Owen Barfield was the friend of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. He championed the importance of imagination and poetry. But what can be missed is the transformative depth of his ideas. They can revolutionise our perception of everything. 
Landon Loftin and Max Leyf are the authors of What Barfield Thought: An Introduction to the Work of Owen Barfield. In this conversation with Mark Vernon they ask how Barfield invites us to reconsider the meaning of everything from the human face to ancient history, from music to the person of Jesus. They ask about Barfield’s relationship with Lewis and other figures, such as Rudolf Steiner. 
Barfield had an answer to the alienation many experience in today’s world. His remedy was born of his own escape from depression. He realised modernity need not be rejected but itself contains the portals of participation that lead back to the divine.

For more on the book, What Barfield Thought: An Introduction to the Work of Owen Barfield - https://wipfandstock.com/9781666736762/what-barfield-thought/
For more on Mark's book, A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling and the Evolution of Consciousness - https://www.markvernon.com/consciousness