What was C.S. Lewis’s academic specialty at Cambridge’s Magdalene College?

C.S. Lewis held the Cambridge chair of Medieval and Renaissance English.

In 1954, Lewis became the first holder of the newly established Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He moved from Oxford, where he had taught at Magdalen College since 1925. The Cambridge appointment recognized his scholarship in English literature and allowed him to continue writing while holding a senior academic position.

The wording matters because Lewis’s field was literary history and criticism, not simply medieval history. His scholarship ranged across medieval literature, Renaissance writing, allegory, mythology, and Christian literature. He remained at Cambridge until his death in 1963.

The two colleges are easily confused: Oxford has Magdalen College, while Cambridge has Magdalene College, with different pronunciations and spellings. Lewis taught at both institutions, but his Cambridge title specifically concerned Medieval and Renaissance English.