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“Surprised by Oxford”

To hear the podcast (20 min.) click here.

Carolyn Weber is a unique woman.  A portion of her life was made into a feature length film.  It is titled Surprised by Oxford after her book of the same title published by Thomas Nelson.  Links are below.

Dr. Carolyn Weber joined David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast.

Who Is Carolyn Weber? 

Carolyn is originally from Canada, but she and her husband, Kent, children, chickens, and dogs live near Nashville TN.  She grew up nominally Catholic but describes herself before college as “agnostic.” 

Dr. Weber went on to earn an MPhil and DPhil at Oxford, specializing in English literature.  She also went on to fall in love and by the end of her first year at Oxford, she became a follower of Jesus.

Carolyn was helped along the way by the fellow she would marry, Kent, and by numerous other students, staff, and faculty at Oxford.  C. S. Lewis and his writings became a mainstay for her as she transitioned to faith.

Today, Carolyn teaches at a Christian classical school, New College in Franklin Tennessee.  She comes to that position with quite an academic pedigree.

Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford is a memoir of one year in Carolyn Weber’s life.  The book is thoughtfully organized according to the academic calendar of Oxford. 

It is beautifully written and carefully presented.  Like C. S. Lewis, Carolyn was a “reluctant convert.”  She came kicking and screaming into the family.  But it was those conversations, those friendships, those relationships that became key.

In this podcast Carolyn deals with the big picture of that year.  So many more details await you in the book or in the movie.  Or both!  You will enjoy this podcast.

Resources

Here is a link to her book Surprised by Oxford.

You can check out Weber’s other books here.

To watch a video on the imagination of C.S. Lewis, given by Jerry Root at The Lanier Theological Library, click here.

More Resources

For a transcript of this podcast, click here.

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

You can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here

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C. S. Lewis and Spirituality with Alister McGrath

To hear the podcast click here.

Alister McGrath is a famous theologian.  He has lectured several times at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston. 

You can find links to those lectures below.  Dr. McGrath is coming again March 1-3, 2024. He will  discuss one of his favorite topics, C. S. Lewis. 

He joined David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcasts to talk about his life and his upcoming lecture.

Who Is Alister McGrath?  

Alister McGrath is a scientist and a theologian.  Earlier in his life he was an atheist, but he became a Christian. 

So, now he loves to talk to atheists.  He knows why he is a Christian.  Along the way he discovered C. S. Lewis.  And Lewis, who was also an atheist who became a Christian, became a guide for Alister in his journey of faith. 

Professor McGrath is the author of many books on aspects of theology, science, faith, and C. S. Lewis.

C.S. Lewis and the Spiritual Life

For many people C. S. Lewis has been an important part of their spiritual lives.  Although he lived and flourished in the middle of the 20th century, he continues to inspire people to think deeply and intelligently about their Christian faith. 

McGrath explores some of those avenues in this podcast.  Lewis is one of the best communicators, story tellers, and apologists of recent memory.  

Individuals, pastors and teachers can use his writings to fire the imagination and help people grow in their faiths.

Resources, C.S. Lewis and Alister McGrath

Here are links to view Dr. McGraths lectures at LTL.

The Lord Is My Light: How the Christian Faith Makes Sense Of Things

C.S. Lewis and the Post Modern Generation: His Message 50 Years Later

The Big Questions: Richard Dawkins vs. C. S. Lewis: the Meaning of Life

A Seminar on C.S. Lewis, with Alister McGrath

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Parables from the Pandemic with Christine Galib

Dr. Christine Galib

Dr. Christine Galib is a reader, a writer, an educator, and an entrepreneur.  Perhaps more importantly, she is a seeker of Truth.  In this podcast, she talks with David Capes about her new book, Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World.   She dedicated it to all who passed away and all who suffered loss as a result of the Covid pandemic.  Dr. Galib has written twelves parables—one a poem, one a tweet!—that illustrate the harshness of this fallen world and yet speak Truth and offer hope.  Inspired by Dante Alighieri, John Milton, Jesus, C. S. Lewis and other wise writers, Christine helps us understand that “sometimes, and perhaps most times, fiction teaches us more truths than fact does.” To know more about Christine Galib, go to her website: www.christinegalib.com.

To hear the podcast (20 minutes) click here.

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The Beautiful Ache

Leigh McLeroy

Leigh McLeroy (MA in Cultural Apologetics, Houston Baptist University), writer, speaker, ghostwriter, dog-lover, stops by to talk with David Capes on “The Stone Chapel” about her amazing book, The Beautiful Ache: Finding the God Who Satisfies When Life Does Not.  Leigh is a wonderful writer who weaves together stories from life and Scripture to talk about all of our spiritual journeys.  This book is for anyone whose longings do not match the reality of this world.  This is “the ache” we all experience, but is a sure sign that there is something more.

To hear the podcast click here.

The Stone Chapel is a podcast of the friends and staff of the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, Texas.  It is hosted by Dr. David Capes, Senior Research Fellow at the library and former faculty member at Houston Baptist University and Wheaton College.  The purpose of the podcast is to bring to our audience great conversations from the world’s leading experts in theology, biblical studies, archaeology, Church history, the Dead Sea Scrolls, ethics, ministry, and a host of other topics close to the mission of the library.

The Lanier Theological Library is a magnet for scholars, church leaders and influencers.  For the last ten years, it has welcomed hundreds of academics and church leaders from across the globe for public lectures, study, panel discussions, consultations, and encouragement.

These podcasts as well as the Lanier library and the Stone Chapel are generously underwritten by Mark and Becky Lanier and the Lanier Theological Library Foundation.  If you have questions or comments, please be in touch: Email david.capes@lanierlibrary.org

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Ambiguity in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis

Terry Cokenour, a patron of the library, stopped by to talk with David Capes about his doctoral thesis at the London School of Theology.  Here is his title: “An Invitation to Thought: Ambiguities in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis.”  Terry has been coming to the Lanier Theological Library since 2011 with a lengthy pause when he served as a missionary and church leader in Budapest, Hungary.  He talks about how he came to focus his research and his spiritual heart on the writings of C. S. Lewis and to love the mystery he finds in his writings.

To hear the 20 minute podcast click here:

TSC_038 Terry Cokenour, Ambiguity in the Apologetics of C. S. Lewis