The Oxford Circle

"Before Narnia ever existed, C.S. Lewis had a secret weapon: a band of Oxford friends who argued, challenged, and inspired him—the Inklings."

Think C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia all by himself? Think again. Lewis was part of the Inklings, a group of Oxford professors, writers, and thinkers who met to read aloud, debate, and challenge one another.

When we think of CS Lewis today, we often picture The Chronicles of Narnia, or his rational, graceful Christian apologetics. But to really understand him, we need to see him inside a unique circle of writers and thinkers: the Inklings—a group that met in Oxford in the 1930s and ’40s to read aloud, critique, and sometimes spar over each other’s works.

In fact, I was aware that C.S. Lewis was an extremely influential modern writer when I began this episode and intended to write it just about Lewis, but came to quickly realize that he was only a part of the “creative puzzle.

Transcript

"Before Narnia ever existed, C.S. Lewis had a secret weapon: a band of Oxford friends who argued, challenged, and inspired him—the Inklings."

Think C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia all by himself? Think again. Lewis was part of the Inklings, a group of Oxford professors, writers, and thinkers who met to read aloud, debate, and challenge one another.

When we think of CS Lewis today, we often picture The Chronicles of Narnia, or his rational, graceful Christian apologetics. But to really understand him, we need to see him inside a unique circle of writers and thinkers: the Inklings—a group that met in Oxford in the 1930s and ’40s to read aloud, critique, and sometimes spar over each other’s works.

In fact, I was aware that C.S. Lewis was an extremely influential modern writer when I began this episode and intended to write it just about Lewis, but came to quickly realize that he was only a part of the “creative puzzle.

At the center was J.R.R. Tolkien, whose love of myth, and the study of language, its history, and how it shapes thought—shaped the group’s imagination. Tolkien didn’t just make up languages for fun; he spent hours analyzing old tongues to make Elvish and other Middle-earth languages feel authentic. He also o in front of him    nce spent so long lecturing Lewis on the difference between a fairytale and a proper myth that Lewis joked he might need a dictionary just to keep up!

Then there was Charles Williams, a poet, novelist, and theologian with a mystical streak that pushed Lewis to explore the spiritual depths of story. Williams could be so intense that the others sometimes left a meeting feeling like they’d just survived a philosophical thunderstorm—but Lewis secretly loved the challenge.

And don’t forget Owen Barfield, the “philosophical Inkling,” whose ideas about language, consciousness, and participation nudged Lewis toward thinking differently about imagination itself. Barfield had a habit of turning even casual discussions into deep dives on consciousness and the evolution of human thought—so be careful what you say in front of him!

Lewis soaked it all in. Tolkien challenged his logic, Williams stirred his spiritual imagination, and Barfield opened his mind to the evolving nature of human consciousness. The result? Stories that still enchant us, essays that still persuade us, and a reminder that even genius sometimes needs a little peer pressure… the literary kind.

Despite all the intense debates, Lewis could always lighten the room—once reading aloud a scene so absurd that Tolkien nearly fell out of his chair laughing. And these meetings didn’t happen in some lofty lecture hall—they gathered in pubs like The Eagle and Child, sipping tea or ale, and letting ideas bounce off the walls… or across the table with a bit of literary mischief.

Lewis had been a rationalist atheist in his youth, but the Inklings’ discussions, debates, and shared readings pulled him toward faith, story, and myth in ways that would define his career. With their influence, he expanded from scholarly essays into enduring works of imaginative literature—from The Screwtape Letters to The Chronicles of Narnia.

So let me go over that again - here you have the Inklings - a group of Oxford professors who were also writers, poets, and thinkers reading aloud, debating, and sometimes sparring over ideas. At the center were Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, whose love of myth and the use of ancient languages shaped Lewis’s imagination. Then there was Charles Williams, a mystic novelist whose work was as intense as it was morally probing, pushing Lewis to explore the spiritual depths of story. And don’t forget Owen Barfield, the “philosophical Inkling,” whose ideas about language, consciousness, and participation nudged Lewis toward thinking differently about imagination itself.

Together, these four men created a crucible for creativity. The Inklings weren’t just friends—they were co-conspirators in a quest to blend scholarship, story, and spirituality. Without them, there might be no Narnia, no Screwtape Letters, and a very different Lewis. The Inklings remind us that even the most solitary imagination sometimes needs a little literary mischief—and a lot of friendship—to shine.

In other words, understanding Lewis without the Inklings is like reading a single star in the night sky—you miss the constellation that gives it shape, depth, and context. These four men—Lewis, Tolkien, Williams, and Barfield—were a crucible for creativity, blending scholarship, story, mystical speculation, and deeply human insight.

"C.S. Lewis didn’t just dream up talking lions—he had a whole Oxford gang making sure his stories—and his faith—could roar.”

Let's start with Owen Barfield - Who he was:

Now Owen Barfield (1898–1997) was a British philosopher, author, and poet. He was a close friend of C.S. Lewis from their student days at Oxford, and he is often considered the intellectual foundation of the Inklings’ more philosophical discussions.

Barfield is best known for his writings on language, consciousness, and the evolution of human thought. Key works include:

Poetic Diction (1928) – explores how language shapes perception and imagination

Saving the Appearances (1957) – discusses how human consciousness evolves, as well the relationship between perception and reality

History in English Words (1926) – traces the development of English words to understand cultural and conceptual shifts

Barfield introduced Lewis to the idea of “original participation”, the notion that humans once experienced a more direct connection with the world, and that consciousness evolves over time. These ideas shaped Lewis’s approach to imagination, myth, and theology. And while Tolkien focused on myth and Williams on spiritual-mystical storytelling, Barfield offered the bridge between imagination, philosophy, and language, making the Inklings’ discussions richer and more nuanced. Barfield’s exploration of how language and consciousness interact helped Lewis think differently about how stories can convey truth, not just entertain. In short, Owen Barfield was the Inkling who reminded everyone that how we perceive and use language shapes not just stories, but our understanding of reality itself. His ideas quietly undergirded much of Lewis’s imaginative and theological work.

Now, Charles Williams (1886–1945) was a British poet, novelist, theologian, and literary critic. Unlike Lewis or Tolkien, he wasn’t an academic professor—he worked in publishing, eventually becoming a key editor at the Oxford University Press.

Williams is best known for his metaphysical novels—sometimes called supernatural thrillers—which blend theology, morality, and the fantastical. 

Key works include: Descent into Hell (1937), All Hallows’ Eve (1945), and
War in Heaven (1930)

These novels explore complex ideas: the nature of evil, the spiritual realities behind the material world, and the mysterious ways human choices and divine forces intersect.

He also wrote poetry and literary criticism, and he had a lifelong fascination with mysticism, symbolism, and theology, which made his work intense, morally probing, and sometimes unsettling.

Williams pushed Lewis to consider the spiritual and moral dimensions of story in ways that Tolkien, as a mythologist, didn’t always do. He brought a kind of moral urgency and metaphysical depth that shaped Lewis’s imagination. Williams also added a mystical and theological dimension to their conversations. While Tolkien focused on the structure of myth, and Barfield on the evolution of consciousness, Williams was the one reminding everyone that story could be a conduit for spiritual truth. His blending of fantasy, theology, and moral philosophy is extremely unique, and unusual even today—it’s what gives his work a kind of haunting, otherworldly resonance. In short, Williams is the Inkling who challenged the group to take imagination seriously as a tool for understanding the unseen, the moral, and the divine. Without him, Lewis’s -and even Tokein’s fiction might have been less spiritually adventurous.

But before we go any further,  I want to emphasize why Charles Williams Charles Williams often stands apart from the more familiar Inklings such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and there are several layers to why he was seen as “different.”

While Lewis and Tolkien were grounded in broadly Christian frameworks, Williams was deeply involved in esoteric and mystical Christian thought. He was fascinated with sacramental theology, occult symbolism, and ideas such as co-inherence, which he explored in both his fiction and essays.

This gave his work a more intense spiritual and sometimes unsettling quality, mixing magic, theology, and moral philosophy in ways the other Inklings didn’t.

Williams wrote “supernatural thrillers” or “fantastic novels” that combined suspense, crime, and mystical elements. These were often more psychologically and morally complex than Lewis’s allegories or Tolkien’s mythic epics.

His novels, like Descent into Hell or The Place of the Lion, have a tense, almost cinematic quality and a morally intricate universe where spiritual reality intersects with the mundane—a style distinct from the sweeping myth-making of Tolkien or the clear allegorical clarity of Lewis.

Williams had a somewhat enigmatic, intense personality. He was a poet, a literary critic, and a practicing lawyer at one point, which contributed to his highly disciplined yet idiosyncratic thinking.

He was deeply interested in secretive and mystical currents of history, including esoteric Christianity, which sometimes made him feel “other” to the group’s more conventional academic and literary pursuits.

And whereas Tolkien and Lewis often influenced each other in more direct literary or narrative ways, Williams’s contributions were more spiritual and philosophical. He encouraged the Inklings to think about moral and mystical realities underpinning human choices and creativity.

Some members found his intensity and unconventional ideas inspiring; others found them difficult or alien.

In short, Williams was the “mystic Inkling,” the one whose fiction and philosophy stretched into realms of spiritual symbolism and moral complexity that weren’t central for Tolkien or Lewis. He added a sort of esoteric edge to the group—a constant reminder that the Inklings weren’t just about myth or narrative but about wrestling with profound spiritual truths.

Personality-wise, he was intense, enigmatic, and deeply interested in esoteric Christian thought.  He challenged the group to see beyond ordinary storytelling into the moral and spiritual forces at play in human life. In short, Williams was the Inklings’ wild card: less conventional, more mystical, and always stirring the waters of imagination and faith.

And then there is the most well known of the Inklings - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973) was a British linguist, and professor at Oxford. He was one of the founders of the Inklings and is best known today as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  He was also a noted philologist - someone who studies language in historical and literary contexts, and the approach is more than just grammar or vocabulary—it involves looking at how languages develop over time, how words change meaning, and what texts reveal about the people and cultures that produced them.

In practice, a philologist might:

Compare ancient manuscripts to understand how a story or language evolved, study the history of words and grammar, and examine literature to see how language reflects culture, thought, and history. J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t just invent languages like Elvish for fun—he studied Old English, Finnish, and Welsh, among others, and used that knowledge to make his fictional languages feel real, consistent, and culturally rich.

He is most famous for The Hobbit (1937) – a children’s fantasy adventure introducing Middle-earth and of course, The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) – an epic trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) that has become one of the most influential works of 20th-century literature

Tolkien’s genius was his creation of an entire mythology: detailed languages (such as Elvish), histories, maps, and cultures for Middle-earth. He didn’t just write stories—he built a living, breathing world. The Lord of the Rings in particular is celebrated for its epic narrative, moral complexity, and exploration of friendship, courage, and sacrifice.

Tolkien’s deep study of languages and ancient myths directly influenced his writing. His skill in crafting believable languages, histories, and cultures made Middle-earth uniquely immersive. While Williams explored the spiritual and Barfield the philosophical, Tolkien showed how myth and story structure could carry moral and cultural weight. The Lord of the Rings shaped modern fantasy literature like nothing else. Its themes of heroism, temptation, and hope resonate across generations, and it gave the Inklings—and Lewis especially—a model of how deeply a story can engage the imagination.

Tolkien’s meticulous approach to myth, language, and world-building challenged Lewis to think more rigorously about narrative and moral structure. Reading Tolkien’s drafts aloud sparked debates about character, plot, and the “inner logic” of a story, showing the group—and Lewis in particular—how imagination could carry both intellectual and emotional weight.

In the Oxford gatherings of the Inklings, Tolkien would read drafts aloud, sparking debates about plot, character, and the “inner logic” of a story. He was the group’s master world-builder, the one reminding everyone that myth and story structure can carry both moral and emotional weight.

The Lord of the Rings is more than a fantasy adventure. It’s a tale of courage and friendship that has inspired generations of readers and writers.

Now   of the Inklings that this episode will deal with is the great C.S. Lewis. Lewis (1898–1963) started as a rationalist atheist. He
studied at Oxford, excelling in literature and philosophy. His early writing was mostly scholarly essays and literary criticism.  But debates and readings with Tolkien, Williams, and Barfield pulled him toward faith, imagination, and moral storytelling. He combined rigorous logic (from Tolkien’s influence) with spiritual and mystical awareness (from Williams) and philosophical insight (from Barfield).

Now he had three major works or collections of literature

The Chronicles of Narnia – which can be described as imaginative, accessible fantasy that conveys deep moral and spiritual themes.
The Screwtape Letters – which are witty, pointed exploration of human nature and Christian ethics and
Mere Christianity – a clear, rational exposition of faith that has been influential across generations.

Now C.S. Lewis is extremely important because he was able to bridge scholarship and storytelling, showing that fantasy can be a vehicle for moral and spiritual truth.  He also made philosophy, theology, and imagination engaging and accessible to a wide audience.  The influence of C.S.. Lewis extends beyond literature: his works shape thinking about morality, faith, and imagination in the modern era.

Lewis may be the most “famous” today - with Tolkien a close second - but he was part of a creative network that challenged and inspired him.

Understanding Lewis without his Inklings friends is like seeing a single star—you miss the constellation that gave him context and depth.

Lewis’s genius lies in his ability to bridge scholarship and storytelling, philosophy and imagination, making complex ideas both understandable and compelling. He showed that fantasy could carry deep moral and spiritual truths, and that literature could be both entertaining and transformative.

Even with all his individual brilliance, Lewis’s creativity was inseparable from the Inklings. The debates, readings, and camaraderie of that Oxford group shaped his thinking, expanded his imagination, and helped him refine the stories and essays that continue to resonate today. 

Understanding Lewis without the Inklings is like reading a single star in the night sky—you miss the constellation that gave him shape, depth, and context.

The most popular novel written by C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was first published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It is the first published and best known of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that is ruled by the evil White Witch. In the story, four English children are relocated to a large, old country house following a wartime evacuation. The youngest, Lucy, visits Narnia three times via the magic of a wardrobe in a spare room. Lucy's three siblings are with her on her third visit to Narnia. In Narnia, the siblings fullfil an old prophecy and find themselves adventuring to save Narnia and their own lives. The lion Aslan gives his life to save one of the children; he later rises from the dead, vanquishes the White Witch, and crowns the children Kings and Queens of Narnia.

Lewis wrote the book for (and dedicated it to) his goddaughter, Lucy Barfield. She was the daughter of Owen Barfield, Lewis's friend, teacher, adviser, trustee, and member of the Inklings. In 2003, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was ranked ninth on the BBC's The Big Read poll. Time magazine included the novel in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time.

"C.S. Lewis didn’t just write books—he crafted worlds, ideas, and moral truths that continue to inspire readers to imagine, believe, and wonder.”

In conclusion, C.S. Lewis didn’t write The Chronicles of Narnia all by himself. His imagination was shaped by the Inklings—a group of Oxford friends including Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield—who challenged, inspired, and sometimes mercilessly debated with him.

Lewis began as a rationalist atheist, but the Inklings helped him blend logic, imagination, and faith. The result? Stories that enchant across generations, like The Chronicles of Narnia, essays that provoke thought like The Screwtape Letters, and clear, reasoned explorations of belief like Mere Christianity.

He showed that fantasy could carry deep moral and spiritual truths, and that literature could entertain while transforming the mind and heart.

"C.S. Lewis didn’t just write books—he crafted worlds, ideas, and moral truths that continue to inspire readers to imagine, believe, and wonder.”

Join celebrate creativity for our next episode - when we examine Maya Angelou And Toni Morrison.