The C.S. Lewis podcast #223 Paul Anderson: CS Lewis and the Gospel of John
Aug 18, 2025
Paul Anderson, a Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies at George Fox University, shares his journey with C.S. Lewis and the impact of his writings on faith. He dives into Lewis’s literary approach to the Bible and his unique views on the Gospel of John. The conversation reveals how John's Gospel fits into the historical quest for Jesus and examines the intriguing debates surrounding it. Anderson also reflects on the relevance of Lewis's insights in today's theological discussions, emphasizing the relationship between faith and scholarship.
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Narnia's Personal Impact
- Paul and his wife read the Narnia series to their children and saw its formative impact.
- He describes Narnia as creating a modern biblical mythology that speaks to transcendent themes.
Light Imagery Links Lewis And John
- As a Johannine scholar, Anderson values the Gospel of John's theme of Christ as light accessible to all, though not everyone accepts it.
- He links Lewis's light imagery to Johannine theology and human reception of truth.
Questioning Bultmann's Source Theory
- Anderson's PhD and research focus on John's tension between Jesus' humanity and divinity and its epistemological roots.
- He used Bultmann's source-criticism as a case study to test claims about multiple alien sources in John 6.
