About this episode

Ruth Jackson interviews Jim Stockton about the Oxford Socratic Club and its influence on honest debate, shaped by C.S. Lewis.

Ruth Jackson is joined by Jim Stockton, emeritus lecturer in philosophy at Boise State University and author of The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942–1972: A Life. Together they explore Stockton’s fascination with C.S. Lewis, from first reading The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity to years of deep archival research into the Oxford Socratic Club. Jim shares how the club brought Christians, atheists and agnostics together for serious debate, why it became such a significant intellectual hub in Oxford, and the crucial role played by Stella Aldwinckle in shaping its life and vision. Drawing on his paper and workshop from the 2024 Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, Stockton offers fresh insight into one of the most important and underexplored contexts of Lewis’s public thought, influence, and legacy in modern Christian apologetics. Jim Srockton;s book is here or if you're in the UK here The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942-1972: + Support us here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate + Subscribe to The CS Lewis podcast: https://www.premier.plus/cs-lewis-podcast + For more shows, free ebook and newsletter visit our website: https://premierunbelievable.com/

People in this episode

Host: Ruth Jackson

Guest: Jim Stockton

Topics covered

• C.S. Lewis
• Oxford Socratic Club
• debate
• Christian apologetics
• intellectual history

Keywords

• C.S. Lewis
• Oxford Socratic Club
• debate
• Christianity
• philosophy
• Jim Stockton
• Stella Aldwinckle
• apologetics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boise State University

Books & works: The Oxford University Socratic Club, 1942–1972: A Life, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity

More episodes of The C.S. Lewis podcast

• #259 Jim Stockton: Inside the Oxford Socratic Club - Tea, Minutes & the Lives Behind the Debates · April 27, 2026 · 20 min
• #258 Jim Stockton: What Happened Beyond the Debates? C.S. Lewis’s Socratic Club · April 20, 2026 · 22 min
• #257 Jim Stockton: The legacy and modern relevance of the Oxford University Socratic Club · April 13, 2026 · 23 min
• #256 Jim Stockton: Why did the Oxford University Socratic Club end? · April 6, 2026 · 24 min
• #255 Jim Stockton: Exploring the Oxford University Socratic Club · March 30, 2026 · 27 min
• #253 Alister McGrath LIVE: The CS Lewis You Never Knew: Exploring meaning, truth and technology (Q&A) · March 16, 2026 · 26 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The C.S. Lewis podcast podcast page.