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CS Lewis Podcast

A weekly podcast 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. To find out more about the launch of this podcast and receive exclusive content from Alister McGrath, sign up to the Unbelievable? newsletter.

Tuesdays from 10pm and Sundays from 5pm

#167 Philip Tallon: How do hell, the Fall and beauty fit into Lewis' theodicy?

How does Lewis perceive the Fall? Is he able to reconcile it with an evolutionary model? Where does the cross feature in The Problem of Pain? What did Lewis think of hell? In what ways does Lewis help us to recognise beauty and aesthetics in our disc...

#166 Philip Tallon: Is pain a megaphone?

Can pain ever be good for us? What about children with cancer? How do we account for animal suffering? Will our pets be in heaven? Does our theology of heaven impact our thoughts around suffering? Dr Philip Tallon, Associate Professor of Theology and...

#165 Philip Tallon: Is pain a problem?

Dr Philip Tallon, Associate Professor of Theology and Dean of The School of Christian Thought at Houston Christian University, unpacks one of Lewis' earliest work of apologetics The Problem of Pain. What are the critiques of this book and can any of...

#164 Johan Erasmus: Coming to faith via Richard Dawkins and CS Lewis

Can Lewis still speak to us today? Following the death of his father as a child, Afrikaner pastor Johan Erasmus struggled to find a place where he could ask sceptical questions about faith, God and the Universe. During this time he discovered CS Lewi...

#163 Matthew Brown: What would Sigmund Freud and CS Lewis discuss?

Hollywood director Matthew Brown, who directed and co-wrote Freud's Last Session, shares his thoughts on two of the greatest minds of the 20th Century. The film, which features Sir Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode and Liv Lisa Fries, raises questions a...

The CS Lewis Podcast #162 Alister McGrath: Is there still a place for Lewis in today’s society?

We continue our conversation with Professor Alister McGrath answering live questions, including who influenced Lewis’ faith journey, whether there’s an expiry date on his relevance and how Lewis has impacted Alister’s own theology. + Subscribe to...

#161 Alister McGrath: Your questions answered

Professor Alister McGrath joined Ruth Jackson for a webinar answering live questions about CS Lewis, including how Lewis used modern media, whether there is a "modern day Lewis" and how we navigate some of the potentially racist terms within his work...

#160 Malcolm Guite: Poetry and a baptised imagination

In this third and final part, Rev Dr Malcolm Guite, Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge University answers questions about CS Lewis on Narnia, The Pilgrim's Regress and poetry. This is taken from the Q&A after his presentation ‘A Little Inca...

159 Malcolm Guite: The true myth

In the second part of his presentation, Rev Dr Malcolm Guite, Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge University shares his thoughts about Lewis' poem 'Reason', looking at his relationship with imagination and rationality. This talk was originally g...

#158 Malcolm Guite: Was Lewis a poet?

Rev Dr Malcolm Guite, Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge University shares his thoughts about Lewis' imaginative vision as a writer. This talk was originally given at a CS Lewis symposium called Now We Have Faces, which was hosted by The CS Lew...

#157 Kathy Keller: One of the last people to correspond with Lewis before his death

As we approach the one year anniversary of apologist Tim Keller's death on May 19th, we caught up with his wife Kathy Keller who corresponded with CS Lewis as a child. Why did she write to Lewis? How did he respond? What are some of the stories he sh...

#156 Phil Knox: Lord All matey or Lord Almighty?

Did Jesus have favourites? What does good friendship look like? Can we can call God friend? Why does Lewis consider friendship "the most spiritual of loves"? Is Christian frienship greater than non-Christian friendship? Phil Knox, author of The Best...

#155 Phil Knox: Are we allowed favourite friends?

Phil Knox, author of The Best of Friends, explores what Lewis said about friendship. Why have we neglected friendship? What lessons can we learn from Lewis? Should we treat all friends equally? For Phil Knox on Unapologetic: https://www.premierun...

#154 Lewis and Tolkien: The final years

What were the significant points of contention between Lewis and Tolkien? Where did they differ on theology? How did they respond to each other's fame? What did Tolkien think of The Narnia Chronicles? Why was Lewis' Letters To Malcolm so "horrifying"...

#153 The poet and the philologist: Lewis and Tolkien's early years

Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith explores what Lewis and Tolkien thought of each other when they first met. How did their friendship blossom? Why was their conversation in Addison's Walk so significant to Lewis' journey back to Christianity...