to love in the Christian way? (p. 130)
    2. Is acting as though one loves another a pretense? Is praying for another a help in loving? (p. 131)
    3. How does 1 John 5:3 line up with Lewis’s thesis? (p. 132)