The C.S. Lewis podcast

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.

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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.

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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. Together, they discuss the legacy of the The Oxford University Socratic Club, why the members - including CS Lewis - are still relevant today and the importance of civil discourse in a divided society.

The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/

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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. Together, they examine the most exciting meetings held by The Oxford University Socratic Club, why the club came to an end as well as some of Lewis' famous debates.

The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/

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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. Together, they examine the importance of Lewis’ role in the Oxford University Socratic Club, identify some of the members involved, and consider the place of women within both the club and the field of philosophy.

The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/oxford-university-socratic-club-19421972-9781978762602/

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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. Together they explore Stockton’s fascination with C.S. Lewis, from first reading The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity to years of deep archival research into the Oxford Socratic Club. Jim shares how the club brought Christians, atheists and agnostics together for serious debate, why it became such a significant intellectual hub in Oxford, and the crucial role played by Stella Aldwinckle in shaping its life and vision. Drawing on his paper and workshop from the 2024 Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, Stockton offers fresh insight into one of the most important and underexplored contexts of Lewis’s public thought, influence, and legacy in modern Christian apologetics.

Jim Srockton;s book is here or if you're in the UK here

The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972:

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Ruth Jackson is joined by Alister McGrath for a special live edition of The C.S. Lewis Podcast, recorded in front of an audience at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, in association with the New Renaissance Project. In this lively Q&A, Ruth and Alister open the floor to audience questions on the life, thought and legacy of C.S. Lewis. They explore Lewis’s impact beyond the West, whether meaning found in other religions points to truth, what Lewis may have got wrong, and why his ideas still matter today. The conversation also touches on Tolkien’s influence, the power of story, Lewis’s scepticism about technology, the lasting effects of war, favourite books, and the challenge of adapting Narnia for film. A fascinating live conversation for Lewis fans old and new.

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