Podcast Episode 64
Lewis and Tolkien - The Inklings Meet
with Dr. Michael Ward & host Nick Walters
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Before hobbits, wardrobes, and space-traveling philologists changed modern Christian imagination, a group of friends gathered in an Oxford pub and began conversations that would echo across the world.
This episode of Christian History Chronicles explores the famous first meeting of the Inklings, the informal literary circle associated with figures like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Though the Inklings would eventually become one of the most influential Christian literary communities of the twentieth century, their beginnings were surprisingly ordinary: friends meeting in Oxford to read manuscripts aloud, challenge one another intellectually, and sharpen each other’s ideas through rigorous conversation. The episode commemorates the anniversary of the May 11, 1926 gathering often associated with the early formation of the Inklings tradition.
The Inklings were never a formal institution with membership cards or official bylaws. Instead, they were a fellowship of scholars, writers, and thinkers connected primarily through Oxford University. Meetings frequently took place at the Eagle and Child pub, affectionately nicknamed “The Bird and Baby,” as well as in Lewis’s rooms at Magdalen College. Their conversations ranged from mythology and theology to poetry, medieval literature, philosophy, language, and the role of Christianity in modern society.
What made the Inklings remarkable was not merely literary talent, but the way friendship shaped their creative and spiritual work. Tolkien encouraged Lewis to reconsider Christianity seriously. Lewis challenged Tolkien and others to finish and publish their stories. Charles Williams added mystical and theological depth to discussions. Owen Barfield sharpened philosophical debates. Together they created an intellectual environment that profoundly influenced modern Christian literature and apologetics.
This episode’s Subject Matter Expert is Michael Ward of the University of Oxford. Dr. Ward is widely recognized as one of the leading contemporary scholars on C. S. Lewis and the Inklings. He serves as an academic at Oxford and has lectured internationally on theology, literature, imagination, and Christian intellectual history. He is especially known for his influential work on Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and the intellectual architecture behind the series.
Dr. Ward’s groundbreaking book Planet Narnia helped reshape scholarly discussion surrounding Lewis’s famous fantasy series. In the book, Ward argues that each Narnia chronicle was structured around medieval cosmology and the symbolism of the seven classical planets. The work attracted widespread attention from both literary scholars and Christian readers because it proposed a hidden imaginative framework underlying the beloved children’s stories. The book demonstrated the depth of Lewis’s medieval worldview and revealed how theology, symbolism, literature, and imagination intersected within the Inklings’ intellectual world.
In addition to the Deep Dive on the Inklings, this episode also highlights important moments from broader Christian history.
One highlight examines Epiphanius of Salamis, the fourth-century bishop known for his fierce opposition to heresy and his extensive writings defending orthodox Christianity. Epiphanius became one of the early Church’s most important catalogers of theological error through his famous work the Panarion, a massive compendium examining and refuting numerous heretical movements. His efforts provide modern historians with valuable information about early Christian controversies, doctrinal disputes, and the development of orthodoxy in late antiquity.
Another highlight focuses on G. Campbell Morgan, one of the most influential evangelical preachers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Morgan became known for his expository preaching, international ministry, and leadership at Westminster Chapel in London. Admired by generations of pastors and Bible teachers, Morgan emphasized careful biblical interpretation and practical Christian living. His preaching ministry helped shape evangelical Christianity on both sides of the Atlantic and influenced later figures such as Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
Whether discussing the intellectual friendships of Oxford, the doctrinal battles of the early Church, or the preaching ministries of modern evangelicalism, this episode explores how ideas, relationships, and faith continue to shape Christian history across centuries.
The Eagle and Child, Oxford, England. Photo by David Hawgood via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).