Magic Like This: A C.S. Lewis Book Club

I’ve laid awake at night, fearing the day I would die — or worse, the day the ones I love most will die. People say it’s natural. That death is simply a part of life. But I don’t buy it. I think that’s what Screwtape wants us to think — that it’s this inevitable black hole, waiting to swallow us all. But what if death, in the way we think about it, feels so, ridiculously unnatural because it is? What if the death we fear is no death at all? What if C.S. Lewis is encouraging us to face this life with a radical expectation that death is the least frightening thing of all? Ministry leader, Matthew Nash, from Kardia Community joined me to talk about Screwtape Letter 28.Mentioned in this episode:Find Matt on Substack here.Learn more about Kardia Community here.Run With Horses by Eugene PetersonThe Celtic Daily Prayer Book by the Northumbria CommunityThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)Support the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Join us for 4 days of rest, liturgical prayer, and creative writing on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne: Book onto the Wind & Breath Creative Writing Retreat here OR join the waitlist for the next retreat here.Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseWanting personal support to develop your writing practice? Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on FableRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

Do you feel guilty when you get distracted during prayer? Or even wonder ‘why am I praying in the first place’? And what do you do when it feels like your prayers aren’t actually working? I’m joined by author, lecturer, and theologian, Griffin Gooch, to look at Letter 27 of Screwtape, which interestingly throws the idea of prayer into a completely different light. We also talk about the theology of happiness (ever been told that you should aim to be “joyful” but not happy?) and how the early Church taught a different perspective than what we normally hear from the Western Church today. Griffin reminds us that there is a lovely, transcendental silliness to prayer, and that much of our “guilt” for desiring happiness is rooted in the work of ancient philosophers — not necessarily in the teachings of Christ. Mentioned in this episode:Find Griffin on Substack here.Book your spot on the Wind & Breath Creative Writing RetreatThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C.S. LewisThe World’s Last Night by C.S. Lewis(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)Support the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Join us for 4 days of rest, liturgical prayer, and creative writing on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, April 8th-12th, 2026: Book onto the Wind & Breath Creative Writing Retreat here OR join the waitlist for the next retreat here.Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseWanting personal support to develop your writing practice? Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on FableRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when so starry-eyed in love that we don’t really care what we do as long as the other person is happy? When we don’t voice our own feelings or needs? When this silence about our desires turns into a habit that lasts weeks, months, years? When we congratulate ourselves on how “selfless” we’re being all whilst ignoring that niggling feeling of resentment bubbling away beneath the surface? How might that impact our relationships over time? And more importantly… how might we be blind to it? My friend Thornton, the host of his own C.S. Lewis podcast, joined me to share how Screwtape’s 26th letter really opened his eyes and helped him improve his marriage in incredible ways…Mentioned in this episode:(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)Thornton’s podcast: Mere C.S. LewisThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Horse and His Boy by C.S. LewisThe Last Battle by C.S. LewisSupport the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFor fellow writers:Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseBattling imposter syndrome?Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day punctuation mark email course: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when we start to see church tradition through a lens of “us vs. them”? What are we missing by assuming that our style of worship or prayer is more holy than someone else’s? Joining me to discuss Screwtape’s 25th letter is Victoria Bøe, a Speaker for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. She candidly shares her testimony of growing in humility and openness as she discovered liturgy and ancient tradition after growing up in a charismatic church in Norway. At it’s core, Screwtape 25 is warning us against a judgement of “the same old thing,” showing us how tradition, discipline, and “emotionless” worship can sometimes lead to the greatest spiritual growth. Mentioned in this episode:(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Oxford Centre for Christian ApologeticsThe Celtic Daily Prayer BookSupport the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFor fellow writers:Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseBattling imposter syndrome?Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day punctuation mark email course: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when new Christians start to judge the people who just “don’t get” their faith? Is it all too easy to get a bit “up ourselves” when we find camaraderie in our new Christian circles? How do we starve the pride that Screwtape hopes will cut us off from our non-Christian friends?For letter 24, I’m joined by two guests who have different perspectives on how they related and loved on their non-Christian people when they came to faith. Join me as I chit chat with my best friend, Dusty Hegge AND, making his podcast debut *drum roll please*… my sweet husband, Christopher! It was sooo fun to talk with two of my favourite humans for this episode, and they offer some beautiful insight in to what it means to become a new, excited Christian and still lead with humility and love for those who haven’t quite “gotten it” yet.We're back, baby!Mentioned in this episode:(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Biggest Storybook BibleThe Christina and Dusty Show — in case you want more Dusty and Christina chit chat.Find Dusty's work here.Support the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFor fellow writers:Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseBattling imposter syndrome?Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day punctuation mark email course: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

“That’s not my Jesus.” It’s a sentiment we see all the time on social media — maybe we’ve even used it ourselves — when people cherry pick parts of Scripture to create a version of Christ that suits their world view. Uncomfortably prophetic to this cultural moment, Screwtape’s 23rd Letter shows us that this phenomenon is not new. It was happening in Lewis’ day through what he defines as the “historical point of view.” In other words, a “historical” version of Jesus which people of all faiths and none have used as a prop for their own agendas.Do we still look at Jesus through the “historical point of view” today? Or has our culture in the West moulded Jesus into a different kind of mascot? And most importantly, how is Screwtape using this “mascot Jesus” to destroy a life of devotion to the actual Jesus? I’m joined by Dr. Gregory Lippiatt, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Exeter (who also has a fascinating personal connection to Lewis) to pick apart what Screwtape can teach us about our own Christian devotion today.Mentioned in this episode:(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisSurprised by Joy by C.S. LewisFirst and Second Things, essay by C.S. LewisThe Unintended Reformation by Brad GregoryThe Myth of Religious Violence by William T CavanaughTolkien's Letter 306 by J.R.R. TolkienSupport the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFor fellow writers:Enrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseBattling imposter syndrome?Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day punctuation mark email course: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

What if we could make Screwtape so angry with our faith that he spontaneously combusts into a centipede? Well, the patient is in love, and his beloved is so on fire for Jesus that it sends Screwtape into a rage that actually transforms him into the vermin that he is.To discuss Letter 22, I'm joined by Sara Parsons, a church youth leader in Oxford who did her Master's degree on C.S. Lewis and the beauty of imagination (so jelly over here). Sara brings some incredible perspective to this letter, including a little sneaky (and perfectly linked) cross-reference with The Great Divorce that you won't want to miss.In this episode, we discuss gender, purity culture, the idea of total depravity, and the fact that with Christ, maybe we can actually eat our cake and have it too. But most importantly, we ask the question, "Is God really a 'hedonist at heart'?" the way Screwtape so often describes Him? And if He IS, what does that say about the beauty we have available to us in this life?Mentioned in this episode:The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis5 Things the Bible Does (and Doesn’t) Say About ModestySupport the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Read my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFind me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Battling imposter syndrome?Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsEnrol in Pick Up Your Sword, my writing course for aspiring Christian writers who want to write their first book: https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day punctuation mark email course: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

This Screwtape letter was a real kick in the pants for me. Because y’all, I really struggle to relinquish control of my own time. But Screwtape reminds us that even the idea that our time is our own is an illusion. Why does this feel like such an assault? Why is it so hard to just release my sense of control? Paula Bostock is a missionary from Brazil who moved to the UK for what she thought would only be a year of missionary work in Belfast. 8 years later, she’s now married and a brand new mamma, still living in the UK, and she joins me to share her story of discovering the freedom which came when she released control of her time, her body, and her entire life to God.Mentioned in this episodeOur wedding story on The Remarkable OrdinaryMy private podcast for paid subscribers of The Battle CryMy podcast with Dusty HeggeConnect with Dusty Hegge (a business consultant who supports Kingdom-minded writers, coaches, therapists, and leaders)Support the showBecome a patron of Magic Like This for £5 a month here.OR leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts!Read my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFind me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Battling imposter syndrome? Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsWanting to write a book about what God’s done in your life, but don’t know where to start? I teach a course to help with that! You can enrol in Pick Up Your Sword at https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day email course to help you master punctuation: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice?Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

Listening to this episode around children is not advised.Letter 20 of Screwtape takes an even deeper look at the mechanics of spiritual warfare in terms sexuality — specifically in the context of society’s portrayal of beauty. There are SO many avenues that I could have explored in this chapter, and as someone who grew up in purity culture, I initially bristled at the idea of discussing the topic of beauty, the reason being that so often, women are targeted by messages of beauty in Christian evangelical ministry in such a way as to imply that beauty is the only thing that concerns us. And I simply don’t believe this to be true. That said, it would be foolish to ignore the oh-so-prevalent fact that society tries to define beauty for us — often in the most damaging and harmful ways.Because Lewis mentions this phenomenon explicitly in Letter 20, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to get my amazing mamma on the show. She has an incredible story of recovering from breast implant illness, and as someone who works in the beauty industry in Southern California, she has an informed and wise perspective on how we can pursue beauty without surrendering the true picture of beauty which God has sewn in us from the very beginning.As a warning, this episode does touch on the topic of fertility and infertility, which we try to handle with the utmost care, but if that’s not something you feel prepared to engage with right now, I invite you to skip the latter half of this episode.Mentioned in this episode:Isaac’s essay on C.S. Lewis and beauty.Psalm 34:5Magic Like This episodes with Anna Shuman: Part 1 & Part 2Further resources:The Yuka app helps you to scan cosmetic products to determine whether they are clean or whether they have ingredients which can impact your endocrine system: https://yuka.io/en/Join the Magic Like This Book Club:https://magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribeRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFind me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Battling imposter syndrome? Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsWanting to write a book about what God’s done in your life, but don’t know where to start? I teach a course to help with that!You can enrol in Pick Up Your Sword at https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon? Join Swordsmanship, my free 21-day email course to help you master punctuation: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice? Book a Writer’s Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

No matter how much we try, it seems like Christians never quite know how to “deal” with the topic of sex. Not just in the creation story but in the grander story of humanity. We are hounded by noise: porn on one side and purity culture on the other.Fear. Pride. Lust. It all muddles our understanding of God’s design, and Screwtape couldn’t be more pleased.But Anna Shuman invites us to look at the sex story with fresh eyes, and it’s nothing short of transformative. Because we’re not asking the same tired questions like “How far is ‘too’ far?” and “What’s the ‘right’ way to engage our sexuality?” No, Lewis prompts us to ask a far deeper question — one that haunts every human heart when they find themselves alone in the dark: faced by my utter, vulnerable, exposed nakedness, can God really love me as much as He says he does?Just editing this episode brought me to tears. Whether you’re single, dating, or married, I really hope you’ll have a listen…Follow Anna on Substack here:Mentioned in this episode:The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-screwtape-letters-letters-from-a-senior-to-a-junior-devil-c-s-lewis-signature-classic-c-s-lewis?variant=32555414224974Sheila Wray GregoireJoin the Magic Like This Book Club:https://magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribeRead my essays and join my Celtic Prayer Writing Workshops at The Battle Cry:https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribeFind me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/magiclikethispodcastFor fellow writers:Battling imposter syndrome? Purchase my 7-day journalling devotional for aspiring Christian writers: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/shop/p/invited-by-joy-digital-devotional-for-aspiring-authorsWanting to write a book about what God’s done in your life, but don’t know where to start? I teach a course to help with that!You can enrol in Pick Up Your Sword at https://christinalynnwallace.com/courseAlways wondered about the difference between a colon and a semi-colon? Join my free 21-day email course to help you master punctuation: https://www.christinalynnwallace.com/swordsmanship.Wanting personal support to develop your writing practice? Book a Writer's Audit, 1:1 writing mentorship calls with Christina.Or if you just want a little magic sent straight to your inbox each month to encourage and inspire your writing practice, you can get my free monthly newsletter, The Grammarian, here: https://christinalynnwallace.com/newsletterClick here to find me on Fable This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe