Finding the Best Mental Model of the Universe: C. S. Lewis on Science and Religion
Join us for an Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion public seminar with Professor Alister McGrath (Emeritus Andreos Idreos Professor of Science and Religion).
This seminar explores the rich and understudied approach to science and religion in the writings of C. S. Lewis, focussing on Lewis’s use of a precursor of “inference to the best explanation” in his apologetic writings, and his use of literature to assess the social impact of science and the limits of scientism. We will consider the significance of Lewis’s quest for the “best mental model” of the world, and note possible parallels with Charles Taylor’s notion of the “best account” of reality. Finally, the seminar will highlight Lewis’s emphasis on the role of the imagination in theory development, and his attempt to integrate spectatorial and participative engagements with the natural order in Perelandra (1943) and The Discarded Image (1964).
Event Details:
- Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
- Time: 16:00 - 17:30
- Location: 0.18 Learning Centre, Schwarzman Centre, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford
- Registration necessary: Click here to register on Eventbrite
- Open to the public
- A wine reception will follow the public seminar in the Faculty of Theology and Religion (third floor, Schwarzman Centre), providing an opportunity to meet the speaker and fellow attendees.
About the Speaker: Alister McGrath initially studied chemistry at Oxford, leading into a DPhil in the biomedical sciences under the supervision of Professor Sir George Radda, and the completion of a first degree in theology. His earlier roles at Oxford included being Principal of Wycliffe Hall and Professor of Historical Theology. He served as the third Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford. Since his retirement, he has focussed on wider aspects of the interaction of science and theology, including exploring the parallels between the patterns of development of scientific theories and Christian doctrines, set out in his The Nature of Christian Doctrine (Oxford University Press, 2024). His most recent book, on which this lecture draws, is Science and Religion in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis: The Quest for the Best Mental Model of the Universe (Oxford University Press, 2026).
For any queries, please contact: irc.admin@theology.ox.ac.uk
This event is hosted by the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion and the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford. To stay up to date with our events, join our mailing list: Click here to join our mailing list.
