447 - Annie Crawford - The Cosmic Alchemy of That Hideous Strength
About this episode
The episode explores the role of alchemy in C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength and its implications for modern technology and narrative.
In this conversation with Annie Crawford, we explore the role of alchemy in C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. While alchemy is often dismissed as occult or irrelevant, Lewis uses its symbolism in a precise and meaningful way. We look at how the novel presents two forms of transformation: one rooted in control, technology, and disembodied power, and the other in sacrifice, order, and participation in the divine. This distinction speaks directly to how we understand modern technology, including AI. The discussion also touches on story structure, the nature of symbolic thinking, and how transformation is embedded in narrative itself. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/7WqrbWNHJBs Join us at the Symbolic World Summit | May 14-16 | Ohio | Keynote speakers: Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, Kale Zelden, Annie Crawford, and Heather Pollington Buy your tickets: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ ===== 🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🎧 Please review The Symbolic…
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