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
April 21, 2025 • 20 mins
Ruth Jackson is joined by Jacqueline Wilson, a student working towards her Master of Arts in cultural apologetics from Houston Christian University, to discuss her paper from the Undiscovered CS Lewis conference, and how she first encountered Lewis. They tackle questions surrounding Lewis' unusual prayer life, as well as his perception of and connection to Catholic practices.
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April 14, 2025 • 17 mins
In this episode, Ruth Jackson speaks with Alister McGrath about Lewis’s views on evolution and science. What did Lewis believe about evolution, and how did he separate it from philosophical naturalism? Did he think evolution could explain things like morality and consciousness? They also explore his concerns about reducing human life to just material causes, and whether he saw a conflict between evolution and Christianity. Finally,...
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April 7, 2025 • 24 mins
In this episode, Alister McGrath reflects on what Lewis thought about miracles and science. Did he think miracles could make sense in a world ruled by natural laws? Can someone believe in both science and the supernatural? They also look at Lewis’s response to the ideas of HG Wells, who believed science and religion didn’t mix. Were Wells’ views common in Lewis’s time, and do we still see them today? And how might Lewis’s ideas hel...
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March 31, 2025 • 20 mins
In this second episode of our mini-series on CS Lewis and science, Ruth Jackson continues the conversation with Professor Alister McGrath. They explore how Lewis challenged the supposed conflict between science and religion, offering instead a richer vision where both disciplines illuminate reality. McGrath discusses Lewis’ evolving views, from early assumptions shaped by cultural narratives to a more mature integration of faith a...
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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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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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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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?
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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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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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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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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?
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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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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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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?
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