Episodes

Sunday Jul 05, 2020
(Re-Post) 14r Essay Chat - On Stories pt. 2 (Andrew Lazo)
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
In this repeat: Here's the second of a two-part essay chat on the shorter work "On Stories."


Friday Jul 03, 2020
(Re-Post) 13r Essay Chat - On Stories pt. 1 (Andrew Lazo)
Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: The first of a two-part essay chat on the shorter work by Lewis called "On Stories."

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Sunday Jun 28, 2020
(Re-Post) The Pilgrim’s Regress (Wade Annotated Edition)
Sunday Jun 28, 2020
Sunday Jun 28, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: About a special edition of The Pilgrim's Regress that was published in 2014.

C.S. Lewis's first Christian book has been a difficult read for most individuals, however a newly released edition makes it easier to understand. Dr. David Downing is the editor of The Pilgrim's Regress: Wade Annotated Edition. William O'Flaherty spoke with Dr. Downing recently about how he became involved in the project, along with what types of helps he provides in this version of the 1933 volume. Previously Dr. Downing has been on the show to discuss his books The Most Reluctant Convert and Looking for the King (see below for links).
- Purchase The Pilgrim's Regress (Wade Annotated Edition)
- Dr. Downing Author's Page
- Hear Dr. Downing's Talk on The Pilgrim's Regress (Direct link from Wade Center)
- Visit The Wade Center
- Hear Podcast of Looking for the King
- Hear Podcast of The Most Reluctant Convert

Thursday Jun 25, 2020
(Re-Post) The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition (2016R)
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
In this repeat: Another reminder about a previous interview about The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition.

Back in 2014 I first released this interview with Paul McCusker about The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition that had only been release a few months before that show was posted. I had yet to share this conversation again since moving my podcast hosting to Podbean, so it has been unavailable for awhile. This year (2016) is the 75th anniversary of the letters first appearing in a small church publication before they came out in book form in the UK in 1942. So, it seem especially important to share interview again because of this fact. Learn how Paul became involved in this project and what information you will and won't see in it.

Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
(Re-Post) EC11-12r Essay Chat - The Vision of John Bunyan (Kevin Belmonte)
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: An essay chat on the shorter work "The Vision of John Bunyan." The essay was first published on December 13, 1962.

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Purchase Selected Literary Essays
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Purchase audio recording that includes "The Vision of John Bunyan"
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Visit Advanced Book Exchange (AbeBooks)
- Listen to Previous Interviews with Kevin Belmonte
Purchase Books by Kevin Belmonte:
- Defiant Joy
- The Quotable Chesterton
- A Year with G.K. Chesterton
- Miraculous
- William Wilberforce
- D.L. Moody - A Life

Sunday Jun 14, 2020
(Re-Post) EC10r Essay Chat - Meditation in a Toolshed (Dr. Bruce Edwards)
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: Here's another previous essay chat; this one on Meditation in a Toolshed.
"Meditation in a Toolshed" was the tenth essay chat William O'Flaherty did back in 2012. Dr. Bruce Edwards, Professor Emeritus of English and Africana Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, is the guest for this discussion. "Meditation in a Toolshed" is a fairly short essay that is a favorite among Lewis scholars. It is best found in God in the Dock essay collection. Learn about the background to this shorter work from Lewis and a few of the key points made in it that will either introduce to this great piece or remind you about it.

Thursday Jun 11, 2020
(Re-Post) EC16r Essay Chat - Willing Slaves of the Welfare State (Dr. Crystal Hurd)
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: Another essay chat - this on "Willings Slaves of the Welfare State" with Dr. Crystal Hurd.

Back in April 2012 I began an occasional series of essay chats. Each of these podcasts examine a single shorter work that C.S. Lewis wrote with the hopes of encourage you to read or re-read it. As "Willing Slaves of the Welfare State" is repeated with this show, I find it hard to believe that I actually did sixteen over a seven month span. Of course, back then my program wasn't very old and this was a fairly easy way to create a new podcast. My guest for this essay chat is a familiar name; Dr. Crystal Hurd has been on the show many times. Crystal is an educator and researcher from Virginia who is currently researching the role of artists as leaders. The essay discussed can most easily be found in God in the Dock.
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- Purchase God in the Dock
- Visit Crystal Hurd's Website
- Listen to Other Podast with Dr. Crystal Hurd
- Visit Shelley and Son Books Website (podcast sponsor)
- Visit ScrewtapeCompanion.com
- Listen to All About Jack on iTunes
- 90 Seconds to Knowing C.S. Lewis YouTube CHANNEL
- Visit EssentialCSLewis.com
- Purchase The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

Sunday Jun 07, 2020
Sunday Jun 07, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: An essay chat on "Screwtape Proposes a Toast"
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“Screwtape Proposes a Toast” is an essay that is indirectly a follow-up to the successful book The Screwtape Letters. Brenton Dickieson joins William O’Flaherty for an essay chat on this insightful piece that Wormwood never got to hear. It was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1959 (see below for a link to read it online) before being reprinted several times. The best place to get in print is either in The World’s Last Night or some editions of The Screwtape Letters. This is part of an occasional series exploring a single essay by Lewis to encourage you to read (or re-read) it and other essays by him that are often neglected.
- Read the essay for FREE online at The Saturday Evening Post
- Purchase the essay in The Annotated Screwtape Letters
- Purchase the essay in The World's Last Night
- Visit A Pilgrim in Narnia (Brenton's website)

Thursday Jun 04, 2020
(Re-Post) EC04r - "Is Theology Poetry?" with Dr. Holly Ordway (Essay Chat)
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: "Is Theology Poetry?" - the fourth essay chat

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Purchase The Weight of Glory -
Purchase Not God's Type
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Visit Holly's Website
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Listen to Interview with Holly about Not God's Type
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Purchase Lewis Books on Amazon
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Listen to All About Jack on iTunes
Purchase C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell

Sunday May 31, 2020
(Re-Post) The Inklings and King Arthur (Sørina Higgins)
Sunday May 31, 2020
Sunday May 31, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: My recent interview (Feb. 2018) with Sorina Higgins about the book she editted, The Inklilngs and King Arthur.
Read the rest of this entry »
Friday May 29, 2020
(Re-Post) The Collected Poems of C. S. Lewis (Dr. Don King)
Friday May 29, 2020
Friday May 29, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT:: More from Dr. Don King. This time it's on The Collected Poems of C.S. Lewis.
Some Lewis readers are unaware that he wrote poetry (or at best are uninterested in it). Dr. Don King, editor of The Collected Poems of C.S. Lewis: A Critical Edition, believes such individuals are missing out on not only gaining a better understanding of the author, but they are also depriving themselves of some great writings. William O'Flaherty spoke with him about the scope of this new book (scheduled to released January 7, 2015) that brings together nearly all of the poetry of C.S. Lewis.
- Listen to previous interview: Plain to the Inward Eye
- Listen to previous interview: Out of My Bone
- Dr. Don King's Literature Page
- Purchase Lewis Books on Amazon
- Purchase C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell
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Purchase The Misquotable C.S. Lewis
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90 Seconds to Knowing C.S. Lewis YouTube CHANNEL
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Visit EssentialCSLewis.com
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Purchase The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

Wednesday May 27, 2020
(Re-Post) The Oxford Inklings (Colin Duriez)
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: Interview with Colin Duriez about his book The Oxford Inklings.
Colin Duriez has written about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien many times over his writing career as an expert on the two. But only this year (2015) has he come out with a book exploring the two of them along with a group of other friends who often met twice a week. The Oxford Inklings takes a look at the origins of this group that is often falsely called a "writer's group." In this chat with William O'Flaherty, he explains why it was much more while giving insightful details about the lives of the key members of this influential circle.
- Purchase The Oxford Inklings
- Listen to Interview about C.S. Lewis: A Biography of Friendship
- Listen to Interview about The A – Z of C.S. Lewis
- Purchase Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of a Friendship
- Purchase The C.S. Lewis Chronicles

Friday May 22, 2020
(Re-Post) The A – Z of C.S. Lewis (Colin Duriez)
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
IN THE REPEAT: Another great resource from Colin Duriez from a few years ago.

- Purchase The A - Z of C.S. Lewis
- Visit Colin Duriez's Website
- Listen to C.S. Lewis: A Biography of Friendship Interview

Monday May 18, 2020
(Re-Post) 2019 Douglas Gresham Interview
Monday May 18, 2020
Monday May 18, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: Here's an interview I did with the stepson of C.S. Lewis at the end of 2019.
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Back in 2013, I did my first interview with Douglas Gresham (stepson of C.S. Lewis). What follows is a new conversation I had with him that occurred in early November 2019 at an event hosted by the Presbyterian Heritage Center at their International Symposium on C. S. Lewis. The reason for the delay in my posting of it is I only received a copy of it less than a week ago. There are two things to note about this interview. One, it had already been established prior to the interview that there was not anything new to report about the progress of the deal with Netflix, and secondly, there had already been a general interview with him by Dr. Don King earlier at the event (see link below to watch it). The focus of my conversation was mostly on the Narnia books and films.
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UPDATE: WATCH -this- Interview on YouTube
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Watch Gresham Interview with Dr. Don King (Presbyterian Heritage Center)
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Purchase The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (book)
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Purchase The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005 movie)
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Hear 2013 Interview with Douglas Gresham
- Listen to All About Jack on iTunes
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Purchase C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell
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Visit ScrewtapeCompanion.com
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90 Seconds to Knowing C.S. Lewis YouTube CHANNEL
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Visit EssentialCSLewis.com
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Purchase The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

Thursday May 14, 2020
(Re-Post) Lewis Symposium 2019 Male Panel Discussion, pt. 2
Thursday May 14, 2020
Thursday May 14, 2020
IN THIS REPEAT: Hear the last half of a panel discussion featuring some of the top Lewis scholars.
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The following podcast is the second and final part of a panel discussion featuring the men who were speakers at C.S. Lewis: Influence & Relevance Today - An International Symposium of the Presbyterian Heritage Center (PHC) that was held at the Montreat Conference Center November 6-8, 2019. They were Drs. Don King, Jerry Root, David Downing, and Hal Poe. As noted in the introduction, this recording is from my own equipment and not from what the PHC recorded. Doing it this way was the quickest way to get the show out. Also, I'll update this page when any official video or other audio is made available.
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- Listen to PART ONE of This Panel
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Hear other Interviews with Dr. Jerry Root
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Hear other Interviews with Dr. Hal Poe
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Hear other Interviews with Dr. Don King
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Watch Video Lecture from Dr. David Downing
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Some of the Books Mentioned:
Read the rest of this entry »