Bridging Cultures Through Scholarship: Professor Yuxiao Su Explores C.S. Lewis’s Medieval Cosmology

On 20 March 2024, at the invitation of Michelle Deeter from the Translation and Interpreting Studies programme in the School of Modern Languages, Newcastle University, Professor Yuxiao Su—Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University and faculty member at Xiamen University—delivered a literature talk as part of the Newcastle 2025 Spring Mock Conference. Entitled “C.S. Lewis as a Medievalist”, the talk attracted a diverse audience from across the School of Modern Languages and offered a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of medieval thought, literature, and contemporary scholarship.

The event was part of a four-part academic series coordinated with the conference interpreting programme, in which students interpreted lectures from a range of disciplines as part of their professional training. Professor Su’s lecture stood out not only for the linguistic complexity it presented but also for its rich and evocative content, which sparked lively discussions across disciplinary boundaries.

Focusing on C.S. Lewis’s lesser-known identity as a scholar of medieval and Renaissance literature, Professor Su traced his academic journey through Oxford and Cambridge, highlighting how Lewis’s scholarly legacy complements—and often deepens—his popular reputation as a fantasy author and Christian apologist.

At the heart of the lecture was The Discarded Image, Lewis’s final academic work and a heartfelt tribute to the structured worldview of the medieval cosmos. Through vivid visuals and carefully chosen literary examples, Professor Su guided the audience into a model of the universe shaped by Ptolemaic astronomy and theological harmony—a cosmos where planets revolved in crystal spheres, moved by intelligent angels, and meaning infused every level of existence. In this vision, the rise and fall of earthly lives—natural, individual, or communal—were governed by the mysterious turning of the Wheel of Fortune, in which waxing and waning were not merely random, but deeply embedded in a divine order.

Drawing on works ranging from The Canterbury Tales to Hamlet, Professor Su illustrated how the medieval cosmological model shaped enduring metaphors of fate, moral order, and human aspiration in canonical literature across the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond.

The lecture also introduced the 2019 Chinese translation of The Discarded Image, produced by her research collaborator Dr. Ye Lixian of the China Association of Social Sciences in Beijing—a work widely praised for its clarity and scholarly rigour.

Professor Su’s visit coincided with the deepening academic cooperation between Newcastle University and Xiamen University. Earlier this month, Dr. Phoebe Yu from the School of Modern Languages visited the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Xiamen University to explore joint initiatives in curriculum development and the establishment of a potential joint-degree programme in translation studies. Events such as this lecture exemplify the value of such partnerships, blending academic insight with practical, cross-cultural engagement.

At the close of the session, Professor Su was presented with a certificate of appreciation from the School of Modern Languages. For many students, the experience was not only a professional interpreting exercise but also a memorable introduction to medieval literature—illuminated through the lens of Chinese scholarship.

The Confucius Institute at Newcastle University continues to provide a dynamic platform for intercultural dialogue, academic exploration, and student development. Through lectures, workshops, and collaborative events, the Institute invites students from all backgrounds to engage with global ideas in meaningful, personal ways.

Report by: Wang Yuanlong
Confucius Institute, Newcastle University