The C.S. Lewis podcast

The C.S. Lewis podcast

A weekly podcast from Premier Unbelievable? with Professor Alister McGrath exploring C.S. Lewis’ thought, theology and teaching. C.S. Lewis is one of the most influential voices in modern Christianity. The 20th Century British writer and lay theologian has profoundly impacted Christians around the world and brought many atheists and agnostics to faith in Jesus. One person whose faith was greatly encouraged by the writings of C.S. Lewis is Professor Alister McGrath. Both men were raised in Northern Ireland, studied at Oxford University and went on to become professors there. They also both came to faith from atheism slightly later in life. Alister has written numerous books on C.S. Lewis, including a seminal biography C.S. Lewis – A Life. Every Monday, Ruth Jackson and Professor Alister McGrath will reflect on C.S. Lewis’ ideas, life and influence as well as trying to answer questions that impact culture today.

Episodes

#202 Alister McGrath: What did CS Lewis think of science? Part 1

March 24, 2025 • 14 mins
In part 1 of our new series on science, Ruth Jackson is joined by Alister McGrath to explore how CS Lewis approached the relationship between science and religion. A former atheist and Oxford-trained scientist, McGrath unpacks how Lewis combined reason and imagination to challenge scientific materialism while affirming science’s value within a broader vision of reality. From Mere Christianity to That Hideous Strength they discuss L...
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#201 Holly Ordway: Tolkien, suffering and the problem of evil

March 17, 2025 • 31 mins
Ahead of Tolkien Reading Day on 25th March, Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith, explores the contrasting spiritual journeys of J.R.R. Tolkien and CS Lewis—both of whom experienced the profound early loss of their mothers. While Tolkien’s faith deepened through suffering, Lewis famously declared that even amid the horrors of World War I, he "never sank so low as to pray." Dr Ordway reflects on Tolkien’s response to suffering...
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#200 Ruth Jackson: 200th Episode Special

March 10, 2025 • 29 mins
Ruth Jackson shares some of her favourite moments from the podcast to celebrate the 200th episode. We will be revisiting conversations with Alister McGrath discussing CS Lewis' relevance and mental health, hearing stories on how Lewis helped bring people to faith, his correspondence with Kathy Keller, and his impact on the creative works of film director Matthew Brown and singer songwriter Sarah Hawkyard. For Carloyn Webber: htt...
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#199 Michael Oppizzi: Why Till We Have Faces Still Speaks to Us Today

March 3, 2025 • 30 mins
In this third and final episode with Michael Oppizzi, Ruth Jackson asks about his groundbreaking research on planetary symbolism in Till We Have Faces, CS Lewis’s final and often misunderstood novel. Did Lewis truly abandon his fascination with planetary imagery after The Chronicles of Narnia? How does medieval cosmology shape the novel’s themes of love, self-deception, and transformation? And why does Till We Have Faces still re...
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#198 CS Lewis’ Final Novel: Ancient Myth and Modern Relevance

February 24, 2025 • 19 mins
CS Lewis considered Till We Have Faces his best work, yet it remains one of his least understood. Why did he write it in the 1950s, and why does it still resonate today? In this episode, Ruth Jackson speaks with Michael Oppizzi about the novel’s historical and literary context, its deep psychological and spiritual themes, and how its exploration of self-deception, silence, and the search for truth speaks powerfully to modern reader...
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#197 The Many Faces of CS Lewis: A Conversation with Michael Oppizzi

February 17, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, host Ruth Jackson speaks with Michael Oppizzi, an educator and cultural apologist, about the enduring relevance of CS Lewis. They discuss Lewis’s impact on faith, imagination, and intellect, with a deep dive into Till We Have Faces, the role of letters in shaping thought, and the significance of cultural apologetics today. From planetary imagery to organic farming, this conversation explores the intersection of lit...
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#196 How did Shakespeare influence Lewis' exploration of death, resurrection and the human condition?

February 10, 2025 • 28 mins
How did "great myths" shape Lewis' understanding of Christian truth? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Stirling College, Kansas, continues to explore the intriguing intersection between Shakespeare's literary genius and CS Lewis' spiritual journey. Sarah recently presented this paper at the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis conference, which was held at George Fox University. The title of Sarah’s paper was...
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#195 Sarah Waters: Did Shakespeare play a role in Lewis' conversion?

February 3, 2025 • 33 mins
​How did William Shakespeare influence CS Lewis’ conversion to Christianity? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Sterling College, Kansas, draws connections between Lewis’ faith journey and his engagement with Shakespeare’s works. How do Hamlet and The Winter’s Tale connect to his famous conversation with JRR Tolkien and Hugo Dyson? Were there particular insights Dyson offered Lewis that have previous...
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#194 Sarah Waters: How Lewis grew to love Shakespeare

January 27, 2025 • 27 mins
What was Lewis' favourite Shakespeare play? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Sterling College, Kansas, delves into Lewis' literary accessibility and theological insights, uncovering the timeless relevance of his work. What moved Lewis from disliking Shakespeare as a child to incorporating numerous references in his own work? Are there any obvious parallels between Shakespeare and Lewis? Come and ...
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#193 Leprechauns, fairies and the Holy Ghost

January 20, 2025 • 33 mins
What did Warnie and Lewis get up to while holidaying in County Louth? How did he encounter leprechauns, fairies and the Holy Ghost? Plus, we hear about some of the key women in Lewis' life: Mrs Moore, Joy and their housekeeper Vera Henry. Rev Paul Clayton-Lea, author of CS Lewis and the Wee County shares the second half of his talk given at the CS Lewis Group at Ulster’s spring mini symposium and answers audience questions. The eve...
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#192 Warnie, alcoholism and Country Louth

January 13, 2025 • 25 mins
Lewis' life was not a bed of roses. However, he was still able to find joy in dark situations. For example, discovering beauty and friendship in Ireland's Country Louth while his brother Warnie was being nursed there for alcohol addiction. Rev Paul Clayton-Lea, author of CS Lewis and the Wee County shares some fascinating personal stories from the Lewis brothers in a talk given at the CS Lewis Group at Ulster’s spring mini symposiu...
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#191 New Atheism, Sigmund Freud and Narnia: Does CS Lewis still matter?

January 6, 2025 • 20 mins
Is CS Lewis relevant today? Can he speak to a post-Christian culture? We hear from Meg Thomson, producer of Freud’s Last Session, a film starring Anthony Hopkins as Sigmund Freud and Matthew Goode as CS Lewis, Dr Jem Bloomfield, an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham and author of Paths in the Snow and Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God. They joined Ruth on a programme called Free Thi...
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#190 Holly Ordway: Tolkien's Father Christmas letters

December 30, 2024 • 23 mins
For 23 years JRR Tolkien wrote to his four children as Father Christmas. Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith, explores Tolkien's creative, humorous writing around Father Christmas and his companions, including his Polar bear assistant, snow-elves, the Man in the Moon and goblins! How does Tolkien combine fantasy and reality? Are there any familiar Tolkien themes in these letters? + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: htt...
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#189 Holly Ordway: What did Christmas mean to JRR Tolkien?

December 23, 2024 • 27 mins
How integral was the incarnation for JRR Tolkien? Does Christmas feature in The Lord of the Rings legendarium? How did the Tolkien family celebrate Christmas? Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith, shares her thoughts on what Christmas meant to Tolkien and explores a recently discovered poem of his, Noel, which is one of his most overtly Christian works. Listen next week to hear about the imaginative world Tolkien invented whe...
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#188 Jem Bloomfield: Christmas in Narnia

December 16, 2024 • 36 mins
Dr Jem Bloomfield, assistant professor of literature at the University of Nottingham and author of Paths in the Snow, unpacks the Christmas references as well as key elements, such as the stone table and the titles of the Pevensie children, within The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Was JRR Tolkien justified in his unease about the appearance of Father Christmas? Why is the White Witch painted as the antithesis of Father Christma...
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#187 Jem Bloomfield: Paths in the snow

December 9, 2024 • 22 mins
As Christmas approaches, we unpack some of the key elements in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with Dr Jem Bloomfield, assistant professor of literature at the University of Nottingham and author of Paths in the Snow. What are the literary works Lewis draws on in this book? How does he use biblical imagery and stories? Why does The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe seem so inherently Christmassy? For Jem Bloomfield: https://...
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#186 Dan Barker and Carolyn Weber: Can atheists appreciate CS Lewis?

December 2, 2024 • 27 mins
Does Lewis' moral argument carry any weight? Is CS Lewis still relevant? If so, is that only for Christians? Are the big questions he raises pertinent today? Is faith rational? Former pastor-turned atheist, Dan Barker and literature professor, Dr Carolyn Weber, discuss Lewis' work and his talents as a writer. To hear more of Carolyn's story: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/the-cs-lewis-podcast/the-cs-lewis-podcast-129-dr-car...
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#185 Dr. Chris Pipkin: Friendship

November 25, 2024 • 36 mins
November 29th, CS Lewis' birthday, marks CS Lewis Reading Day and the theme this year is friendship. To celebrate, we spoke to Dr Chris Pipkin, a professor of English at Emmanuel College in Georgia and host of The Inklings Variety Hour podcast. Don't forget to share your favourite Lewis quotations on social media, using #CSLewisReadingDay For CS Lewis Reading Day: https://www.pintswithjack.com/reading-day/year-2/ For Chris P...
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#184 Dan Barker and Carolyn Weber: Are Lewis' arguments flawed?

November 18, 2024 • 28 mins
In the second part of Dan Barker and Dr Carolyn Weber's discussion about CS Lewis' relevance, Dan points out some of the holes he perceives in Lewis' beliefs. On the opposite side of the debate, Carolyn shares how she became a Christian, highlighting elements of her story that echo Lewis' own and looking at how Lewis' writing greatly influenced her decision. To hear more of Carolyn's story: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/t...
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#183 Dan Barker and Carolyn Weber: Is CS Lewis still relevant?

November 11, 2024 • 29 mins
On November 22nd 1963, Clive Staples Lewis – Jack to his friends – died in Oxford, England. However, 61 years after his death, is CS Lewis still relevant? We hear from former pastor-turned atheist, Dan Barker, who suggests that many of Lewis’ arguments are fundamentally flawed. Literature professor, Dr Carolyn Weber, highlights where she disagrees with Dan and shares some of her story about coming to faith at Oxford University, in ...
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