originally published 8/30/2024

What might early reception of C. S. Lewis’s work in the United States tell us about American Christianity and culture? This is a key question in Mark Noll’s C. S. Lewis in America: Readings and Reception, 1935–1947 (IVP Academic, 2023). Among the secular literary press and Catholic intellectuals, Lewis’s writing and critiques of the dominant philosophies of the early 20th century were insightfully praised and generally respected. However, Noll explains, evangelicals were slower to warm to Lewis. While initially hesitant, partially due to his defense of objective universal morality, many evangelicals grew to appreciate his rhetorical gifts in the service of apologetics and evangelization. This interview was originally published on Volume 162 of the Journal. A different portion of the conversation was also published as a Friday Feature and is available here.

29 minutes

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