All Art & imagination articles
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ArticleArtificial Intelligence: The Beast We Build and the Words We Choose
As artificial intelligence advances at breakneck speed, are we creating a servant, a master—or something far more dangerous? Erik Strandness explores how our quest to “build a better beast” reveals both human ambition and folly, raising urgent questions about language, ethics, and the spiritual risks of playing God in the digital age.
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ArticleThe Problem of Pain: Why Every Worldview Must Answer the Question of Suffering
Atheists often use the problem of pain and suffering to challenge the existence of God, but this issue isn’t exclusive to Christianity. Every worldview must reckon with life’s harshest realities and not only confront suffering but also offer a meaningful response to it.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #202 Alister McGrath: What did CS Lewis think of science? Part 1
In part 1 of our new series on science, Ruth Jackson is joined by Alister McGrath to explore how CS Lewis approached the relationship between science and religion.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #200 Ruth Jackson: 200th Episode Special
Ruth Jackson shares some of her favourite moments from the podcast to celebrate the 200th episode. We will be revisiting conversations with Professor Alister McGrath discussing CS Lewis’ relevance and mental health, hearing stories on how Lewis helped bring people to faith, his correspondence with Kathy Keller, and his impact on the creative works of film director Matthew Brown and singer songwriter Sarah Hawkyard.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #199 Michael Oppizzi: Why Till We Have Faces Still Speaks to Us Today
In this third and final episode with Michael Oppizzi, Ruth Jackson asks about his groundbreaking research on planetary symbolism in Till We Have Faces, CS Lewis’ final and often misunderstood novel. Michael shares insights from his paper, presented at the Undiscovered CS Lewis Conference, and his upcoming book project, revealing how planetary themes structure the novel’s vision of truth and divine encounter. Can Lewis’ work still teach us today about faith, myth, and the nature of human longing?
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #197 The Many Faces of CS Lewis: A Conversation with Michael Oppizzi
In this episode, host Ruth Jackson speaks with Michael Oppizzi, an educator and cultural apologist, about the enduring relevance of CS Lewis. They discuss Lewis’s impact on faith, imagination, and intellect, with a deep dive into Till We Have Faces, the role of letters in shaping thought, and the significance of cultural apologetics today.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #196 How did Shakespeare influence Lewis’ exploration of death, resurrection and the human condition?
How did “great myths” shape Lewis’ understanding of Christian truth? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Sterling College, Kansas, continues to explore the intriguing intersection between Shakespeare’s literary genius and CS Lewis’ spiritual journey.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #195 Sarah Waters: Did Shakespeare play a role in Lewis’ conversion?
How did William Shakespeare influence CS Lewis’ conversion to Christianity? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Sterling College, Kansas, draws connections between Lewis’ faith journey and his engagement with Shakespeare’s works.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #194 Sarah Waters: How Lewis grew to love Shakespeare
What was Lewis’ favourite Shakespeare play? Dr Sarah Waters, assistant professor of language and literature at Sterling College, Kansas, delves into Lewis’ literary accessibility and theological insights, uncovering the timeless relevance of his work.
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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.
