Truth Unites The Night Tolkien Convinced C.S. Lewis of Christ (The Power of Myth)
Dec 1, 2025
Discover the impactful 1931 conversation that brought C.S. Lewis closer to Christianity, thanks to Tolkien's insights. Explore how human storytelling raises profound spiritual questions about good and evil. Hear examples from film and literature that highlight a recurring moral pattern in narratives. Delve into the debate between Lewis, Tolkien, and Dyson about myth and truth. Learn how Lewis came to see the gospel as a true myth and reflect on the notion that every story ultimately points back to a transcendent truth.
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The Night That Changed Lewis
- On September 19, 1931, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Hugo Dyson stayed up discussing myth and Christianity until dawn.
- A sudden wind and falling leaves punctuated their conversation, which Lewis later said helped trigger his conversion to Christianity.
Lewis's Imagination–Reason Divide
- C.S. Lewis felt a deep imaginative longing (joy) for mythic 'northerness' while his intellect dismissed such experiences as unreal.
- This split drove him to reconcile imagination and reason, a reconciliation he found in Christianity.
Myth As A Window To Truth
- Tolkien argued myths are not mere lies but windows into deeper truth because humans are sub-creators made in God's image.
- He called Christ the true myth and the resurrection the ultimate eucatastrophe that fulfills all lesser stories.
