In the last few years, we’ve had a lot of lost manuscripts begin to surface from the likes of C.S. Lewis’ friend J.R.R. Tolkien.  From The Children of Hurin to The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, the wealth of literature from Tolkien has been expanded greatly, and it’s about time that something new from Lewis has been discovered.  Communications Professor Steven Beebe of Texas State discovered a lost manuscript fragment in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library.

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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”

“Notes on TILL WE HAVE FACES”

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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One of my favorite TV shows is ABC’s Lost. I’ve been a fan from the start of the show, having been a fan of Alias before it. Last night’s new episode featured brand new characters, including one that had a very familiar name. As I watched the episode, it struck me that one of the characters had a name similar to that of C.S. Lewis himself. It seems I wasn’t alone in noticing this. Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jensen takes things even further, writing:

For me, ”Confirmed Dead” was downright alive with fascinating new characters, mind-blowing new possibilities, and exciting new theory fodder. Like this one: I am utterly convinced Charlotte Staples Lewis has been to the Island before. Maybe it was her giggly delight as she splashed about in the Island’s inland waters. True, the would-be freighter savior (or devil) could have been celebrating the mere fact that she had survived her harrowing arrival. But there was something more to her reaction — something that reminded me of another fantastical tale about an enchanted homecoming. The book is Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis, the sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The story starts with a chapter called ”The Island,” in which the Pevensie kids return to Narnia via a mysterious island marked by ancient ruins and odd creatures. First thing they do: play in the water. Maybe I’m just fishing again. But if you think I’m wrong, then you owe me a better explanation why Charlotte Staples Lewis has been assigned a name so conspicuously similar to the author’s unfurled handle, Clive Staples Lewis.

(Don’t roll your eyes at me — especially since we’re only getting started! I spent 90 minutes researching Apocalypse Now and by extension the complete canon of Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad for Lost resonance thanks to Sawyer’s snarky ”Colonel Kurtz” crack. I found some, too: Check out The Shadow-Line, Chance, The Inheritors, and The Secret Agent. And for those who want to take me up on my C.S. Lewis challenge, consider investigating The Space Trilogy. C’mon, people! Support your local library!)

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With all of the Prince Caspian news that has come about on this First of April… a day that is long known to be a day of umm…. foolish behavior, I thought I’d tell you everything that I have heard.

Mr. T as Reepicheep is the most common rumor. However, that’s not what I’m going to be reporting.

This comes straight from the mouths of someone very close to the production of the next film: Prince Caspian.

Not only have they decided that it’d be smarter to film both “Prince Caspian” and “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” simultaneously, but in a case of either sheer lunacy or the biggest marketing crossover I have ever seen, they’ve also decided to rename the ship. The film will be called “The Voyage of the Black Rock.” Where does this name come from, you ask? Anyone familiar with the first season of ABC’s hit television show “Lost” can tell you a little bit about the Black Rock. Since Disney both owns ABC and is again co-producing “The Chronicles of Narnia,” this seemed a natural fit. “Lost” will then spin-off a series called “The Lost Chronicles of Narnia,” where the crew of Narnians will have a run-in with a group of renegades called the Dharma Initiative.

I found this to be very exciting news, as I am a HUGE fan of Lost and Narnia, and together, it’s a winning combination that can’t lose.

[Talk about it here]

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Season One of Lost hits DVD today, which is a little more than a month away, but still too far off for my tastes. On the DVD is a Narnia trailer. This is the SAME trailer that was attached to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith earlier this year, not an all new one.

It is an almost-3-minute-long trailer for the bigscreen Dec. 9 release “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” Also featured on the DVD are commercials for the DVD releases of “Lost” Season 1 (why, I don’t know, as people are watching the DVD), “Desperate Housewives” 1.x, “Alias” 4.x “Scrubs” 2.x “Home Improvement” 3.x, and “Golden Girls” 3.x, and that promo we keep seeing for the second season of “Lost” on ABC.

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In August, Tate arrived at the Hawaiian location to film his guest spot in episode three. Lost follows the fates of a group of survivors stranded on an island after a plane crash. Tate’s farmer features in a pre-crash back-story involving one of the passengers on the ill-fated flight, the mysterious beauty Kate (Canadian newcomer Evangeline Lilly).

When he lived in the US, Tate established a career as a voiceover man for film trailers. It began with Jurassic Park and during his time in California, he found that his voiceover commitments precluded time to audition for acting roles, though he has worked on JAG, The X-Files, Party of Five, Murder She Wrote and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, among others. Now he does the voice work from a booth in his home in Sydney, his latest jobs being for The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and Being Julia.

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