President of Wheaton College, Dr. Philip Ryken sits down with Crystal and David this week to discuss his 2017 book The Messiah Comes to Middle-earth. Dr. Ryken addresses the inspiration for his book, based on his 2015-2016 Hansen lectures. He also discusses the difference between allegory and "applicability" in Tolkien, as the creator of The Lord of the Rings was famously averse to one-on-one correspondences in storytelling.

Scholars are fond of calling the Victorian era "the age of doubt" and skepticism. In this week's episode, Crystal and David discuss with Dr. Timothy Larsen the topic of his recent book, "George MacDonald in the Age of Miracles," a product of the Hansen Lectureship Series at the Wade Center. Dr. Larsen discusses the ways in which MacDonald sought to counteract skepticism and reclaim a belief in the miraculous. They also discuss MacDonald's place in Victorian literature and the impact of his fairy tales on the religious imagination.

What or who inspired J.R.R. Tolkien as he created The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? Most scholarship focuses on sources from the Middle Ages that inspired Tolkien's timeless tales. However, in this week's episode Dr. Holly Ordway sits down with Dr. David Downing and Laura Schmidt (Wade Archivist) to discuss the overlooked modern sources and authors who influenced Tolkien, based on her forthcoming book, Tolkien's Modern Sources: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages. If you are a Tolkien fan, you do not want to miss this episode.

Dr. K. Alan Snyder discusses why Lewis is so famous in America as well as Lewis's own thoughts about America based on the research from his new book America Discovers C.S. Lewis: His Profound Impact. Tune in as Drs. Crystal and David Downing dig into Snyder's theories about why C.S. Lewis resonates so deeply with Americans.

This week's episode features an inspiring and insightful interview with Reverend Dr. Malcolm Guite about the intersection of theology, literature, and the arts. Drs. Crystal and David Downing also discuss Guite's conversion encounter as well as the impact of Romantic poets like Shelley, Coleridge, Blake, and C.S Lewis on his spiritual journey and worldview. Malcolm is the Chaplain and a Bye-Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge. He is the author of five books of poetry, several books on Christianity and theology, and regularly performs as a singer and guitarist with the rock band "Mystery Train."

Dr. Michael Ward, award-winning author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis and The Narnia Code: C.S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens, discusses his best-selling books and thesis about the secret theme that lies behind and which knits together all of the seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia. Dr. Ward also discusses with Drs. Crystal and David Downing his role and the story behind the memorial for C.S. Lewis placed in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey on the 50th anniversary of Lewis's death.

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan stops by the Wade Center to discuss her newly-released book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis. Patti discusses with Drs. Crystal and David Downing the inspiration behind her work of historical fiction that depicts the love story between Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. Patti also discusses the process of writing her book, insights she gleaned about Joy and Jack, and the research that went into bringing her book to life. This episode of the podcast will appeal to authors, fans of Lewis and Joy's love story, and especially fans of Joy Davidman Lewis.

In the final excerpt from our interview with Douglas Gresham, things get rather personal. Doug discusses his reaction upon first discovering that the Wade Center was collecting the Lewis family papers. He also opens up about his and his wife's conversion stories as well as his family.

Douglas Gresham returns for part two of our interview to talk about his responsibility to steward the estate and legacy of his stepfather, C.S. Lewis. Doug shares some behind-the-scenes detail about C.S. Lewis's practice of offering counseling at the Kilns, including to one royal visitor! He also shares some humorous and touching stories about everything from a short kayaking trip, to Lewis singing with some fishermen at a pub while on vacation, to Lewis's own nightmares and memories from World War I.