310 - Annie Crawford - C.S. Lewis on Progress, AI, and Gender
Oct 9, 2023
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Annie Crawford discusses C.S. Lewis' perspective on progress, AI, and gender, the concept of a third gender in fiction, Lewis' portrayal of heaven in 'The Great Divorce', the trilogy's model after the Divine Comedy, the nature of matter and form, skepticism towards scientific explanations of spiritual concepts, and Lewis' belief in reuniting objective and subjective ways of knowing.
Engaging the brain in storytelling is crucial for creating impactful and memorable experiences.
The concept of progress often lacks clarity and direction, leading to a vague notion of striving to be on the right side of history without a clear vision of its ultimate destination.
C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy explores the cosmic significance of gender and its connection to broader cosmological concepts.
Deep dives
Importance of Engaging the Brain in Storytelling
The podcast episode discusses the importance of engaging the brain in storytelling. The speaker, Karen Eber, emphasizes the significance of how a story captures the senses and emotions of the audience. She emphasizes the need for each element of a story to earn its place, ensuring that the storytelling is impactful and memorable. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all approach, Eber suggests that practical tools are essential for effective storytelling.
The Vague Notion of Progress and the Desire for Meaning
The episode explores the idea of progress and the inherent desire for meaning that people experience. The speaker, Jonathan Pajell, mentions the danger of a vague notion of progress, where people strive to be on the right side of history without truly understanding where they are headed. He highlights the prevalence of discussions around progress and being progressive, but notes the lack of clarity when it comes to defining what that actually means. This lack of direction and understanding remains relevant today, as the concept of progress continues to be discussed without a clear vision of its ultimate destination.
C.S. Lewis and the Ransom Trilogy
The podcast features a conversation with scholar Annie Crawford, who has studied C.S. Lewis and his works extensively. Crawford discusses her interest in C.S. Lewis and his role in understanding the world and human nature. She acknowledges Lewis's influence on her personal journey and her approach to education and discipleship. The discussion focuses on C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy, particularly its relevance in today's world, exploring themes related to the shape of the world and the return of cosmic thinking. Crawford highlights Lewis's unique portrayal of gender as a cosmic force and its alignment with a sacramental understanding of the world. This examination delves into the deeper meanings behind Lewis's portrayal of gender and its connection to broader cosmological concepts.
Exploring the Transcendence of Gender
This podcast episode delves into the idea of transcending gender on a spiritual level. The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between confused gender and true transcendence. Drawing examples from literature, such as C.S. Lewis' character Ransom and the monastic life, the podcast explores how individuals who transcend gender do not manifest confusion, but rather embody a refined version of masculinity or femininity. The episode also discusses the differences between mixture and transcendence, highlighting the importance of maintaining unique identities while moving closer to a higher spiritual plane.
Inversion and Order in C.S. Lewis' Trilogy
The podcast examines C.S. Lewis' trilogy, particularly 'That Hideous Strength,' as a retelling of Dante's Divine Comedy, using inverted structures for a world that has lost its understanding of the cosmic order. The discussion highlights how Lewis employs science fiction as a genre to challenge modern understandings and open up imagination to powers and principalities. The character of Merlin is explored within this context, with a focus on how Merlin's role in the story reflects the idea of chaos collapsing under its own weight and nature reclaiming its order. Additionally, laughter as a means of bringing harmony to a distorted world is touched upon.
I had a great discussion with Annie Crawford. She’s written two wonderful articles for the Symbolic World Blog and is offering a course on C.S. Lewis’ Ransom Trilogy on the Symbolic World website. Check out our discussion about C.S. Lewis, AI, progress, gender, laughter, science, and the mystical.
Sign up for Annie’s course on the C.S. Lewis Ransom Trilogy. If you sign up now you will get the recordings of the first 10 lessons. The remaining 5 lessons on That Hideous Strength will be every Friday at 3pm CST / 4pm EST: https://the-symbolic-world.circle.so/checkout/cs-lewis-trilogy Email us at inquiries@symbolicworldpress.com if you have any questions or reach out to Annie in our website community: https://the-symbolic-world.circle.so/home
Annie’s articles on the Symbolic World Blog: - ‘Cosmos’: A Poetic Reflection on the Medieval Model: https://thesymbolicworld.com/content/cosmos-a-poetic-reflection-on-the-medieval-model - Gender and the Cosmos: The Restoration of Worlds in C.S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy: https://thesymbolicworld.com/content/gender-and-the-cosmos-the-restoration-of-worlds-in-c-s-lewis-s-ransom-trilogy
Timestamps: 0:00 Coming up 0:27 - Intro music 0:51 - Introduction 3:21 - The Symbolic World community 4:22 - C.S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy 6:14 - The disembodied head 7:20 - Gender and C.S. Lewis 13:31 - C.S. Lewis' approach to the topic 17:41 - The "third gender" 24:04 - The ending of "That Hideous Strength" 31:46 - Waters above and below 33:39 - Lewis and Dante 39:44 - Theology and "science" 46:31 - Barfield and Lewis: an original unity 53:30 - Merlin's Last Laugh
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 🔒 BECOME A PATRON Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/pageauvideos 📱 SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
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