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—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 characterized Lewis scholarship from its beginning.