All Art & imagination articles
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #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.
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ArticleCreating a sacred space: the yearning for tradition and aesthetics in the church
More traditional styles of worship are gaining popularity, in contrast with the modern norm of trendy pop-rock worship bands, minimalist décor and warehouse-style buildings. Erik Strandness reflects on his desire for awe, majesty and beauty when attending church
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #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.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #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.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #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!
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #189 Holly Ordway: What did Christmas mean to JRR Tolkien?
How integral was the incarnation for JRR Tolkien? Does Christmas feature in The Lord of the Rings legendarium? How did the Tolkien family celebrate Christmas? Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith, shares her thoughts on what Christmas meant to Tolkien and explores a recently discovered poem of his, Noel, which is one of his most overtly Christian works.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #188 Jem Bloomfield: Christmas in Narnia
Dr Jem Bloomfield, assistant professor of literature at the University of Nottingham and author of Paths in the Snow, unpacks the Christmas references as well as key elements, such as the stone table and the titles of the Pevensie children, within The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #187 Jem Bloomfield: Paths in the snow
As Christmas approaches, we unpack some of the key elements in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with Dr Jem Bloomfield, assistant professor of literature at the University of Nottingham and author of Paths in the Snow.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #184 Dan Barker and Carolyn Weber: Are Lewis’ arguments flawed?
In the second part of Dan Barker and Dr Carolyn Weber’s discussion about CS Lewis’ relevance, Dan points out some of the holes he perceives in Lewis’ beliefs. On the opposite side of the debate, Carolyn shares how she became a Christian, highlighting elements of her story that echo Lewis’ own and looking at how Lewis’ writing greatly influenced her decision.
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ShowsThe Divine Debate: Is Morality Rooted in God? Atheist Stephen Law vs Matthew Su hosted by Ruth Jackson
Is faith necessary for a moral life? Is belief in God essential for a meaningful moral framework, or can secular philosophy provide all the answers? This week on Unbelievable?, host Ruth Jackson welcomes two dynamic thinkers to explore the profound debate of God’s role in our moral universe.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #182 Sarah Hawkyard: CS Lewis changed everything
Ruth Jackson spoke to singer-songwriter Sarah Hawkyard who describes Mere Christianity as a “game changer”, which “hooked” her onto Christianity. Lewis played an integral role in Sarah coming to faith, challenging, inspiring and providing her with profound knowledge.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #181 Curtis White: What did TS Eliot and Lewis think of each other?
Dr Curtis White’s PhD focuses on the relationship, work and theology of CS Lewis and TS Eliot. Here, he highlights some of his thoughts on this topic as well as sharing how Lewis was integral to his own faith journey. White also talks about the upcoming CS Lewis Symposium in Belfast, which John Brown University is providing financial support for.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #180 David Clare: Ecstatic experience
How did Lewis approach ecstatic experiences, particularly in light of his Ulster Protestant background? Dr David Clare of Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick continues his talk given at the C.S. Lewis Group at Ulster’s spring mini symposium. He also answers questions from the live audience. The event was entitled ‘C.S. Lewis and the Land of His Birth: Re-rooting Lewis in Ulster & the Island of Ireland’. The title of Dr Clare’s talk was ‘“Lit Up Inside”: C.S. Lewis’s Joy & Ulster Protestant Ecstasy’.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #176 Alister McGrath: Feelings, desire and religious experience
Why are we often hesitant to talk about our feelings? What did Lewis mean by “joy” and how did he search for it? Can our feelings help us to find God or to grow in our faith? How did Lewis view aesthetics? What should we do when our feelings seem opposed to our faith? How important was religious experience for Lewis? Professor Alister McGrath continues to explore how we can use Lewis as a resource for the Christian life.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #174 Alister McGrath: Can Lewis help us to find meaning?
What did Lewis mean by “big pictures” and how did he use them in his work? How can he help those struggling to find their purpose in life? Why are people so concerned about a lack of coherence and can Lewis be of assistance? Can creeds help us? Professor Alister McGrath explores how Lewis can be a pathfinder and a resource for the Christian life.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #173 Alister McGrath: How do we tell good stories?
How can our individual stories find new meaning and significance from Christianity’s “grand story”? In what ways did Lewis tell the Christian story? And what can we learn from this? How do we share our own story? Professor Alister McGrath explores how we can use Lewis as a resource for our Christian life and looks at some of Lewis’ favourite stories, including The Pilgrim’s Regress.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #172 Alister McGrath: Why do stories matter?
Which stories impacted Lewis as a young child? Why is story so important? How does imagination help convey truth? What did Lewis mean by “myth” and how did that impact his thinking? Where did JRR Tolkien help with this? How do we allow the Christian story to shape our own? Professor Alister McGrath explores how we can use Lewis as a resource for our Christian life.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #171 Alister McGrath: Spiritual disciplines, young people and the academy
Professor Alister McGrath continues to explore how we can use CS Lewis as a resource for our Christian life. How did Lewis’ conversion change his life? What habits did he put in place to establish a rhythm of life for his faith? In what ways does Lewis speak to Christian academics? What inspiration can writers draw from Lewis? Does he offer any advice for young people living out their Christian faith today?
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #163 Matthew Brown: What would Sigmund Freud and CS Lewis discuss?
Hollywood director Matthew Brown, who directed and co-wrote Freud’s Last Session, shares his thoughts on two of the greatest minds of the 20th Century.
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ArticleWomen in apologetics – Not God’s type
Holly Ordway’s move from atheism to Christianity is reminiscent of CS Lewis’ conversion. Here, apologist Joel Furches tells her story and explores why she believes women play a crucial role in apologetics
