What discussion society did C.S. Lewis chair at Oxford from 1942 to 1954?

C.S. Lewis chaired The Socratic Club at Oxford from 1942 to 1954. The society brought Christian and non-Christian speakers together for formal discussion and debate.

The club met in Oxford during a period when Lewis was becoming widely known as a Christian writer and broadcaster. Its format emphasized questions and argument rather than a one-sided lecture. Lewis frequently responded to speakers and defended Christian claims in open conversation with students and academics.

The society was founded in 1941 by Stella Aldwinckle. Its name referred to the questioning method associated with the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. The club’s meetings reflected Lewis’s belief that religious ideas should be examined through reason as well as personal conviction.

The Socratic Club is sometimes confused with the Inklings, which was an informal literary circle involving Lewis, Tolkien, and others. It was also distinct from the Oxford Union, the university’s major debating society.