5 Important Lessons C.S. Lewis Learned in University

Introduction

C.S. Lewis is renowned for his profound insights into faith, literature and human nature. Through his many works including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, Lewis has captivated audiences across multiple streams of media over the years. 

However, the seeds of his wisdom were planted and cultivated during his university years. While studying at Oxford University, Lewis encountered pivotal lessons shaping his worldview, influencing his writing and deepening his spiritual journey. These lessons were both academic and also profoundly personal, guiding him through the joys and struggles of intellectual and spiritual development. 

Here are five important lessons C.S. Lewis learned during his time at university.

First Lesson: The Value of Intellectual Curiosity

Lewis learned the importance of intellectual curiosity. At Oxford, he was exposed to a wide range of ideas, philosophies and beliefs. He engaged deeply with texts across various fields, from classic literature to philosophy and theology. This exposure led Lewis to a lifetime pursuit of knowledge and understanding, cultivating his mind and broadening his perspective.

Lewis came to believe intellectual curiosity was more than just the pursuit of facts; it was a way to deepen one’s understanding of the world and, by extension, God. He often wrote about the relationship between faith and reason, stressing that true faith should never fear honest inquiry. In Mere Christianity, Lewis discusses how faith and reason work together. In Book III, Chapter 11 (“Faith”), Lewis defines faith as holding onto the convictions of reason, even when emotions and circumstances make it difficult. He writes: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”

In The Screwtape Letters, a senior demon named Screwtape explains in one of his letters to his nephew that one of the best ways to lead a human away from God is not through logical arguments but through distractions and appeals to emotion. He writes that true faith withstands reasoned inquiry but is vulnerable to irrational fears and distractions: “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”

His university experience taught him that nurturing curiosity is essential to a meaningful and well-rounded life.

Second Lesson: The Importance of Friendship

While at Oxford, Lewis formed lifelong friendships, most notably with fellow writers and thinkers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams. These friendships became a source of great inspiration, support and intellectual stimulation. They would meet regularly, exchanging ideas and encouraging each other’s creative pursuits.

Lewis found these friendships to be social connections that were pivotal parts of his personal growth. In his book The Four Loves, Lewis described friendship as one of the highest forms of love, teaching him the importance of shared interests and mutual support. Through these friendships, he learned relationships with others provides a deeper understanding of self and the world. This lesson became a recurring theme in his works, emphasizing the importance of community in the Christian faith.

Third Lesson: The Power of Imagination

University life offered Lewis the freedom to explore his creative side, allowing him to experiment with poetry, stories and essays. It was during these years he honed his storytelling skills, later giving birth to The Chronicles of Narnia series. Lewis believed the imagination was a powerful tool conveying truths in ways pure reason could not.

Through literature, he learned to craft narratives communicating complex spiritual truths in accessible and engaging ways. This experience taught him that imagination can be a form of escapism, and a way to glimpse deeper realities. Lewis believed God speaks to us through reason and through the stories and images that capture our hearts and minds. A particularly famous passage capturing  this idea comes from his book Mere Christianity. He discusses how God communicates with us through our intellect and our desires. In the chapter “Hope,” Lewis writes: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”

Lewis argues our desires and imagination can point us toward God, even when reason alone may fall short. He also believed stories and images—like myths and fairy tales—speak to deeper truths about God, as he elaborates in The Weight of Glory: “We do not merely want to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”

Fourth Lesson: The Significance of Suffering and Personal Struggle

During his university years, Lewis experienced his own share of struggles, both academically and personally. He dealt with the challenge of finding his path, questioning his beliefs and even experiencing a period of atheism. Yet, it was through these struggles Lewis came to understand the redemptive value of suffering.

He later reflected on this in his writings, particularly in The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed, where he explored the relationship between suffering and spiritual growth. Lewis came to realize pain can be a catalyst for personal transformation, teaching humility and resilience. The transformative nature of pain is expressed in several of his books – one of the most notable passages coming from The Problem of Pain. In it he discusses how suffering and hardship can bring about personal growth and humility: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

His university experience was a reminder that trials are an inevitable part of life leading to greater faith and understanding.

Fifth Lesson: The Pursuit of Faith and Truth

Lewis’ journey to Christianity was neither quick nor easy. He entered university as a skeptic, uncertain of what he believed. However, through his studies and friendships, particularly with Christian scholars like Tolkien, he gradually found his way back to faith. His intellectual pursuits and personal reflections ultimately led him to embrace Christianity.

This lesson—the pursuit of faith and truth—became central to Lewis’ life and works. He believed one should seek truth with an open heart and mind, even if it means questioning deeply held beliefs. His return to Christianity was not an abandonment of reason but a deeper alignment with it, as he found faith to be intellectually satisfying and personally fulfilling.

Conclusion

The university years are often a transformative period for students as they shape their beliefs, refine their values and learn lessons that last a lifetime. For C.S. Lewis, these lessons—intellectual curiosity, friendship, imagination, the significance of suffering and the pursuit of truth—became guiding principles influencing his life and works. 

They indicate a student’s time at a university is not just about academic success but also about personal and spiritual growth.

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Interested in learning more about how Lewis’ lessons can inspire today’s students? 

Connect with us to learn about the Campus Initiative, a program dedicated to encouraging students to explore their faith, build meaningful connections and pursue truth. Contact us or visit our Campus Initiative page to get involved!