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 mos...
#194 Sarah Waters: How Lewis grew to love Shakespeare
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 be part of an as live recording of The CS Lewis Podcast with Alister McGrath and Ruth Jackson on Wednesday, February 5 2025 at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. You need to book here to attend:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1205320709689?aff=oddtdtcreator
The event is entitled ‘The CS Lewis you never knew’. There will q and a, book signing followed by refreshments. This event at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford is part of their New Renaissance project. Wycliffe Hall’s Summer School delves deeper into C.S Lewis’ theology and explores his footsteps in Oxford and Cambridge. Find out more here: https://www.wycliffe.ox.ac.uk/summerschool2025
For more on Sarah Waters: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9681-3361
For the volume of An Unexpected Journal that Sarah co-edited: An Unexpected Journal
For her article on Lewis, Lear, and The Four Loves - An Unexpected Journal
For Sarah on Lewis and Hamlet: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol43/iss1/4/
For Sarah's article on Lewis' rhetoric in Linguaculture: https://journal.linguaculture.ro/index.php/home/article/view/355
+ Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://pod.link/1560959545
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#193 Leprechauns, fairies and the Holy Ghost
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 event was entitled ‘CS Lewis and the Land of His Birth: Re-rooting Lewis in Ulster & the Island of Ireland’.
To book a (free) ticket for the live event in Oxford with Professor Alister McGrath on Wednesday 5th February: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cs-lewis-you-never-knew-exploring-meaning-truth-and-technology-tickets-1205320709689?aff=oddtdtcreator
For CS Lewis Group at Ulster: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/cs-lewis
+ Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://pod.link/1560959545
+ For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our new website
+ For online learning https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training
+ For our Premier Unbelievable? Live events
+ Support the podcast from the USA
+ Support the podcast from UK and rest of the world
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#192 Warnie, alcoholism and Country Louth
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 symposium. The event was entitled ‘CS Lewis and the Land of His Birth: Re-rooting Lewis in Ulster & the Island of Ireland’.
For the CS Lewis Group at Ulster: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/cs-lewis
+ Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://pod.link/1560959545
+ For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our new website
+ For online learning https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training
+ For our Premier Unbelievable? Live events
+ Support the podcast from the USA
+ Support the podcast from UK and rest of the world
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25:55
#191 New Atheism, Sigmund Freud and Narnia: Does CS Lewis still matter?
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 Thinking, which was originally broadcast on the BBC in December 2023 and focused on CS Lewis and his impact today. It was presented by Dr Chris Harding, a cultural historian of Japan, India and East-West connections, based at the University of Edinburgh and was produced by Ruth Watts. The BBC have kindly given us permission to republish the clips featured in this show, but we highly recommend you listen to the full programme.
Free Thinking airs on BBC radio 4 on Fridays at 9pm and you can also listen online or on podcast via BBC sounds. To listen to the whole episode of this special CS Lewis Free Thinking on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gy290n
For more on Freud's Last Session, listen to director Matthew Brown speaking to Ruth on episode 163: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/the-cs-lewis-podcast/the-cs-lewis-podcast-163-matthew-brown-what-would-sigmund-freud-and-cs-lewis-discuss/17843.article
For more on New Atheism, check out https://www.premierunbelievable.com/, particularly this episode on Coming To Faith Through Dawkins with atheist Alex O'Connor and Professor Alister McGrath: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-coming-to-faith-through-dawkins-part-2-is-there-a-new-new-atheism-alister-mcgrath-and-alex-oconnor/16306.article
To hear further insights from Dr Jem Bloomfield on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on episode 188: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/the-cs-lewis-podcast/the-cs-lewis-podcast-188-jem-bloomfield-christmas-in-narnia/18656.article
+ Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://pod.link/1560959545
+ For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our new website
+ For online learning https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training
+ For our Premier Unbelievable? Live events
+ Support the podcast from the USA
+ Support the podcast from UK and rest of the world
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20:03
#190 Holly Ordway: Tolkien's Father Christmas letters
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: https://pod.link/1560959545
+ For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our new website
+ For online learning https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training
+ For our Premier Unbelievable? Live events
+ Support the podcast from the USA
+ Support the podcast from UK and rest of the world
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23:58
More Religion & Spirituality podcastsMore Religion & Spirituality podcasts
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.
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