The C.S. Lewis podcast #234 Lilian Lindén: Did Lewis credit Barfield for what he learned from Steiner?
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Nov 3, 2025 Ruth Jackson chats with Lilian Lindén, a theology scholar and C.S. Lewis expert. Lilian discusses her intriguing paper on the potential influences of philosopher Barfield and thinker Steiner on Lewis, highlighting the scholarly debates surrounding their impact. She suggests that while Lewis credited Barfield, he might have borrowed key ideas from Steiner. Lilian also explores the philosophical underpinnings of Lewis's works, connecting them to Steiner's critiques of materialism. Prepare for a fascinating dive into the intellectual web surrounding C.S. Lewis!
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Barfield Sparked Lewis's Philosophical Shift
- Lewis credited Barfield with provoking a philosophical shift from realism to idealism that became a turning point in his life.
- That indebtedness has puzzled scholars because Lewis seldom linked Barfield's specific ideas to his later writings.
Lewis Cites Steiner's Negative Case
- A 1952 letter from Lewis highlights Rudolf Steiner as the source who philosophically affected him, not merely his friends.
- Lewis said Steiner's denials of modern materialism were 'unanswerable' even if he did not accept Steiner's affirmations.
Argument That Materialism Undermines Thought
- Steiner argued that materialism cannot account for the validity of thought because the brain, as matter, cannot vouch for truth.
- Lilian suggests Lewis adopted this exact move later in Miracles and other essays to rebut materialism.
