“From Wittenberg to Oxford: The Re-formation of C.S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers”

Martin Luther recognized the power of theater, using drama to communicate the need for Reformation in the Church. After looking at controversies about theater in Luther’s day, focus will turn to Dorothy L. Sayers, also condemned by Christians for her reforming efforts: theatrical works that C.S. Lewis found so profound he read them every year for twenty years, shaping his re-forming of the Gospel message.

About Crystal Downing: Dr. Downing served as Co-Director of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, the foremost archive in the world for published and unpublished materials by and about C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. She was also co-holder of the Marion E. Wade Chair of Christian Thought and a Professor of English at Wheaton. Many will remember Dr. Downing’s excellent presentations at the “C.S. Lewis: Influence & Relevance Today” international symposium sponsored by the Presbyterian Heritage Center in November of 2019. Prior to Wheaton, Dr, Downing was the Distinguished Professor of English and Film Studies at Messiah College in Pennsylvania.