Episode 190: C. S. Lewis and the Bible: Leslie Baynes on Imagination, Interpretation, and Scripture

C. S. Lewis and the Bible: Leslie Baynes on Imagination, Interpretation, and Scripture

C. S. Lewis is one of the most beloved Christian writers of the twentieth century — but how did he actually read the Bible? In this episode, Chad sits down with Dr. Leslie Baynes, New Testament scholar at Missouri State University, to discuss her book Between Interpretation and Imagination: C. S. Lewis and the Bible — the first full-length study by a biblical scholar of how Lewis interpreted and used Scripture.

Leslie and Chad explore the never-before-published notes Lewis scribbled in the margins of his own books, the thinkers who shaped his approach to the Bible, and where Lewis read Scripture literally (the resurrection) and where he did not (Jonah). Along the way they talk about Lewis's famous "Liar, Lunatic, Lord" argument, his imaginative theology, and what Leslie discovered during her time as scholar-in-residence at the Kilns, Lewis's home outside Oxford.

Dr. Leslie Baynes (PhD, University of Notre Dame) is Associate Professor of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism at Missouri State University. A scholar of ancient apocalyptic literature — especially 1 Enoch and the Book of Revelation — and of C. S. Lewis, she has served as a translator for the New American Bible Revised Edition and as an Inklings Project Fellow.

Links:

• 🎙️ Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT
• 🌐 A History of Christian Theology: https://www.ahistoryofchristiantheology.com
• 📖 Between Interpretation and Imagination: C. S. Lewis and the Bible: https://www.lesliebaynes.com
• 👤 Dr. Leslie Baynes at Missouri State University: https://www.missouristate.edu/relst/lbaynes.aspx
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