Narnia Fans » Oxbridge 2005

Third Annual Southwest Regional Retreat of the C.S. Lewis Foundation and The Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity

“Aslan on the Move: Narnia Revisited”

Date: November 18 – 20, 2005

Location: Camp Allen Episcopal Retreat Center, Navasota, Texas

What to bring: A love for God, curiosity, questions, an eagerness for learning, a desire for Christian fellowship, and an appreciation of spiritually uplifting entertainment.

Dear friends,

This year’s retreat will feature commentary on C.S. Lewis’ wonderful collection of stories for both children and adults, The Chronicles of Narnia are a wonder of delight for both young and old, and, as in 2004, we will offer programs for both adults and children.

Our speakers for the adult portion of the weekend will be Dr. Louis Markos of Houston Baptist University and Dr. Paul Ford of St. John’s Catholic Seminary in Camarillo, California. They will lead us into the wonderful world of Narnia and explore the characters, themes and timely lessons Lewis developed in this Christian fantasy world, where Aslan moves and breathes unexpected life. You need only bring a desire to learn, live, and grow. Lewis believed we needed more good Christian stories to be told, and we can use his insights and skill to bless others as we learn about Christian storytelling with purpose and continue our own spiritual journeys.

Like all C.S. Lewis Foundation and Hill Country Institute conferences and retreats, “Aslan on the Move: Narnia Revisited” will feed us spiritually, challenge us intellectually, and entertain us wholeheartedly. Additional entertainment will be featured throughout the weekend, including the new biographical movie C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia, produced by Faith and Values Media, which was premiered at Oxbridge 2005 in Cambridge, England. We will also worship together in a morning meditation time to open our day on Saturday morning and a worship service to conclude the retreat on Sunday morning.

Camp Allen is the ideal setting for a peaceful retreat that succors body, mind, and soul. Nestled in the rich pine forest of Navasota, Texas, northwest of Houston, it offers walking trails, canoeing, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities for your enjoyment during free time.

“Aslan on the Move: Narnia Revisited” will surely provide you and your family with the perfect respite before the frenzy of the holiday season.

Save these dates and go to www.campallen.org to register for the conference and to learn more about Camp Allen. For information on costs and to register, click on Online Registration for Selected Events. For additional information on the C.S. Lewis Foundation and the retreat, go to www.cslewis.org

Stan Mattson, Ph.D., president and founder of the C.S. Lewis Foundation, today announced that Pastor Rick Warren, renown best-selling author of A Purpose-Driven Life, has confirmed his participation in the upcoming C.S. Lewis Institute conference in Oxford and Cambridge, England, from July 24 through August 6, 2005.

Organized by the California-based C.S. Lewis Foundation, this conference is entitled “Making All Things New: The Good, the True and the Beautiful in the 21st Century. “Set in the medieval university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, Oxbridge 2005 will feature presentations by leading scholars and artists representing many Christian traditions and interests from around the world, in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, and interlaced with music, dance, theater and worship.

Pastor Warren’s presentations will be first, in Oxford, “The Good, the True and the Beautiful-To What End?” and second, in Cambridge, an informal interview by former national radio host Dick Staub.

“Pastor Rick Warren brings a wonderful pragmatic dimension to this conference,” explains Mattson. “Our desire is that people will return home and integrate what they receive in a meaningful way within the context of their own individual vocations and circumstances. Pastor Rick helps reinforce that probability with his special talent for translating important and lofty ideals into practical, easy-to-understand, actionable principles.”

Other speakers include Susanna Caroselli, Chuck Colson, David Cook, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Foster, Dana Gioia, Malcolm Guite, David Lyle Jeffrey, Bishop James Jones, Peter Kreeft, Vishal Mangalwadi, Louis Markos, Alister McGrath, Kathleen Norris, Joseph Pearce, Tony Thiselton, Dean Trulear and Kallistos Ware.

Afternoon seminars feature topics on C.S. Lewis, the Inklings, contemplative prayer, peacemaking and reconciliation, political engagement, the Christian scholar in the secular academy, the Oxford libraries, medical and business ethics, social justice, cultural apologetics, science and theology, philosophy, architectural and art history. Workshops include creative writing, theater, dance, choral performance and the visual arts.

Special events include evensong service at Ely Cathedral, a traditional English country dinner dance at Chilford Hall, performances by the Riding Lights Theatre Company of York, England, Oxford City Orchestra, the Institute Chorale, dramatic portrayals of C.S. Lewis by British actor Joss Ackland and American actor Tom Key, and a final eucharistic service of dedication at Kings College Chapel. Optional day trips include Warwick Castle, The Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Blenheim Palace, Lewis’ beloved home, “The Kilns,” (now owned and beautifully restored by the Foundation) and an evening of Shakespeare in the park.

For more information or to register for Oxbridge 2005, please visit www.cslewis.org, or call toll free 1-800-CSLEWIS.

About the C.S. Lewis Foundation: Founded in 1986 by a small group of Christian scholars, and inspired by the life and legacy of renowned English professor, author and speaker C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian scholarship and artistic expression throughout the mainstream world of learning and the culture at large. For more information, please visit www.cslewis.org

I sent an e-mail to the C.S. Lewis Foundation for feedback on the C.S. Lewis Summer Conference at the University of San Diego: The Fantastic Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Here’s the incredible response from Marlon Davies, an intern at the Foundation:

The Conference went smashingly! It was truly a magnificent weekend of fellowship, good company and quality learning. I have included a link to an article from Dick Staub, one of our featured guests over the course of the weekend. It will give you a window into one person’s experience. DickStaub.com

Overall, we received excellent praise and feedback about all our guests, especially scholars Peter Kreeft and Joseph Pearce, actor Tony Lawton and music artist, Fernando Ortega.

The C.S. Lewis Foundation will be facilitating a number of things throughout the next year. However, everything will be working toward, in anticipation, OxBridge 2005. You can view the archives of the 2002 OxBridge conference “Time and Eternity” at our site. This is similar in nature to the recent San Diego conference, but larger. The theme of 2005 will be “The Good, the True, and the Beautiful”. Our site will be updated this summer will much more information on the event. [July 24-August 5, 2005: Oxbridge 2005 Summer Institute - "The Good, the True and the Beautiful"] Also, any other events coming up will also be updated quite soon online.

Most notable will be the C.S. Lewis tall ship cruise. A beautiful way to see the British Isles and learn more about Lewis and his life and writings. This is put on in partnership with 1st century voyages.

For more information, visit: C.S. Lewis Foundation
and NarniaFans’ Festivals page