Wade Center

The Wade Center Podcast features interviews and discussions with scholars and figures related to Wade Center and our authors: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams.

Bonus: Tolkien's Films w/ Dr. Holly Ordway 11/17/2025

Bonus: Tolkien's Films w/ Dr. Holly Ordway Would J.R.R. Tolkien have approved of the recent Rings of Power series or Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy? We couldn't resist asking Dr. Holly Ordway her opinion on Tolkien's films and how she thinks Tolkien would have reacted. Don't forget to check out out main episode this week with about her recent book on (2023) and the truth about whether the friendship between Tolkien and C.S. Lewis fell apart (or not) at the end of their lives. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/39056150

"Tolkien's Faith" w/ Dr. Holly Ordway 11/17/2025

"Tolkien's Faith" w/ Dr. Holly Ordway Millions explore and live inside of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels on a regular basis, but few study and examine his faith. Join co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill as they discuss sit down with , author of (2023), to discuss Tolkien's faith, his friendship with C.S. Lewis, his opinion of The Chronicles of Narnia, why his novels weren't more spiritually explicit with their content and themes, and how Tolkien read Scripture—including his work on translating the book of Jonah. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/39056065

The Downing's Return to Discuss "The Wages of Cinema" 10/06/2025

The Downing's Return to Discuss "The Wages of Cinema" Crystal L. and David C. Downing, former co-hosts of the podcast, return to discuss Crystal's latest book, The Wages of Cinema (IVP, 2025). Join Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill as they sit down to discuss the intersection of film theory with Dorothy L. Sayers and Christian theology. If you want to dig in more make sure to watch at The Wade Center on this past summer and grab a copy of her book over at . /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/38476505

C.S. Lewis's Oxford w/ Dr. Simon Horobin 06/17/2025

C.S. Lewis's Oxford w/ Dr. Simon Horobin In addition to being his teaching home, Oxford was an integral part of C.S. Lewis's life. His drafty rooms in The New Building, his pastoral residence at The Kilns, the trees lining Addison's Walk all shaped the life and writings of C.S. Lewis. Join co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill as they go on a tour of C.S. Lewis's Oxford with Dr. Simon Horobin, Professor of English Language & Literature at Magdalen College. Grab a copy of Dr. Horobin's book . /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/37034575

Did C.S. Lewis Believe in Evolution? w/ Dr. John Walton 05/05/2025

Did C.S. Lewis Believe in Evolution? w/ Dr. John Walton Did C.S. Lewis believe in evolution or not? Join co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill for a bonus episode where we ask this question of Dr. John H. Walton, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. Dr. Walton is widely known for his books as well as his commentaries and teaching on the creation account in Scripture. Make sure to check out our main episode with Dr. Walton where we discuss how Lewis frame creation in his writings, particularly in Perelandra and The Magician's Nephew. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/36433160

Creation in C.S. Lewis's Fiction w/ Dr. John Walton 05/05/2025

Creation in C.S. Lewis's Fiction w/ Dr. John Walton C.S. Lewis fictionalized the creation account in several of his novels, most notably in Perelandra and The Magician's Nephew. Join co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill as they explore Lewis's imaginative and expansive creation narratives with Dr. John H. Walton, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. Dr. Walton is widely known for his books as well as his own interpretations of the creation account in Scripture. You won't want to miss this week's discussion as we explore how Lewis's writings compare to the biblical account on a host of topics from sacred space, to the Fall, to creation ex nihilo, to the serpent, and so much more. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/36433045

Books Worth (re)Reading, Part 2 04/14/2025

Books Worth (re)Reading, Part 2 “At the end of all our exploring, we will arrive where we began and know the place for the first time.” - “Little Gidding,” T.S. Eliot Listeners shared some amazing "Books Worth (re)Reading" in response to our first installment, so we are back with a sequel! Join co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill as they revisit the books that we (and our listeners) love and continue to reread. If you are a regular listener, please email us your list of books as well as an explanation of how they've shaped your mind, imagination, and spirit. Below are the second set of books mentioned in this installment of the series. , Marilynne Robinson , Rowan Williams , Henri J.M. Nouwen , Martin Luther King, Jr. , Wendell Berry , Armand, Nicholi , Susanna Clarke , Colin E. Gunton , Dietrich Bonhoeffer , G.K. Chesterton () /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/36140145

C.S. Lewis and Christian Witness w/ President Philip Ryken 03/04/2025

C.S. Lewis and Christian Witness w/ President Philip Ryken Millions know him as a novelist and an Oxford Don, but C.S. Lewis's most lasting impact may be his role model as a Christian witness and evangelist. President of Wheaton College, Dr. Philip Ryken joins co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill to explore C.S. Lewis's views about the witness of Scripture and what he can teach us about our own approach to Christian witness. How did Lewis approach Scripture, doctrine, and evangelism and how might that inform our own efforts to bear witness to the truth? /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/35522830

Books Worth (re)Reading, Part 1 02/03/2025

Books Worth (re)Reading, Part 1 If this podcast is bound together by anything, it is a love of books—particularly, a love for books written by the Wade Center authors. Inspired by C.S. Lewis's habit and love of re-reading books, co-hosts Dr. Jim Beitler and Aaron Hill embark this week on an exploration of the books that they love and continue to reread. If you are a regular listener, please email us your list of books as well as an explanation of how they've shaped your mind, imagination, and spirit. Below are the first set of books mentioned in this episode. , C.S. Lewis , J.R.R. Tolkien , C.S. Lewis , Richard Powers , Joseph Sittler , Alexander Schmemann , Desmond Tutu , Dietrich Bonhoeffer "The Word of Jesus on Prayer," , George MacDonald , C.S. Lewis /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/35119110

The Last Romantic w/ Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau 01/06/2025

The Last Romantic w/ Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau Sometimes the best way to understand an author is by exploring their conversation partners? Who are they responding to? In his recent Hansen lectures—now released in book form through IVP as The Last Romantic—Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau explores the ways in which C.S. Lewis is indebted to, influenced by, and fulfills the aspirations of Romantic authors such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, and even Schleiermacher. Join Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill as they sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau to discuss how Lewis is The Last Romantic and how seeing him through this literary light can help us understand not just Lewis's writings but his legacy and applicability to modern life. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/34728685

The Mythmakers w/ John Hendrix 12/09/2024

The Mythmakers w/ John Hendrix In addition to creating myths themselves, the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien is the stuff of myth and legend. Join Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill as they sit down with illustrator and professor John Hendrix to discuss his latest graphic novel, . We discuss the visual language that Hendrix created for The Inklings, his creative process, and the ways in which Lewis and Tolkien impacted the 20th and 21st centuries. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/34338130

This Homeward Ache w/ Amy Baik Lee 11/11/2024

This Homeward Ache w/ Amy Baik Lee In our anxiety-ridden age, we are all seeking a home where we feel safe, loved, and accepted. But what happens if no place on earth and no moment in time satisfies your deepest longings for home and community? Join Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill as they connect with Amy Baik Lee, author of . Explore what C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George MacDonald might teach us about the difference between home-sickness, nostalgia, and "this homeward ache;" how we should respond to Sehnsucht; and Clyde S. Kilby's . /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/33873702

The Wilderking Trilogy w/ Jonathan Rodgers 10/07/2024

The Wilderking Trilogy w/ Jonathan Rodgers We're back! Join Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill as they connect with Jonathan Rodgers, author of and host of the celebrated podcast, . Recently republished by our friends over at The Rabbit Room, Jim and Aaron discuss the first novel in Rodger's Wilderking trilogy, The Bark of the Bog Owl. Learn how to be a writer even if you don't feel like one, how to accept and embrace God's plan (and timing) for your life, and how Wade Center authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien inspired and helped shape Rodger's own fantasy stories. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/33351047

Listening to Creation w/ Dr. Kristen Page 10/07/2024

Listening to Creation w/ Dr. Kristen Page We're back! Join Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill as they sit down with Dr. Kristen L. Page to discuss everything from how C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed ecosystems and environmentalism in The Chronicles of Narnia to The Lord of the Rings, to how studying ecology can help us understand our place in the order of Creation, to Dr. Page's recent Hansen lectures published as the book, . Don't forget to check out Dr. Page's new podcast "about the stories we hear from the landscapes around us" called . /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/33350947

Descent of the Dove w/ Dr. Matt Milliner 10/07/2024

Descent of the Dove w/ Dr. Matt Milliner We're back! In our first new episode of Season 7, Dr. Jim Beitler, Director of the Marion E. Wade Center, and co-host Aaron Hill sit down for a jovial and wide-ranging discussion with Dr. Matthew J. Milliner. Topics ranges from one of Charles William's most praised works, The Descent of the Dove, to Dr. Milliner's recent book : G.K. Chesterton and the First Nations, and the dangers of experimenting and re-inventing Christianity as a spiritual explorer. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/33350892

The Rhetoric of Lewis and Sayers w/ Dr. Jim Beitler (Archives) 06/28/2024

The Rhetoric of Lewis and Sayers w/ Dr. Jim Beitler (Archives) To celebrate the start of the Wade Center's new Director, we decided to re-release an archival episode recorded and released back in July 2019. 'Rhetoric’ is often a byword for hollow or negative speech. In truth, rhetoric is the art of persuasion. This week, Dr. Jim Beitler discusses his new book, Seasoned Speech: Rhetoric in the Life of the Church. Of the five figures featured in Beitler’s book, we discuss the rhetoric of C.S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers. What can we learn from their example, and how can properly “seasoned speech” assist us in persuasively communicating the truth of the gospel? /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/31924547

"Farewell, Crystal and David. We have known great joys together." 05/31/2024

"Farewell, Crystal and David. We have known great joys together." Our dear friends and co-hosts of the podcast, Drs. Crystal & David C. Downing, are retiring as co-directors of the Wade Center in June. will serve as the Wade Center's new director starting in July. To bid the Downings a fond farewell and pass the baton to our new director, we decided to share some of our favorite Wade author quotes. If you would like to tell the Downings how much the podcast has meant to you, send them an email at and we'll pass it along. Despair not, faithful listeners! Dr. Beitler and Producer Aaron Hill will return with new episodes, a new format, and new topics in September. To tide you over until we re-launch, we will be re-releasing some of our favorite episodes, starting next week with Dr. Beitler's episode on "The Rhetoric of Lewis and Sayers" from July 2019. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/31568492

Many Times & Many Places w/ Dr. Alan Snyder and Jamin Metcalf 04/26/2024

Many Times & Many Places w/ Dr. Alan Snyder and Jamin Metcalf Through his writings, C.S. Lewis emphasized the importance of travel and learning for through these two activities we gain the needed perspective to see life through the lens of "many places" and "many times." In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with author's Dr. Alan Snyder and Jamin Metcalf to discuss their recently published book on C.S. Lewis and history, (2023). Does history have a plot or a coherent storyline? Can we read and interpret history? Is every good event attributable to God and every evil event attributable to the sins of men? What is the value of studying history in an age that is enamored with progress and infected with chronological snobbery? /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/31011708

Lewis, the Lion in Milton Scholarship: "A Preface to Paradise Lost" w/ Dr. David Urban 03/29/2024

Lewis, the Lion in Milton Scholarship: "A Preface to Paradise Lost" w/ Dr. David Urban In the first half of the 20th century, England elites like T.S. Eliot were trying to devalue John Milton and elevate John Donne—exchanging one 17th-century English poet for another. At the height of World War II, C.S. Lewis took up arms against these oppressors and defended Milton in a series of lectures that would later be published as A Preface to Paradise Lost (1942). Since then, every aspiring scholar has had to grapple with Lewis, the lion in the path of Milton studies. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Dr. David Urban (Professor of English at Calvin University) to discuss how Paradise Lost and Lewis's Preface to it serves as a crucial lens through which to read and interpret Lewis's fiction and non-fiction works. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/30634913

C.S. Lewis in America w/ Dr. Mark A. Noll 02/29/2024

C.S. Lewis in America w/ Dr. Mark A. Noll While he never visited America, C.S. Lewis and his works have greatly impacted the American religious landscape. While many general readers associate Lewis primarily with The Chronicles of Narnia (1950), before his appearance on the cover of Time in 1947 Americans viewed C.S. Lewis quite differently. In this week's episode Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down to interview Dr. Mark A. Noll about his new book C.S. Lewis in America: Readings and Reception, 1935–1947 (2024). Stay tuned until the end to learn how you can get a discounted (and signed) copy of Dr. Noll's book. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/30193703

The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis 01/26/2024

The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis In many ways, C.S. Lewis was both a man ahead of and behind the times. His approach to science and theology was based upon his professorial comprehension of the Medieval world and what he called "The Model." In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Producer Aaron Hill to discuss Lewis's last non-fiction book, The Discarded Image (1964). Based on a series of lectures and published posthumously, David, Crystal, and Aaron discuss how the treasures and insights contained within this often overlooked book by C.S. Lewis on the cosmology and worldview constructed by great thinkers and writers of the Middle Ages. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/29674388

Wonders of the Wade w/ Elise Peterson and Chloe DuBois 12/29/2023

Wonders of the Wade w/ Elise Peterson and Chloe DuBois From C.S. Lewis's childhood wardrobe, to Tolkien's desk, to countless unpublished letters and manuscripts, The Marion E. Wade Center is full of many wonderful things. To celebrate the January 2024 launch of our new "Wonders of the Wade" , Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing, along with Producer Aaron Hill, sit down with Chloe DuBois and Elise Peterson, two student workers at the Wade, to discuss some of our most amazing finds and wonderful discoveries. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/29275713

Beowulf and Tolkien w/ Dr. Ben Weber 11/30/2023

Beowulf and Tolkien w/ Dr. Ben Weber J.R.R. Tolkien loved Beowulf, as evidenced by his landmark lecture, “The Monsters and the Critics,” his posthumously published prose translation (released in 2014), and his inclusion of Anglo-Saxon themes and words throughout The Lord of the Rings. In this week’s episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Dr. Ben Weber, Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College and specialist in Medieval literature to discuss the significance of Beowulf itself as literature, Tolkien’s fascination with the poem, as well as how reading this Old English heroic poem can help modern minds grapple with death and forces of chaos beyond our control. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/28899063

"The Major and the Missionary" by Dr. Diana Glyer 10/27/2023

"The Major and the Missionary" by Dr. Diana Glyer Archived at the Wade Center are a set of letters between Warren Lewis and a missionary named Blanche Biggs. After the death of his brother, C.S. Lewis, Warren received a letter out of the blue from Blanche, who was serving as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Diana Glyer to discuss her new book , which collects and examines this set of letters that reveal not only a new side of Warren but the deep and intimate friendship he fostered with Blanche. You can order a copy of Diana's book now over at the . /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/28514519

Philip Yancey, "Undone" 09/29/2023

Philip Yancey, "Undone" The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives, industries, and even spirituality across the globe. In this week's episode, critically acclaimed author Philip Yancey sits down with Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing to discuss his new book called "Undone." Published by our close friends over at , Yancey's book "renders 17th century poet John Donne's meditations on suffering into modern English, revealing that Donne's world of the plague was not so very different from our own." Donne was a significant influence on C.S. Lewis, especially his views and writings on suffering and his book The Problem of Pain. This is a conversation you don't want to miss! And we encourage you to of Yancey's book. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/28187456

Manalive by G.K. Chesterton 08/31/2023

Manalive by G.K. Chesterton In Orthodoxy (1908), G.K. Chesterton shares his idea to write a romance in which an Englishman travels around the world and sets foot on a foreign land only to discover that he returned home. "How can we contrive to be astonished at the world and yet at home in it?" Published only four years later in 1912, Manalive is that story. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Producer Aaron Hill to discuss Chesterton's novel about Innocence Smith, the man who breaks all the conventions but none of the commandments. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/27921048

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton 07/28/2023

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton Only G.K. Chesterton could write a detective novel about undercover poet cops bravely battling anarchists as a way of explaining the problem of evil and the revelation of God in nature. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Producer Aaron Hill to unpack all the twists and turns in The Man Who Was Thursday—a book that is equal parts profound, existential, exhilarating, and perplexing. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/27601425

A Close Reading of "The Lord of the Rings" w/ Dr. Corey Olsen 06/30/2023

A Close Reading of "The Lord of the Rings" w/ Dr. Corey Olsen Today's culture favors convenience and speed. Even finding the time to slow down and read a physical book feels impossible. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Dr. Corey Olsen, the Founder and President of Signum University, to discuss his on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, specifically his close reading of The Lord of the Rings. What can we learn about Tolkien, his writing, and our favorite characters by intentionally slowing down to analyze the words which Tolkien himself so carefully selected and knit together into the fantasy masterpiece we all know and love? /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/27343905

How to Read History or "De Descriptione Temporum" by C.S. Lewis 05/26/2023

How to Read History or "De Descriptione Temporum" by C.S. Lewis How should we read, interpret, and apply history? How can historical misconceptions doom us to repeat the mistakes of the past? Is everything always getting better, or is it possible for new inventions and new ideas to be retrogressive--to take us a step backward? In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Producer Aaron Hill to discuss C.S. Lewis's inaugural lecture at Cambridge University for The Chair of Mediaeval and Renaissance, Literature entitled, "De Descriptione Temporum" or "A Description of the Times." They discuss how, in typical fashion, Lewis didn't waste this opportunity to simply say "thank you" for the promotion. Instead, he laid out his vision of history: how to read ancient literature, how to interpret history, and how the the avoidance of studying dead periods can actually enslave us to the past. /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/26968092

"An Experiment in Criticism" by C.S. Lewis 04/28/2023

"An Experiment in Criticism" by C.S. Lewis These days everyone is a critic. The internet is filled with—some might say "fueled" by—criticism of movies, books, art, society, everything. Over six decades ago, C.S. Lewis recognized and warned us that the wrong kind of critical posture can turn us not only into cynics but into cultural and ideological puritans. In this week's episode, Drs. Crystal and David C. Downing sit down with Producer Aaron Hill to discuss Lewis's book on this very topic titled, An Experiment in Criticism (1961). How does Lewis define good criticism? What makes differentiates a good reader from a bad one? And how can we apply the principle of receptivity to not just literature but life? /episode/index/show/wadecenterpodcast/id/26692074

Wade Center

TOPICS