Columbia Presbyterian Church & The C. S. Lewis Society are pleased to present: An evening with Terry Glaspey –Author of Not a Tame Lion – The Spiritual Legacy of C. S. Lewis. Saturday evening, August 22nd at Columbia Presbyterian Church.
Terry will examine how the writings of C. S. Lewis prepare the reader for an intellectual and experiential encounter with the living God.
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 Narnia Code, a new documentary based on Dr. Michael Ward’s Planet Narnia, is something we’d heard about late last year. It’s been a few months and is now complete and ready to air. We haven’t seen it yet, but you can watch a preview video for it here.
It is airing on BBC1 this upcoming Thursday, 16 April from 10:35-11:35pm.
The C. S. Lewis Society announces that the spring tour to England is now closed. The Society is very thankful as the response from Narnia fans worldwide has been very positive and encouraging and the tour is moving forward anticipating the trip of a lifetime.
In the Spirit of that anticipation, Douglas Gresham (who will be guiding the Oxford leg of the tour) has been kind enough to share an essay (originally published in Silver Leaves) that provides a refreshing glimpse of the many Inklings he attended with his stepfather, C. S. Lewis. There are many books about the Oxford Inklings (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams & others) but Douglas’ essay is from a rather unique perspective – sitting around the table with them! Shards of Diamonds can be found at www.oxfordspires.wordpress.com.
Darren Jacobs was kind enough to forward another update on the C.S. Lewis 2009 Tour. The update comes by way of the C.S. Lewis Society.
We have added a new and exciting dimension to our C.S. Lewis Society’s tour, “The Path of C.S. Lewis and British Christianity.” Douglas Gresham, the step-son of C.S. Lewis, will be our special guest for the Oxford portion of our nine-day educational tour of England, May 31st through June 8th, 2009. He will personally accompany us as we visit the colleges at Oxford, tour the Kilns (Lewis’s and Douglas’s home in Oxford,) and enjoy an evening meal at the Trout Inn, where J. R. R. Tolkien ate often with “Jack.” He will travel with us as we visit the Eagle and Child Pub, where Lewis gathered with his Christian soul mates, the “Inklings.” It is an incredible honor for our society to have Mr. Gresham with us, who is co-producer of the two recent Narnia Disney films. It is gracious of him to share with us his personal life-memories of his years with C.S. Lewis.
The C. S. Lewis Society is delighted to present “The Path of C. S. Lewis and British Christianity,” a nine-day educational tour of England, May 31st through June 8th, 2009. With its main focus on Oxford and Cambridge, the trip has been designed to touch minds and hearts –to inform and transform. By tracing the remarkable spread of the gospel in Great Britain and beyond-and C.S. Lewis’s unique role in that advance-we seek to inspire a vision of what God can do yet again, facing today’s challenges.
The C.S. Lewis and Inklings Society is now accepting registrations for its twelfth annual meeting on March 26-28, 2009, addressing the theme “Inklings: Dinosaurs or Contemporaries?” and featuring plenary speaker Peter Schakel. See below for more details. Please click here to see the seminar schedule (as a PDF). A detailed schedule will be available mid-February.
In papers and plenary sessions, the conference will explore ways in which C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield and Charles Williams may (or may not) be particularly relevant to the literary, theological, philosophical and socio-political issues of our own early 21st century times. As in previous conferences, we would like to extend the conversation to include Dorothy Sayers as well, and we would like to open the conversation even a bit further this year by including G.K. Chesterton, a strong-minded proto-Inkling of sorts, in the mix. What might this diverse and pleasantly provocative circle of thinkers have to offer to the world of ideas that we find ourselves in?
We’re starting up our regular C.S. Lewis Society updates again! People really tend to like these, and they help to raise awareness of Lewis Societies all over the United States. This is the December 2008 newsletter of the C.S. Lewis Society of California: Logos.
1. BBC Documentary, The Narnia Code:
The BBC is producing the new documentary by Norman Stone, The Narnia Code, based on the seminal book by Michael Ward, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis (Oxford University Press) for airing at Easter 2009. Dr. Ward and the book were featured at the C.S. Lewis Society of California’s special screening of the recent film, Prince Caspian, on May 17, 2008, at San Francisco’s Metreon. Stone won a BAFTA and an Emmy for his 1984 BBC production of C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands.
“Secret theme behind Narnia Chronicles is based upon the stars, says new research: The hidden theme behind C. S. Lewis’ Narnia books has finally been uncovered, according to a BBC documentary,” by Alastair Jamieson (London Telegraph, November 30, 2008)
“Documentary to lay bare ‘Narnia Code’,” by Alison Flood (Guardian, December 2, 2008)
2. Other Narnia News:
A. Prince Caspian Released on 3 Disc Special Edition (DVD and Blue-ray Disc):
“Newly Released ‘Prince Caspian’ DVD Takes Movie Fans Behind the Magic,” by Josh Kimball (Christian Post, December 2, 2008)
“‘Prince Caspian’ DVD hits stores tomorrow,” by Bob Beltz (San Francisco Examiner, December 1, 2008)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian 3-Disc Special Edition DVD Review,” by Michael Weyer (411mania.com, December 5, 2008)
B. New Book Presents Skeptic’s Appreciation of The Chronicles of Narnia:
Numerous articles are currently appearing on the new book by Salon.com’s book critic Laura Miller, The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia. In the book, Ms. Miller recounts her childhood love for The Chronicles of Narnia, only to turn away from from them as a non-Christian young adult, and later to return to them with skeptical admiration. Along the way, she has come to appreciate Lewis’s immense accomplishment in the Narniad, but largely believes that this relates solely to Lewis’s use of pre-Christian legends and symbols and that the Christian imagery was inappropriate and a “betrayal” (a view she incidentally does not hold for Philip Pullman’s bluntly anti-Christian Dark Materials trilogy). Her error lies in failing to appreciate Lewis’s (and J.R.R. Tolkien’s, Charles Williams’s and G.K. Chesterton’s) deeper point that all truly good literature, including ancient legend, reflects shadowings of Christian truths. For Lewis, the difference between standard myth and Christianity is not that the former is more authentic myth, but that Christianity is most authentically what Tolkien called “true myth,” in which the truths embedded in those legends, which althougth untrue have inspired and thrilled generations for millenia, became all too real in the true story of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, it was this insight by Lewis that was a major factor in his conversion in becoming a Christian. Although having much to be admired, Ms. Miller’s book really is a reflection of her own biases and limitations as a agnostic/modernist journalist, and she would do well to dig deeper into Lewis’s own scholarly writings on this matter, as well as Michael Ward’s superb book, Planet Narnia. In so doing, she (as with both Philip Pullman and Tokien himself) misinterprets numerous aspects of the Narniad stories, predictably based on her ignorance both of the classic literature Lewis was drawing upon and the “Medieval model” Ward reveals is at the heart of the books. Lewis’s Narniad has been so extremely popular because of its profoundly effective and sophisticated integration of enduring truths of the yearning of all mankind for what Lewis rightly called “Joy,” which leads us on a path directly to Christianity.
“A Return to Narnia: Adored in childhood, reconsidered in adulthood and finally embraced,” by Meghan Cox Gurdon (Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2006)
“The Magician’s Book: Actual Smart Things About C.S. Lewis (and J.R.R. Tolkien),” by Lev Grossman (Time, December 1, 2008)
“A spy in the house of Narnia,” by Rebecca Traister (Salon.com, December 7, 2008)
3. Upcoming C.S. Lewis Society Events:
C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book and Film Club (See year-long schedule here)
Meets bi-weekly Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
The upcoming meeting will be held at:
God in the Dock is available in paperback, on CDs, on audio cassettes, or online.
11990 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94619 (atop the Oakland hills)
RSVP: 510-482-2906 phone
Wine, beer, soft drinks and other refreshments servedDecember 10 and 17: Discussion:
God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, by C.S. Lewis
Leader/moderator: Frank and Lucia La Rocca
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For yourself and others, you can order books by or about C.S. Lewis, as well as videos and DVDs plus audio tapes and CDs.
Logos is made possible by the generous contributions of Members of the C.S. Lewis Society. If you enjoy Logos, please consider becoming a Member and making a donation to the C.S. Lewis Society. Click here for details on the C.S. Lewis Society Membership program, or contact us by phone at 510-635-6892,or by snail mail to C. S. Lewis Society of California, 100 Swan Way, Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94621-1428. All contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you!
-David J. Theroux
Please note the following in this issue of LOGOS: The C.S. Lewis Society Update (3/18/08):
http://www.lewissociety.org
1. Narnia News
2. Harper Collins Revamps C.S. Lewis Website and Blog
3. New Journal
4. Next meetings of the C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book Club
5. Other Events
1. Narnia News:
A. A massive interactive, 10,000-square-foot, educational exhibit, “The Chronicles of Narnia: International Museum Exhibition,” will premiere June 2008 at internationally renowned museums and learning institutions in a minimum of 10 cities around the world over a five-year span. The exhibit will allow visitors to enter three-dimensional settings of myth, magic and adventure that so embodied Lewis’s fantasy world.
B. In a poll to determine the best children’s books of all time and conducted among 4,000 parents, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the most famous in the Narnia series, was selected as the topmost book, beating out Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was ranked sixth) and others. The poll was conducted by Booktrust in England.
“Harry Potter straggles in a ‘disappointing’ sixth in children’s books poll” (Daily Mail)
“Potter Loses Out to Narnia, Others” (NewKerala)
C. Here also is the web site for the forthcoming, second film in the Narnia series, PRINCE CASPIAN, which will premiere May 16th: Narnia.com
2. Harper Collins Revamps C.S. Lewis Website and Adds New Blog:
According to Devin Brown (Professor of English, Asbury College): “Harper Collins, the publisher for most of C. S. Lewis’s books, has completed a wonderful new make-over of its Lewis website: www.cslewis.com. Among the new features are a new C. S. Lewis Discussion Board and a C. S. Lewis Books Blog featuring new articles from Lewis scholars around the world. Viewers can read and comment on the articles as they appear. The scholars involved in this project are Sarah Arthur, Robin Baker, Devin Brown, Andrew Cuneo, David Downing, Bruce Edwards, Diana Glyer, Dan Hamilton, Joel Heck, Zach Kincaid, Don King, David Naugle, David Theroux, Jerry Root, Leland Ryken, and Michael Ward.”
3. New Journal:
Founded by Tyler Fisher in January 2004 as a newsletter of the Oxford University C.S. Lewis Society, current editor Judith Tonning has expanded THE CHRONICLE into a full journal. The new issue includes an essay on Lewis’s views on women; a critical commentary on THE ABOLITION OF MAN; a piece of fiction by Lewis’s mother, Flora Hamilton Lewis, edited by Walter Hooper and published here for the first time, and other items.
The journal’s Table of Contents can be viewed, and orders made, online here.
4. The next meetings of the C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book Club will be as follows:
http://www.lewissociety.org/bookclub.php
Book for Discussion:
ORTHODOXY, by G. K. Chesterton:
Wednesday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.; Meeting moderator/leader: Andrew Dosa
Wednesday, April 2, 7:30 p.m.; Meeting moderator/leader: Andrew Dosa
In his scintillating prose, G.K. Chesterton, one of the 20th century’s greatest writers, explains the values and ideals that constitute the foundation of Christianity. Chesterton adopts an informal style in his arguments in favor of faith as an affirmation of human freedom — with ample doses of analogy, imagery, personal anecdotes, and humor. ORTHODOXY is a masterpiece of language and faith.
Here is an online outline of the book.
The meetings will be held at:
11990 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94619 (atop the Oakland hills)
510-482-2906 phone
wine, soft drinks and other refreshments served
Here also are numerous articles on ORTHODOXY:
“ORTHODOXY: Chesterton on the ‘Delight’ OF Truth,” by James V. Schall
“A Review of ORTHODOXY by G.K. Chesterton” by Frederick Meekins
“G.K. Chesterton: Champion of Orthodoxy,” by Joseph Pearce
“ORTHODOXY,” by Wikipedia
“A Review of ORTHODOXY by G.K. Chesterton“, by Philip K. Weingart
ORTHODOXY is available in paperback
ORTHODOXY is available on audio tape
ORTHODOXY is available free as an online book
ORTHODOXY is available as a free MP3 audio download
ORTHODOXY is available as a free m4b audio format for the iPod and iTunes
Here also is the schedule of future Lewis Society book club meetings:
http://www.lewissociety.org/bookclub.php
Here also is information on C.S. Lewis:
http://www.lewissociety.org/aboutlewis.php
We hope that you and/or others you know will be joining with us! (Please feel free to forward this update to others.)
5. Other Events:
http://www.lewissociety.org/events.php
“The God Question: A Debate Between Dinesh D’Souza and Michael Shermer”
California State University, Fresno
April 18, 2008
“Sixth Frances Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends”
Sponsored by Taylor University, Upland, IN
May 29-June 1, 2008
“LionCon: A Narnian Convention”
Sponsored by LionCall.org
June 20-22, 2008
“Charles Williams and His Contemporaries”
Sponsored by The Charles Williams Society
Sr. Hilda’s College, Oxford, England
July 4-6, 2008
“Oxbridge 2008: The Self and the Search for Meaning”
Sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation
Oxford University, July 28 – August 2, 2008
Cambridge University, August 3-8, 2008
Please contact me with any questions.
Best regards,
David
David J. Theroux
Founder and President
C. S. Lewis Society of California
100 Swan Way, Suite 200
Oakland, CA 94621-1428
(510) 635-6892 Phone
(510) 568-6040 Fax
http://www.lewissociety.org
Founder and President
The Independent Institute
(510) 632-1366 Phone
http://www.independent.org
Please note the following in this issue of the C.S. Lewis Society Update (2/15/08):
http://www.lewissociety.org
1. C.S. Lewis in TV’s “Lost”
2. Recent Articles
3. New Books
4. Next meetings of the C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book Club
5. Other Events
1. C.S. Lewis in TV’s “Lost”:
The extremely popular ABC-TV series of mystery, spirituality and intrigue with a group of people marooned on a desert island, “Lost,” is now in its fourth season. And in episode two, the program is revealing remarkable clues that point to C.S. Lewis’s influence. For example, when Ben noted that Charlotte’s complete name is “Charlotte Staples Lewis,” the blogosphere utterly lit up about Lewis, with people pointing out the connections to Lewis’s books, PRINCE CASPIAN and PERELANDRA. Such suggestions have arisen before, especially in the first season, when the original program was produced by Christian film producer Ralph Winter, who is also currently producing the film version of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS. Here are example articles:
“Tiddlywinkydinks: Perelandra Lost” (Inner Toob)
“Lost’s Second Episode Reveals More Clues,” by Sonja Zjawinski (Wired News)
“‘Lost’: Chute First, Ask Questions Later,” by Jeff Jensen (Entertainment Weekly)
2. Recent Articles:
A. Here is another article from the author of the important, new book, PLANET NARNIA (Oxford University Press):
“C. S. Lewis and the Star of Bethlehem: Recovering the Medieval Imagination,” by Michael Ward (Christianity Today)
http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2008/001/15.30.html
B. Is the warning in C.S. Lewis’s dystopian science fiction book THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH coming true in Britain? In the book, Lewis conceived of a government-funded scientistic think tank, the National Institute for Coordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.), which would rule society absolutely according to eugenic, utilitarian principles. Incredibly enough, in 1999, the Labor government established the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E.) with special powers to determine the treatments in Britain’s government-funded health system. As Elizabeth Woodeson, head of scientific development and bioethics at the Department of Health has stated, “The Secretary of State believes that…clinicians should be able to follow the N.I.C.E. [quality of life] guidelines without being obliged to accede to patient demands.” The result for example was the decision to withhold food and water from Leslie Burke, who was suffering from a degenerative motor neurone disease, with Burke filing a lawsuit in response in order to save his life:
“Commentary: Britain’s N.I.C.E. Think Tank Not So Nice – C.S. Lewis’ Prophesy Comes Eerily True,” by Hilary White (LifeSite)
C. Review of Dinesh D’Souza’s bestselling book, WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY:
“God’s Advocate: Dinesh D’Souza goes the distance with the atheists,” by Peter Wehner (Weekly Standard)
D. For decades, the world’s leading atheist (and David Hume) scholar Antony Flew attacked theism as irrational. In his new book, THERE IS A GOD, he reveals why he has changed his mind and has abandoned atheism. Here is an interview with him:
“My Pilgrimage from Atheism to Theism: A Discussion between Antony Flew and Gary Habermas”
3. New Books:
SURPRISED BY HOPE: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, by N.T. Wright
GOD’S UNDERTAKER: Has Science Buried God?, by John Lennox
CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: A Theistic Argument, by J. P. Moreland
CHRISTIANS AT THE CROSS: Finding Hope in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, by N.T. Wright
IS YOUR LORD LARGE ENOUGH: How C.S. Lewis Expands Our View of God, by Peter J. Schakel
THE REASON FOR GOD: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller
THE HEART OF NARNIA; Wisdom, Virtue, and Life Lessons from the Classic Chronicles, by Robert Velarde
INSIDE PRINCE CASPIAN: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia, by Devin Brown
THE CASE FOR THE REAL JESUS: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ, by Lee Strobel
4. The next meetings of the C.S. Lewis Society Bay Area Book Club will be as follows:
Book for Discussion:
TILL WE HAVE FACES: A Myth Retold, by C.S. Lewis:
Wednesday, February 20, 7:30 p.m.; Meeting moderator/leader: Roy Carlisle
Wednesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.; Meeting moderator/leader: Roy Carlisle
TILL WE HAVE FACES was considered by Lewis to be his greatest novel, and critics agree. Based on the classic Roman myth, this tale of two princesses — one beautiful and one unattractive — and of the struggle between sacred and profane love is Lewis’s reworking of the myth of Cupid and Psyche and one of his most enduring works. The book is brilliant and intriguing study of love, pride, power and God.
“The most significant and triumphant work that Lewis has yet produced”.”
–New York Herald Tribune
“In Mr. Lewis’s sensitive hands the ancient myth retains its fascination while being endowed with new meanings, new depths, new terrors.”
–Saturday Review
The meetings will be held at:
11990 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94619 (atop the Oakland hills)
510-482-2906 phone
wine, soft drinks and other refreshments served
Here also are numerous articles re TILL WE HAVE FACES:
“TILL WE HAVE FACES” by Henry Karlson:
“TILL WE HAVE FACES” by Wikipedia:
“A Great Gulf Fixed: The Problem of Obsessive Love in C.S. Lewis’ TILL WE HAVE FACES,” by Amelia F. Franz
“TILL WE HAVE FACES, by C.S. Lewis,” reviewed by Peter Schakel; Literary Encyclopedia
“TILL WE HAVE FACES, by C.S. Lewis”, by Kevin Stilley
“A review of TILL WE HAVE FACES by C.S. Lewis”
TILL WE HAVE FACES is available in paperback
TILL WE HAVE FACES on CD
Here also is the schedule of future Lewis Society book club meetings
Here also is information on C.S. Lewis
We hope that you and/or others you know will be joining with us! (Please feel free to forward this update to others.)
5. Other Events:
http://www.lewissociety.org/events.php
“Sixth Frances Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends”
Sponsored by Taylor University, Upland, IN
May 29-June 1, 2008
“LionCon: A Narnian Convention”
Sponsored by LionCon.org
June 20-22, 2008
http://www.lioncon.org/
“Charles Williams and His Contemporaries”
Sponsored by The Charles Williams Society
Sr. Hilda’s College, Oxford, England
July 4-6, 2008
“Oxbridge 2008: The Self and the Search for Meaning”
Sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation
Oxford University, July 28 – August 2, 2008
Cambridge University, August 3-8, 2008
Please contact me with any questions.
Best regards,
David
David J. Theroux
Founder and President
C. S. Lewis Society of California
100 Swan Way, Suite 200
Oakland, CA 94621-1428
(510) 635-6892 Phone
(510) 568-6040 Fax
dtheroux@lewissociety.org
http://www.lewissociety.org
Founder and President
The Independent Institute
(510) 632-1366 Phone
DTheroux@independent.org
http://www.independent.org
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