C S Lewis on Marriage, Gender and Humanity - Dr Michael Ward interview with Dr Tony Rucinski
Michael Ward
37.20
2 August 2025
19 November 2025
CS LEWIS ON MARRIAGE, GENDER AND HUMANITY WITH DR MICHAEL WARD
Dear marriage supporter,
I wonder what you’re reading this summer – any CS Lewis perhaps? I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Michael Ward, who NT Wright calls the “foremost living scholar on CS Lewis”. Our chat reveals some fascinating and lesser-known insights from Lewis about marriage and why it’s so foundational. Grab a cool drink, sit back, and watch our full conversation here.
Most of us know Lewis from his beloved Narnia stories, but his perspectives on marriage are deeply woven into many of his writings, particularly the Ransom Trilogy. Dr Ward highlights Lewis’s belief that marriage – or matrimony – is uniquely “ordered to the procreation of children”. This essential characteristic, Lewis argued, defines marriage exclusively as the union between a man and a woman.
Dr Ward also explores Lewis’s thoughtful reflections on gender roles. Lewis emphasised understanding one’s own identity in relation to the opposite sex. He saw true masculinity and femininity as recognising and respecting innate complementary differences, believing we only fully grasp who we are through our relationships with others.
Lewis expressed deep concern over society losing sight of the natural distinctions between men and women. Dr Ward shares Lewis’s stark warning: in neglecting these fundamental truths, we risk “abolishing ourselves”, undermining our very humanity.
Dr Ward also tackles common misconceptions about Lewis’s attitudes toward women. Far from being misogynistic, Lewis championed women’s equality, including advocating equal pay – however, this did not mean erasing the differences between the sexes. Lewis also profoundly valued motherhood, recognising its vital role in society.
For C4M supporters, Dr Ward’s insights into CS Lewis resonate strongly. We celebrate marriage as the essential and unique union of one man and one woman, foundational not only for families but as the stabilising bedrock of our society, now and into the future.
If you’re not yet supporting C4M financially but would like to help, please click the donate button on our website at http://www.c4m.org.uk
Dr Tony Rucinski