REL 352/452-01 Seminar on C. S. Lewis

Terry Lindvall, PhD, C. S. Lewis Chair of Communication and Christian Thought

Department of Religious Studies, Virginia Wesleyan College

Summer 2007, June 25-July 3/4, Oxford , England

Course Description:

This seminar aims at establishing a conversation with the writings of one of the most articulate Christian spokespersons of the 20^th century. Even before the advent of the Disney/Walden adaptation of his Narnian fiction, C. S. Lewis was renowned for his literary, philosophical, and critical writings, being a Medieval and Renaissance scholar before becoming, alas, a celebrity, most probably to his great chagrin and embarrassment.

Key to the success of Lewis’ religious writings was his communication strategy committed to translating theology into the vernacular. With such a practice, Lewis’s writings fit in the vibrant tradition of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus’ parables, Augustine’s confessions, Hildegaard’s plays, Kierkegaard’s ironies, and Chesterton’s journalistic essays. All these religious communicators found ways to attract audiences and suggest truth through the back doors of the imagination.

In order to fully appreciate Lewis and his contribution to both religious and literary studies, it is worth understanding him in his primary environments, which are Oxford and Cambridge . By living and studying in these two University towns, and in particular reading and tutoring in Lewis’ own home, the Kilns, our understanding of Lewis will be greatly enhanced.  In tea rooms and pubs, on walking tours through Addison ’s Way and within the BBC, we will imbibe the words and spirit of Lewis, being placed in the authentic context of his writing and speaking. Our conversation with Lewis on his home turf will augment our sense of the British author and his understanding of hermeneutics, apologetics, parabolic communication, myth and fact, reason and imagination, and concepts such as the Numinous and Sehnsucht as they inform his communication. This seminar aims at cultivating habits of thought for reading, reflections, interactions, and formal writings regarding Lewis and those who shaped him, such as G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Specific Objectives:

1.               Discuss the canon of C. S. Lewis and track the historical, literary, and philosophical antecedents that shaped his thought and writing.

2.               Discern underlying philosophical and theological assumptions of Lewis’ discursive and fictional work and analyze the ways in which values are expressed and worked out in human discourse.

3.               Compare and contrast Lewis’ writings to others. 

4.               Debate the appropriateness, effectiveness, and ethical dimensions of Lewis’ communication strategies.

5.               Articulate a perspective or argument on Lewis and his contributions to theology and/or literature in both written and oral forms. 

Course Requirements:

1.               Students are responsible for assigned readings. Class participation, discussion, and debate are rooted in completing required assignments.

2.               Each student will research and summarize the contributions/influence of some significant thinker/writer/friend on C. S. Lewis. For example, you might want to investigate the role of Plato, Spenser, or Tolkien upon the thought and writings of Lewis. Presentations will include a one-sheet, single-spaced outline or overview of the person and her/his contributions and an oral presentation.

3.               Students will form groups around each of the other six Chronicles of Narnia, LWW excepting. Each group will creatively present the story line, main characters, and key themes to the class in some fresh and innovative or dull and pedantic way.

4.               Each student will script her or his own one-page Screwtape Letter, addressing some present concern or social/religious/cultural issue.

5.               One essay examination will be given on class lectures, discussions, and assigned readings and viewings.

6.               Each student is required to write a research paper on some aspect of Lewis’ contribution to religious studies. The paper should follow MLA style and be from 6-12 pages, double-spaced. Topics should be approved.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:

In accordance with Title 5, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, reasonable accommodation will be provided to any student who has followed the college’s procedures as outlined in VWC’s current Academic Bulletin.  If you have any questions about this process, please contact me immediately.

GRADING:                                                                                                   

The weights used in arriving at the final grade for the course are as follows:

Class Participation                                         15 points

Historical Presentation                                   15 points                    

A Screwtape Letter                                           5 points

Final Exam                                                     20 points

Research Paper                                               30 points        

Group Narnia Presentation                             15 points

(Class participation does involve participation in the class.  Because participation constitutes a large percentage of your grade, it can significantly lower/raise your grade.  If you tend to be reserved or if you have questions about how you can more actively participate in the class, please take the time to talk with me.)

Grading Scale

A         94-100             B         84-87               C         74-77               D         64-67

A-        91-93               B-        81-83               C-        71-73               D-        61-63

B+       88-90               C+       78-80               D+       68-70               Failing 0-60

I see all grades from 75 above as good grades.  Grades below that level demonstrate a need for more work.  I encourage you to stop by my office if you have questions about your grades or if you are working towards a specific grade and want to make sure that you are preparing most effectively.

Required Texts:

Jacobs, Alan The Narnian (HarperCollins, 2005)

Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man (Harper, 2001)

Lewis, C. S. The Chronicles of Narnia (Harper Collins)

Lewis, C. S. The Four Loves (Harvest, 1971)

Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce (Harper, 2001)

Lewis, C. S. That Hideous Strength (Scribner, 2003)

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity (Harper, 2001)

Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters (Harper, 2001)

Lewis, C. S. Surprised by Joy (Harvest, 1966)

Lewis, C. S. The Weight of Glory and other Essays (Harper, 2001)

Nicoli, Armand The Question of God (Free Press, 2003)

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

June 25 Flight to London

June 26 Arrival in Oxford : Tour of the City of Celestial Spires

Dinner at the Trout Inn: Discussion on Lewis, his Life and his Roads to Jerusalem

            DISCUSS: Jacobs’ The Narnian

June 27 Life at the Kilns; Shadowlands, Art of Autobiography & Finding the Whipsnade

DISCUSS: Surprised by Joy

Questions: What does “Joy” mean to Lewis? What were the significant events that led to his conversion to theism and then to Christianity? Where do you see the roots of Lewis’ rationality and of his imagination? Which parts of his life resonate with yours, if any?

June 28 Headington Quarry Anglican Church, the Lake Walk

            DISCUSS: Mere Christianity, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Questions: How does Lewis arrive at his argument that Christianity is truer than other religions? What are the weaknesses and the strengths of his argument? What does he see as the only alternatives regarding Jesus? Do you see any others? What are the levels of morality to Lewis? How are they related? What is meant by the four classic Cardinal virtues?  What does Lewis mean by God’s demand that we become perfect? George MacDonald tells the parable of the house that God comes in to fix. What shape is your house in now?  What is the problem of “nice people” for Lewis? Why is that not enough? If Christianity is true why are not all Christians obviously nicer than all non-Christians? What point of Christianity gave Lewis the greatest shock? What is the difference between being made human and being begotten as a Son or Daughter? What two kinds of life does Lewis believe there are? What does forgiveness not mean to Lewis? What is the great sin?  What aspects of Mere Christianity do you see repeated here in fictional form? Why would Lewis write fantasy? What scenes spark the imagination? Which do not? How does the book differ from the film version?

June 29 Life in the College 

Magdalgen College , Addison Walk, Parson’s Pleasure skinny dipping, Bodelian Library, Bookstores, and PubCrawling at The Eagle and the Child

            DISCUSS: The Abolition of Man; That Hideous Strength

Questions: What is Lewis’ primary argument on why the human has been abolished? What does Lewis mean by “men without chests?” What does he see as the most effective methods for inculcating virtue? What moral values does Lewis see as universal? What are the basic assumptions of other texts you have read?  What parallels do you see between Lewis’ apologetic work and his fictional counterpart? What does THS say about Lewis’ view of University life and politics?

June 30 Hiking to Heaven and Hell, the Art of Walking and Talking

Satire and Humor in Lewis: Lewis and Laughter, A Brief Diversionary Escapade into Holy Risibility after Exceptionally Languid and Irresponsibly Insouciant Bacchanalian Respite in Honor of Demeter’s Verdant Revival

            DISCUSS: The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce

Questions: What for Lewis best describes hell? What are the worst sins? What are Screwtape’s most effective psychological or spiritual tactics? What do we learn from Lewis’ devils about temptation? What is the significance of Lewis’ title? What characterizes the major differences between Lewis’ conceptions of heaven and hell? Where do you see Lewis siding on the debate of predestination and free will? What does it take to get into Heaven? What are the stubborn and sticky issues that his various characters must navigate? Who is George MacDonald and why is he important as a guide? What feature of heaven strikes you as most compelling? How biblical would you assess his fictional account of the afterlife?

July 1 Return to the Kilns, with Love

DISCUSS: The Four Loves

Questions: What are the major differences between “gift loves” and “need loves?” What are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of natural love? Where have you seen examples of Lewis’ categories in literature, film, television, literature, and popular culture?

July 2 University Chapel

DISCUSS: The Weight of Glory

July 3 Free Day: Journey to Cambridge : Punting on the Cam or London trip option

            BBC, Fleet Street , St. Paul ’s

July 4 Return Flight to Norfolk