The C.S. Lewis podcast

Has God slammed a door in your face? Tyler Staton on suffering

The C.S. Lewis podcast

Show Notes

Why does C.S. Lewis still speak so powerfully to people decades after his death? Tyler Staton, lead pastor of Bridgetown Church and author of After Amen, joins Ruth Jackson to explore what Lewis can still teach us about prayer, suffering, desire, imagination and finding God when he seems absent. From Mere Christianity and The Weight of Glory to A Grief Observed, The Screwtape Letters and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Tyler reflects on the Lewis ideas that have shaped his own faith and helped him through cancer. They discuss: • Why imagination matters for faith • What apologetics can learn from Lewis’s storytelling • Whether our deepest desires point to God • How to notice God in ordinary life • What to do when prayer feels unanswered • Why honest doubt can itself become prayer • Where to start if you are new to C.S. Lewis Tyler’s advice when God feels absent is striking: “We pray our doubt.” Subscribe to The C.S. Lewis Podcast for conversations exploring the life, theology, imagination and enduring influence of C.S. Lewis. Discover more at cslewispodcast.com

Subscribe & Support 🎥 Never miss an episode! Subscribe on YouTube: The C.S. Lewis Podcast🎙️ 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

More from The C.S. Lewis podcast

Oct 19, 2026

Just because we can do something, does that mean we should? What happens when our technology advances faster than our ability to control it? And have we created things we may no longer be able to stop?

Oct 12, 2026

Can something – or someone – be beautiful, charismatic and deeply dangerous at the same time? And why is the world so rarely as simple as “good people” and “bad people”?

Oct 6, 2026

Can becoming an atheist ever be a step towards God? What if walking away from religion is sometimes more honest than pretending to believe? Are reason and evidence really enough to explain why we change our minds?

Sep 29, 2026

What can Lewis' journey from atheism to belief tell us about how and why we change our minds?

Sep 21, 2026

What do an atheist scientist, a Watergate prisoner and the author of Interview with the Vampire have in common? C.S. Lewis changed the way they thought.

See all episodes →