books on human condition

[BruinEric]

A reading of "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis would be worthwhile. This is a concise book made from a compilation of three or so booklets he wrote in an ongoing debate with post-enlightenment/early relativist thinkers in the Western World.

For a non-Christian, this thin and inexpensive book will be one of the best (meaning concise and highly "readable") summaries of what I'll call the "Christian Worldview" -- which certainly includes a discussion of the "human condition" and/or "state of man."

IMHO, people in the Western World who like to think about sociology and the nature of man should read this book to understand the Christian Worldview at its most basic level.

For example, I would venture to say a reading of this would be helpful before anyone dives into something like Max Weber's "The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism."

This will almost assuredly not overlap any works you read coming from Psychologists or University research departments. These books will likely start with a materialist worldview and will almost univerally assume a rejection of dualism as a starting point.

I doubt that my suggestion was in the ballpark of what you were looking for, but it'll be worth the $3.99 and couple of days to become exposed to the basic Christian worldview at its core without all the distraction of many of the modern caricatures who are well-known.