Beyond the Walls Book Chat

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a beautiful book for children. Tonight's episode looks at why children and even adults can benefit from reading about the life of the great American navigator, Nathaniel Bowditch. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

"The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts."   -Marcus Aurelius Tonight's episode is the beginning of an exploration about what happens when you change the type of books you read. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The end is near as Merlin, carrying the power of the planets, enters Belbury to bring confusion and chaos to the workers of darkness. Lewis called this a fairy tale, but does it end with a "happily ever after" for Mark and Jane? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The trap around Mark is tightening and the plans of Belbury are coming to a climax. What is it that Mark's missing that has allowed him to be so taken in, and how will he find his way out? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The tensions grow as Edgestow is invaded by the N.I.C.E. and the company at St Anne's searches for the only one who can help them. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight, we learn more about Ransom's back story in That Hideous Strength. Things have changed a bit for him since Perelandra . Who does Lewis want him to represent in this book? How do we expect his little band of followers to go up against the NICE? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Things are getting sticky for Mark at the NICE, but sadly he doesn't see how he's being manipulated. Meanwhile, Jane is having even more vivid dreams. What will be the final dream that pushes her to the company at St Anne's for safety? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight's episode follows Jane and Mark as they travel separate roads leading them to the opposite sides of a cultural war. The world Mark is entering is full of vagueness, euphemisms, and uncertainty. Meanwhile Jane is drawn into a group that is welcoming, direct, and honest. What does the language of each group tell us about their ultimate intentions, and how will Mark and Jane find their w...

Tonight is our first look at That Hideous Strength , the third and final book in the Ransom Trilogy. We'll explore the setting and meet the important characters. Two big questions to be answered right away are, who are the players in this organization called the N.I.C.E. and what are the details of their nefarious plan to conquer nature? Lewis constructed his fairy tale like concentric rings...

Tonight, we follow Ransom to the garden at top of the mountain and the coronation of the King and Queen of Perelandra. We will look closely at the parallels between Dante's Purgatorio and Lewis's Perelandra and see how Love is the Prime Mover and the force behind every story. Books I reference: Mystical Perelandra Deeper Heaven Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email bey...

Tonight's episode follows Ransom through his inner battle to surrender to his calling. And once he surrenders the entire story turns. The battle with the Un-man extends beyond the island world and into the depths of a mountain. A mountain that represents not just Mt Purgatory from Dante's Divine Comedy but also the struggles and journey of the Christian life. Send us Fan Mail For questio...

Weston has arrived on Perelandra and it's everything Ransom can do to keep him from corrupting the Green Lady. This week we'll look at Weston's motives and what or who is helping him wreak havoc on this new world. Books I'm using to understand Perelandra better: Mystical Perelandra Deeper Heaven Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gma...

Ransom has landed in a new world. Venus is a paradise of green seas and soft floating islands. The only inhabitants of this land are the Green Lady and a missing king. Life seems perfect on Perelandra and Ransom wants to see it stay that way. With Weston's shocking arrival we finally understand why Ransom was called. But is he ready for all that he will need to do to prevent the fall of this...

Tonight's episode is a brief overview of the second book in the Ransom Trilogy, Perelandra. Written in 1943, Lewis published this book when he was 45. Some consider it his best work. We will take this book slowly and do our best to explore the depths of Lewis's genius and creativity in describing a fantastical trip to Venus.  Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyon...

Tonight's episode digs deeper into the things Ransom learned and experienced while on Malacandra (Mars). Aside from learning the Old Solar language Ransom was able to answer the questions about Earth's history for the Malacandrian ruler. Simultaneously he was given the ability to see the story of salvation from the eyes of the rest of the universe. This time on Mars will have significant...

Can a book written in the 1930s really help us understand the ethics of space colonization better? Lewis has some surprising insights for us as he sends his protagonist Elwin Ransom to Mars to have his imagination re-baptized into a deeper understanding of the medieval heavens. The book I'm using to better understand Lewis's space trilogy: Deeper Heaven by Christiana Hale Send us Fan Mai...

What are the deeper meanings of the deeper heavens? CS Lewis thinks he knows. This week's episode is a brief overview of the sci-fi classics Out of the Silent Planet , Perelandra , and That Hideous Strength . Not surprisingly CS Lewis had a lot to say about humanity's responsibility to his place in the universe. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookc...

Tonight is a short episode about The Last Battle that dives a little deeper into the forms of Plato and the symbolism of the stable door. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

"In the last days of Narnia..." from the opening Lewis gives us a clear indication of where this is headed. But I never would have guessed the end for anything.  One of the best books to read as a companion to this series: Further Up, and Further In: Understanding Narnia Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

This week we have front row seats at the creation of Narnia. We also learn the back story of wise Professor Kirke and the magical Wardrobe. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight, we explore the beautiful Narnian fairy tale that Lewis dedicated to his two stepsons. The Horse & His Boy is a fast-paced, multilayered story with secrets upon secrets with nothing being exactly as it seems. Get your own copy of The Horse & His Boy Read more about Michael Ward's theory in his book Planet Narnia Read the story that inspired Lewis in so many ways: The Consolati...

Tonight's episode is a brief rest in the middle of our journey through Narnia. Let's take a closer look at memorable characters we've met (or are yet to meet) and what allegory really means. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Join us this week as the magic draws us back into Narnia. We will follow Jill and Eustace as they follow the signs and travel to the depths of the underground to rescue the lost prince and fulfill their mission from Aslan. Get your own copy of The Silver Chair . Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

This new journey to Narnia takes Lucy and Edmond on a high seas adventure. But unfortunately their pesky cousin Eustace is tagging along. But Aslan has a reason for bringing them all into His world. Lewis uses the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia to teach eternal truths nestled inside a deliciously fun story. Books I mention in tonight's episode: Further Up, and Further In: Understandin...

The Pevensies are drawn back into Narnia. But it's not like the Narnia they remember. Tonight, let's look again at the motif of the return of the king and how faith plays a role throughout the second story in the Chronicles of Narnia. A helpful book to dive deeper into the Narnian world: Planet Narnia Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.c...