Socrates in Oxford
In July 2024, Socrates in the City hosted its very first four-day retreat to Oxford, England. The historic and intellectually vibrant backdrop offered guests a deep dive into the exploration of life’s most profound questions, guided by the spirit of Socratic inquiry. Join the conversations, each filmed in broadcast quality, as host Eric Metaxas sits down with six world-class thinkers to discuss topics such as atheism, transhumanism, feminism, literature, morality, and more. And as one might anticipate, little known stories with characters such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien abound!
Socrates in Oxford
In July 2024, Socrates in the City hosted its very first four-day retreat to Oxford, England. The historic and intellectually vibrant backdrop offered guests a deep dive into the exploration of life’s most profound questions, guided by the spirit of Socratic inquiry. Join the conversations, each filmed in broadcast quality, as host Eric Metaxas sits down with six world-class thinkers to discuss topics such as atheism, transhumanism, feminism, literature, morality, and more. And as one might anticipate, little known stories with characters such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien abound!
Play
Michael Ward: Is Morality Objective? A Discussion of C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man
Is morality objective? What is the defense for objective value and natural law? Author of the Socrates in the City favorite Planet Narnia, literary critic, C.S. Lewis expert, and James Bond extra, Fr. Michael Ward sits down with host Eric Metaxas to discuss this vast subject with humor and charm. While the two focus on C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man, they also touch on other works by Lewis such as That Hideous Strength and Surprised by Joy.
Q&A Session with Alister McGrath
Q&A with Alister McGrath filmed as part of the Socrates in Oxford series.
Alister McGrath: Is Atheism a Gateway Drug to the Gospel?
Scientist, theologian, and academic Alister McGrath joins host Eric Metaxas for a conversation on atheism and belief. Using McGrath’s C. S. Lewis — A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet as a launching point, the two discuss how C.S. Lewis’s appeal to the imagination and the intellect made him a valuable Christian apologist. They also discuss McGrath’s works on atheism and ask the question, is atheism a gateway drug to belief?
Simon Horobin: What was Oxford’s Influence on the Work of C.S. Lewis?
In this charming conversation, host Eric Metaxas interviews philologist Simon Horobin on his new book C.S. Lewis’s Oxford. Included are stories from Addison’s Walk, the Eagle and Child pub, and thoughts on whether a curious door located in St. Mary’s Passage might have inspired The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Dr. Horobin also reminds our Socrates in the City host that C. S. Lewis was president of the Oxford Socratic Club for more than ten years!
Mary Harrington: Reactionary Feminism, Human Nature, and Transhumanism
Writer and Oxford University graduate Mary Harrington sits down with host Eric Metaxas for a conversation on what it means to be a “reactionary feminist” ( hint: they don’t believe in “progress”), how the industrial revolution changed the family structure, how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was prophetic, and much more.
Q&A Session with Mary Harrington
Q&A session with author Mary Harrington filmed as part of the Socrates in Oxford series.
Q&A Session with Tom Holland
Q&A session with historian Tom Holland filmed as part of the Socrates in Oxford series.
Baroness Caroline Cox: How to be a Voice for the Voiceless?
From a clinical nursing profession to running the Sociology Department at Polytechnic in London to being “Baroness in Waiting” to Queen Elizabeth II, Caroline Cox shares stories from her life of service to England, Europe, and the world. Including stories of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Cox shares that at the heart of her work – which often includes being a voice for the voiceless – are strong Christian values. Baroness Cox is the founder and president of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) and is a current member of the House of Lords.
Tom Holland: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
Filmed against the historically vibrant backdrop of Oxford, England, host Eric Metaxas sits down with historian Tom Holland to discuss – from music to marriage to service and science and education – how the West has been transformed by and remains to be utterly affected by Christianity. The two discuss Holland’s bestselling book at length, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.
Thatcher, The Queen, and Fighting Marxism with Baroness Caroline Cox
An excerpt from Baroness Caroline Cox’s Socrates in Oxford Interview “How to be a Voice for the Voiceless?”
The Problem of Transhumanism with Mary Harrington
An excerpt from Mary Harrington’s Socrates in Oxford Interview “Reactionary Feminism, Human Nature, and Transhumanism.”
Lewis, Tolkien, and the Founding of the Inklings with Simon Horobin
An excerpt from Simon Horobin’s Socrates in Oxford interview “What was Oxford’s Influence on the Work of C.S. Lewis?”
Confronting Modern Day Slavery with Baroness Caroline Cox
An excerpt from Baroness Caroline Cox’s Socrates in Oxford Interview “How to be a Voice for the Voiceless?”
The Horror of the Cross without Christianity with Historian Tom Holland
An excerpt from Tom Holland’s Socrates in Oxford Interview “How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.”
Join Host Eric Metaxas as he takes Socrates in the City across the pond to Oxford, England. During the first ever SITC retreat, we were privilege to interview six amazing guests: House of Lords member Baroness Caroline Cox, Author Tom Holland, Author Mary Harrington, Oxford Professor Simon Horobin, Oxford Professor and C.S. Lewis Expert Michael Ward, and Theologian Alister McGrath. A new episode will premiere on Socrates+ every Thursday starting August 29th.