Dr. Michael Ward, Oxford scholar and professor of apologetics at Houston Christian University, didn't just study C. S. Lewis—he lived in his bedroom and study for three years. In this episode, Dr. Ward takes us through his discovery that will change how you read Narnia, as well as Lewis's journey from atheism to faith, his pivotal late-night conversation with Tolkien about Christianity as "the true myth," and why Lewis believed story captures truth better than systematic theology. We’ll explore his wrestling with pain and grief, and the imaginative genius behind works like Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and the Ransom trilogy.

Want to dive deeper into Lewis's world? The C. S. Lewis exhibit at Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, closes February 14, 2026. Don't miss your chance to experience it firsthand.

Guest bio:

Dr. Michael Ward is a theologian and literary scholar with a particular focus on the work of C. S. Lewis. He is an associate member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford and a professor of apologetics at Houston Christian University, Texas.

MichaelWard.net

"After Humanity: A Guide to C. S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man"

“Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis”

“The Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis (Cambridge Companions to Religion)”

The Official Website of C. S. Lewis

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Episode 24: Dr. Michael Ward Discovered What Millions of Narnia Readers Never Noticed