The C.S. Lewis podcast

Does my life have any meaning? If God exists, why has he allowed my suffering? How can a good God allow hell? Alister McGrath explores whether Lewis can speak into any contemporary theological, ethical and cultural questions or concerns. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

What is apologetics? Why does it matter? Can Christianity speak into the dominant narratives of our culture? Ruth Jackson is joined by Alister McGrath to reflect on what we can learn from Lewis' unique approach to apologetics. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

In today’s episode, we welcome back Dr. Crystal Hurd, an educator, poet, and researcher from Virginia. Crystal shares insights from her paper, which was presented at the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis Conference at George Fox University. We also feature a reading of her paper, 'How Paternal Literary Habits Influenced CS Lewis', marking the final instalment in our series with Dr. Crystal Hurd. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter, visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

Dr Crystal Hurd - educator, poet, and researcher—joins Ruth Jackson to uncover the family story behind C.S. Lewis’s imagination, faith, and values. Drawing on her research and a paper from the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis conference, Crystal explores the literary ambitions and deep faith of Lewis’s father, Albert, and how both Albert and his father Richard shaped Lewis’s worldview and writing. Together, they discuss the joys and tensions of the Lewis household, the Victorian ideals that marked Albert’s life, and the imaginative world-building that began with childhood stories like “Boxen.” Discover how family, faith, and literature intertwined to shape one of the twentieth century’s most beloved Christian writers. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter, visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/ + Support us here + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, a free ebook and newsletter, visit our website

Dr Crystal Hurd - educator, poet, and researcher - joins Ruth Jackson to uncover the family roots behind C.S. Lewis’s imagination and character. Drawing on her latest research and a paper from the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis conference, Crystal explores the impact of Lewis’s father Albert’s work ethic, moral integrity, and love of books, as well as the remarkable story of his parents’ courtship and marriage. Together, they reflect on how both Albert and Flora shaped Lewis’s literary passions, his values, and his lifelong relationships. Discover how the Lewis family’s love of literature, resilience amid hardship, and everyday faith shaped one of the twentieth century’s greatest Christian writers. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter, visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/ + Support us here + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, a free ebook and newsletter, visit our website

Dr Crystal Hurd, educator and poet, joins Ruth Jackson to explore the formative influence of C.S. Lewis’s mother, Flora, on Lewis’s life, work, and relationships. Drawing on her research and her paper from the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis conference, Crystal discusses Flora’s character, wit, and impact on the Lewis family after her untimely death. Together, they examine how Flora shaped Lewis’s respect for women, the depiction of mothers in his fiction, and his evolving relationships across a lifetime marked by loss and learning. Along the way, Ruth and Crystal reflect on grief, humility, family dynamics, and the quiet legacy of women often overlooked in great men’s stories. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter, visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

Dr Crystal Hurd - an educator, poet, and researcher from Virginia - and host Ruth Jackson explore what leadership looks like through the lens of CS Lewis, not as power or prominence, but as quiet faithfulness in everyday life. Crystal reflects on Lewis’ conviction that most leadership happens far from the spotlight: in homes, classrooms, churches, and communities, where ordinary people shape others through character, humility, and care. The discussion ranges from Lewis’ fictional leaders such as Lucy Pevensie and Orual, to his warnings about the temptations of authority and the need to remain grounded in God. Crystal also addresses accusations of misogyny, drawing on Lewis’ letters, friendships, and advocacy for women such as Elizabeth Anscombe. Together, Ruth Jackson and Crystal Hurd ask what it means to “light the corner you’re in”—and why Lewis believed such leadership still has the power to change the world. + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

Ruth Jackson is joined by Jim Stockton, emeritus lecturer in philosophy at Boise State University and author of 'The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942–1972: A Life.' In the final episode of this series, we hear the workshop Jim delivered at the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis Conference, titled "Research opportunities and the Oxford University Socractic club, 1942-1972." The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/ + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

In this episode of The CS Lewis Podcast, Ruth Jackson welcomes philosopher and author Jim Stockton to share new research on the Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942–1972. Recorded at the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis Conference, Jim paints a vivid picture of what weekly meetings were really like—from crowded, smoky rooms and lively teas to the unsung heroes who kept minutes and kept the club alive. Discover the club’s lesser-known traditions, its role as a living intellectual community, and why its archives still matter for Lewis scholarship today. Along the way, hear stories of friendship, debate, and the vibrant humanity behind one of Oxford’s most influential societies. The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/ + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

In this episode of The CS Lewis Podcast, Ruth Jackson introduces a fascinating paper from Jim Stockton, emeritus lecturer in philosophy and author of The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942–1972: A Life. Recorded at the 2024 Undiscovered CS Lewis Conference at George Fox University, Stockton explores the lesser-known events of the Oxford University Socratic Club beyond its famous debates. He highlights conferences, discussion teas, and study groups that reveal the club’s wider intellectual and spiritual life. Along the way, listeners hear fresh insights into Lewis’s talks on faith, the church, reason, and “the real”. This episode offers a rich glimpse into the remarkable world of the Socratic Club and the continuing research opportunities surrounding Lewis and his circle. The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/ + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/