The C. S. Lewis Phenomenon Christianity and the Public Sphere

The C.S. Lewis Phenomenon names the way in which Lewis’s presentations of Christianity in both his fiction and non-fiction depend upon the conventions of the public sphere. Conceiving Lewis as a public intellectual also provides a useful meta-critical lens for exploring his symbiotic relationship to the public sphere, revealing how his place within the public sphere mirrors its rupture.



The C. S. Lewis Phenomenon names the way in which Lewis’s presentations of Christianity in both his fiction and non-fiction depend upon the conventions of the public sphere—this study explores three facets of that phenomenon. The first concerns Lewis’s accomplishment as a public intellectual. Conceiving Lewis as a public intellectual also provides a useful meta-critical lens for exploring his symbiotic relationship to the public sphere, revealing how his place within the public sphere mirrors its rupture. A meta-critical analysis also sheds light on the Lewis industry, highlighting the curiosities that have characterised Lewis scholarship from its beginning.