I’m back from vacation to bring you more great Narnia news than you can possibly dream of. I can’t give specifics of my vacation, but I can say that I did visit Middle-earth while I was in New Zealand, and that I saw wonderful, weird and marvelous creatures while I was away. Onto the news: The C.S. Lewis Festival returns for its seventh year, expanding its offerings into early October.
From the 1930s to the 1940s, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their friends and fellow writers met to share good fellowship and their creative works-in-progress. Known as the “Inklings,” they produced some of the most beloved works of the 20th century.
Join Diana Pavlac Glyer, author of The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community, as she invites us to explore the Inklings’ friendship and the influence it had on their lives. She will encourage us to respond to God’s call to community and discover that we are refreshed and inspired as we connect with others.
The producer of the widely popular “Narnia” films is joining forces with the author of “The Shack” – a modern day classic and New York Times bestseller with more than seven million copies in print – to celebrate the life and legacy of legendary Christian apologist and beloved author C.S. Lewis.
“The Chronicles of C.S. Lewis Conference,” which will be held Aug. 14-15 at Northland, A Church Distributed, Longwood, Fla., will give unique insights into the mind of C.S. Lewis that won’t be found anywhere else. They would like questions for Douglas Gresham, so if you have any you would like asked, please post them in the comments, or contact us, prior to August 14th.
We made an attempt to get someone to this event, but sadly the one person that might have been available had to work during the event. Thankfully another Narnia fan site was able to have someone in attendance. I would have gone myself, but I had a wedding to go to during the conference. Micheal Flaherty is a great friend of mine, and I would have loved to see him again.
Charn_Tim had the pleasure of going to the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s summer conference this year, and I asked him to write a little bit about his experience. He writes:
The C.S. Lewis Foundation held its triennial 2 week major international conference, Oxbridge Summer Institute, from July 28th to August 11th at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England. About three hundred attendees from varied backgrounds gathered at Oxbridge for a time of fellowship and nourishment of mind, body, and spirit with renowned scholars from the arts and sciences, preachers, business professionals, and literary, visual, and performing artists. Throughout the two week institute these scholars, artists, and professionals addressed this year’s conference theme “The Self and the Search for Meaning” from unique perspectives.
In addition to dynamic teaching, attendees experienced grand artistic performances, including an evensong at the ancient and prestigious Ely Cathedral, a dramatic solo version of Lewis’s classic The Great Divorce by professional actor Tony Lawton, and a full scale orchestral performance with the Institute’s choir. Also offered was a guided tour of C.S. Lewis’ Oxford home, called the Kilns, which has been rebuilt and maintained by the C.S. Lewis Foundation and has now been converted to the C.S. Lewis study center.
Even if one did not participate in Oxbridge 2008, it is still possible to experience some of the great teaching and performances, because all sessions were recorded and will be appearing on the Oxbridge 2008 website within the next month. Furthermore, original papers read in the afternoon academic paper sessions will be submitted to the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s online journal, In Pursuit of Truth, with many expected to appear in upcoming journal issues. And watch for the next Oxbridge Summer Institute, expected in 2011!
With wit and insight, C.S. Lewis’ landmark book, The Screwtape Letters, reveals many ways in which evil can take hold, both within and without. In the intimate woodland retreat of Camp Allen, join Professor Ralph Wood of Baylor University as he imparts lessons from Lewis on how to perceive and resist the snares of Screwtape in our everyday lives.
Featuring Lewis scholars Louis Markos, George Musacchio, & Andrew Lazo, worship with Rev. Michael Wyckoff, and performances by Ad Deum Dance Company and singer/songwriter Michael Kelly Blanchard.
This retreat will challenge your mind, refresh your body, and renew your spirit. Don’t miss it!
Other Highlights:
• Small group sessions on conference themes
• Worship and fellowship with friends old and new
• Outdoor recreation during free time
• Children’s Track for young Narnians (ages 7-12)
• Bag End Café – informal after-hours readings and musical offerings by retreat participants and guest musicians
Visit us online at www.cslewis.org
or call toll-free 1-866-334-2267
If you have ever read The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe then you know how brilliant C.S. Lewis was. Clive Staples Lewis wrote so many great works that it is hard to compare him to other authors. He wrote both fiction and great logical works to show the greatness of God and his writings did just that.
This conference features speakers that have studied his work as well as a few who knew the man. They delve into his mind to talk about his love for God and his desire to proclaim God’s grandeur.
Session 1: Walter Hooper (Literary Adviser)
Session 2: Bruce Edwards (Editor of: C.S. Lewis, his life, work, and ministry)
Session 3:Walter Hooper (Literary Adviser)
Session 4: James Como (Author of Remembering C.S. Lewis)
The audio comes from the “C. S. Lewis: The Man and His Work” Conference held at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary last October.
Thanks to Mark Sommer from Hollywood Jesus for the information about the source of the audio.
I know this is a bit late, but here’s last week’s update from the C.S. Lewis Foundation! Enjoy it! (If you have a C.S. Lewis Society, and have a newsletter or would like to promote your group, e-mail us.)
Oxbridge 2008 a Success!
Greetings to all! Oxbridge 2008 is now officially over, and we hope that all of you who attended enjoyed safe travel back to your homes. A hearty thanks to both Oxbridge alumni and to those who have yet to go but generously donated their time, money, and prayers to help make it all possible. It made all the difference!
We have been processing all of the evaluations and the overwhelming consensus declares it a resounding success. We have been greatly encouraged by all of you who shared the many ways in which Oxbridge nourished you both intellectually and spiritually. To God be the glory!
Now that the summer is over, we are beginning to redirect our energies in preparation for other exciting programs and initiatives. Oxbridge serves as a source of enormous inspiration and instruction that informs so much of our work. It has the ultimate intention to inform and direct our outreach in many other areas, all of which contribute towards fulfilling our mission to advance the rich legacy of C.S. Lewis through “the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and the culture at large.”
As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, we depend upon your partnership to help us reach out to those around us. Please keep reading below to discover the exciting ways in which both alumni and friends of the Foundation can join together to make the most of the Oxbridge experience!
In particular, keep a close eye on your inbox for an announcement about the launch of our new online communities where you can contact others, share photos, participate in message board discussions, post related links and articles, and do much more.
CDs of Oxbridge 2008 to Be Produced Soon – Order Now!
Whether you want to buy your friend or spouse that “perfect Christmas gift,” refresh your memory of your favorite talk, make up for the morning you missed, or simply bring a taste of Oxford and Cambridge to your morning commute, the audio recordings from Oxbridge 2008 are currently in production and ready to be ordered for your listening pleasure! Individual talks and services are available, as well as our handsome double boxed sets. Orders should be placed by September 19th to ensure fast shipping, but individual orders can be made at any time. Click on this link to place your order right now: http://www.cslewis.org/resources/audio.html
C.S. Lewis Southwest Regional Retreat – Sign up Now!
Do you want a glimpse of the Inklings experience of fellowship in mind, soul, and body? Are you looking to reconnect with the friends you made this summer in England? Then join with friends old and new at beautiful Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, October 31 to November 2!
“Redeeming the Time: Overcoming Screwtape in our Everyday Lives”: With wit and insight, C.S. Lewis’ landmark book, The Screwtape Letters, reveals many ways in which evil can take hold, both within and without. In this intimate woodland retreat, join Professor Ralph Wood of Baylor University as he imparts lessons from Lewis on how to better perceive and resist the snares of Screwtape in our everyday lives. Also featuring worship with Rev. Michael Wyckoff, break-out sessions with Lewis scholars Louis Markos and Andrew Lazo, and performances by Ad Deum Dance Company, this retreat will challenge your mind, refresh your body, and renew your spirit! www.cslewis.org/programs/regional/sw/2008/index.html.
Donate Today to Support the Foundation in Its Strategic Mission
Your gift will enable Christian faculty, administrators, and trustees serving in colleges and universities across the U.S., Canada and abroad, to make a real difference where it counts – within the lecture halls and classrooms of our nation’s campuses, right where our future leaders are being formed. In addition, your gift will support the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s efforts to challenge and nurture our churches in supporting this strategic outreach to the university world.
Donate online using our secure gift program. For your convenience, we are able to accept donations made via credit cards and direct debit from your checking account. Begin the process by clicking here. Alternately, you may donate over the phone by calling toll-free 1-888-CSLEWIS Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Or donate through the mail by sending your donation to C.S. Lewis Foundation, P.O. Box 8008, Redlands, CA 92375
Our Needs List – Contribute to the Work of this Ministry!
Our programs, including the C.S. Lewis Study Centre at The Kilns in Oxford, CSLF Internship Program, Faculty Forum, and Oxbridge Summer Institute, have need of the following equipment:
(2) 15 in. or larger flat panel/LCD monitor (est. $189 each)
(1) Special request for our out-of-state volunteer Interns serving at the C.S. Lewis Foundation main office in Redlands, CA: We have need of a car, used or new, to be used by Foundation Interns in commuting to the office (model year 2000 or newer with automatic transmission preferred.)
Please prayerfully consider supporting our ministry in this way and joining us in our mission to promote the legacy of C.S. Lewis!
If you would like to sign up to receive future e-mails from the C.S. Lewis Foundation about their news and events, please click here: C.S. Lewis Foundation Contact Page
Dr. Devin Brown recently served as the Scholar-in-Residence for a weeklong Summer Seminar at The Kilns, C.S. Lewis’s home just outside of Oxford, England. The seminar was put on by the C.S. Lewis Foundation, which purchased The Kilns in 1984 and has restored it to its 1930s appearance.
The seminar was composed of fourteen participants from all walks of life who came to live and study in Lewis’s home. In addition to the daily classes which were taught by Dr. Brown in The Kilns’ library, the group was able to tour Lewis’s college, worship at the church he attended, and eat at The Eagle and Child—the pub which hosted the weekly meetings of the Inklings, the writing group composed of Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and their friends.
Lewis moved into The Kilns in 1930 and lived there until his death in 1963. It was the first and the only home he owned.
We are delighted to announce the second C.S. Lewis Today conference to be held in Sydney!
Date: Saturday 24th May 2008, all day.
Venue: Wesley Centre, Pitt St, Sydney.
Cost: To be advised, but affordable for families, students and all Lewis fans.
Program: A day of talks, movies, panel discussions and workshops, including keynote addresses from Professor Alan Jacobs (author of The Narnian) and Dr John Dickson (popular Australian Christian author and speaker and Director of the Centre for Public Christianity).
Stay tuned for more information about the release of the film Prince Caspian and Lewis events at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
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