Spring 2007
English 405/Bible 482:
The Imagination and Apologetics of C. S.
Lewis, 3 credit hours
6-8:50 p.m. Mondays
|
You will be both grieved and amused to learn that out of about 60 reviews [of Out of the Silent Planet], only 2 showed any knowledge that my idea of a fall of the Bent One was anything but a private invention of my own. But if only there were someone with a richer talent and more leisure, I believe this great ignorance might be a help to the evangelisation of England: any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people's minds under cover of romance without their knowing it (letter to Sister Penelope, 9 August 1939) [In all my books] there is a guiding thread. The imaginative man in me is older, more continuously operative, and that sense more basic than either the religious writer or the critic. It was he who made me first attempt (with little success) to be a poet. It was he who, in response to the poetry of others, made me a critic, and, in defence of that response, sometimes a critical controversialist. It was he who after my conversion led me to embody my religious belief in symbolical or mythopeic [sic] forms, ranging from Screwtape to a kind of theologised science‑fiction. And it was of course he who has brought me, in the last few years, to write the series of Narnian stories for children (letter to the Milton Society, 28 December1954) I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else ("Is Theology Poetry?" Paper read at the Oxford University Socratic Club, 6 November 1944) |
Don W. King:
http://www.montreat.edu/dking/
Office: McGowan Center 107
Office hrs.: MWF 8-9; 10-11 a.m.;
Tuesday 9-12 a.m.
Phone 828-669-8012, ex. 3819
dking@montreat.edu
Course Description
Texts
Course Objective
Goals
Course Outline
Evaluation
Library
Bibliography
Academic Integrity
Final Comments
Course Description: This course offers a comprehensive view of the life and works of C. S. Lewis with a focus upon how his imagination helped to shape his apologetics. In addition to reading selections from his letters, journals, poems, fiction, non-fiction, and apologetics, students will view and discuss important new video productions in order to gain a perspective on the ideas, thoughts, and opinions of the most popular Christian author of the twentieth century. Because Lewis has powerfully influenced so many people, this course will explore his approach to making Christianity intellectually reasonable, theologically winsome, and spiritually compelling.
Required:
Spirits in Bondage (1919)
The Pilgrim's Regress (1933)
The Screwtape Letters (1942)
Perelandra (1943)
The Great Divorce (1945)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950)
Mere Christianity (1952)
Till We Have Faces (1956)
A Grief Observed (1961)
Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories (1966)
God in the Dock (1970)
The Life of C. S. Lewis (video; 2005)Recommended:
Surprised by Joy (1955)
The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia, Eds. Jeffrey Schultz and John West (1998)
Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Vol. 1, Family Letters, 1905-1931, Ed. Walter Hooper (2000)
Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Vol. 2, Books, Broadcasts, and War, 1931-1949 (2004)
Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Vol. 3, Narnia, Cambridge and Joy 1950-1963 (2006)
C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide, Ed. Walter Hooper (1996)
Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis by George Sayer (1988; reprinted 1994)
C. S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulse by Don W. King (2001)
A Handbook to Literature, Eds. William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed), Ed. Joseph Gibaldi.Also, see Oxford Reference Online www.oxfordreference.com for some basic reference assistance. It contains desktop access to 100 key Oxford dictionaries and reference works. The Core Collection brings together 100 language and subject dictionaries and reference works - containing well over 60,000 pages - into a single cross-searchable resource. Also, see the Oxford English Dictionary, the grandfather of all dictionaries at http://dictionary.oed.com
Course Objective: The central objective of this course is to discover the relationship between Lewis' imagination and his apologetics. As a part of our study we will focus on Lewis' poetry as well as letters and diary entries that reveal something of his imaginative life. Furthermore, we will consider how his prose, particularly his fiction, reflects a poet's eye, ear, and hand. In a related manner, we will see how his love of logos may have led him to a love for the Logos.
In addition, we will discuss several questions as we move through the readings, including but not limited to:
- What is Lewis' understanding of myth? How is his concept of myth different from the one commonly held? How does an understanding of his notion of myth inform a deeper appreciation of Lewis' work?
- What does "joy" mean for Lewis? How important is joy in his work? Can we trace its appearance in his work? Does his understanding of joy change over time? If so, how and why?
- What is Lewis' view of Scripture? What important biblical/theological ideas does he explored in his imaginative and apologetic works?
- What are Lewis' strengths as a writer? Weaknesses?
- What is the relationship between Lewis' faith in Christ and his activities as scholar, literary critic, social critic, and artist? What is a Christian scholar, Christian literary critic, Christian social critic, or Christian artist? Where does Lewis "fit" best?
- Are Lewis' apologetics "relevant" to a postmodern generation? How so? How not?
- What is the literary legacy of C. S. Lewis? How is his influence apparent? Is his a lasting contribution or a temporary one?
- That you read and analyze important imaginative and apologetic works of C. S. Lewis.
- That you write annotated bibliography entries as assigned in the development of a class Lewis annotated bibliography.
- That you write an analytic research paper on some aspect of Lewis' poetry and/or fiction.
- That you successfully complete all quizzes, Moodle assignments, tests, and in class essay assignments.
- That you engage in sustained research on Lewis.
- That you utilize email to extend class discussion, to communicate with me, and to perform assigned small group work.
- That you turn in all important written assignments via email attachments.
Jan. 15: Course introduction and overview of Lewis' life
Jan. 22: Lewis, the poet; The Life of C. S. Lewis (episodes 1 and 2) & Spirits in Bondage
Jan. 29: Atheist, theist, Christian; The Pilgrim's Regress
Feb. 5: Lewis on Hell; The Screwtape Letters. In class essay.
Feb. 12: The "birth" of an apologist; The Life of C. S. Lewis (episode 3) and God in the Dock.
Feb. 19: Lewis, apologetics, and World War II; Mere Christianity, Part 1
Feb. 26: Lewis, apologetics, and World War II; MC, Part 2. In class essay.
Mar. 12: Lewis on writing and the idea of myth; Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories
Mar. 19: Retelling the myth of the Fall; Perelandra
Mar. 26: Lewis on Heaven; The Great Divorce; In class essay.
Apr. 2: Lewis on Narnia and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Apr. 10: Lewis on love; Till We Have Faces
Apr. 16: Lewis on a broken heart: The Life of C. S. Lewis (episode 4) and A Grief Observed; In class essay.
Apr. 23: Student presentations
Apr. 30: Student presentations and retrospectiveFinal exam
Evaluation: Your final grade in the course will be developed by the following:
1000-900 A to A-
899-800 B+ to B-
799-700 C+ to C-
699-600 D+ to D-
599-0 F
Library: All students are encouraged to take advantage of the services and resources available from the library. You can search the online catalog and the library’s databases by going to http://www.montreat.edu/library/. Select “Catalog” to search the online catalog or “Electronic Resources” to search the databases. The catalog lists all of the books in the Montreat College library as well as the holdings of five other colleges. You may check out books from all of these libraries. In addition, you may request books or journal articles via interlibrary loan. From the online catalog, you can also check on reserve materials by selecting “Reserve Desk” and searching by instructor name or course name.
The list of databases at http://www.montreat.edu/library/completeelectronic.asp provides links to a variety of databases containing journal articles, online reference sources, and electronic books (ebooks). These databases are accessible both on and off campus. You can search for journals at http://www.montreat.edu/library/electronic.asp. Ask the library staff for a password for remote access if you live off campus.
Bibliography: As you begin to do research, following journals may be helpful: Mythlore, The Bulletin of the New York C. S. Lewis Society, The Chronicle of the Oxford C. S. Lewis Society, The Canadian C. S. Lewis Journal, SEVEN: An Anglo-American Literary Review, Chronicle of the Portland C. S. Lewis Society, Lamp-Post of the Southern California C. S. Lewis Society, and The Lewis Legacy. The two major collections of Lewis material are located at the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, and at the Department of Western Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England. Other online C. S. Lewis sites include The Cumberland River Lamp Post, Into the Wardrobe; C. S. Lewis Foundation; and C. S Lewis Inklings Resources Web Site.
In addition to many of the books listed below that are on three-day reserve, the library (or the MCLN) holds other journals that may be of help in doing research for this course. Of much interest to you, however, will be the multiple resources available via electronic databases, especially JSTOR.
Biographical Information:
Bremer, John. "Clive Staples Lewis, 1898-1963: A Brief Biography." In The C. S. Lewis Readers' Encyclopedia. Eds. Jeffrey D. Schultz and John G. West. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
Carpenter, Humphrey. The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends. London: Allen & Unwin, 1978.
Como, James, Ed. C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table and Other Reminiscences. New York: Macmillan, 1979.
Green, Roger L. and Walter Hooper. C. S. Lewis: A Biography. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1974.
Griffin, William. Clive Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life. Harper and Row, 1986.
Lewis, C. S. All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis. Ed. by Walter Hooper. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1991.
------------. Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis: Family Letters, 1905-1931. Volume 1. Ed. Walter Hooper. London: HarperCollins, 2000.
------------. Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis: Books, Broadcasts, and War, 1931-1949, Volume 2. Ed. Walter Hooper. London: HarperCollins, 2004.
------------. Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950-1963, Volume 3. Ed. Walter Hooper. London: HarperCollins, 2006.
------------. Letters of C. S. Lewis. With memoir by Warren Lewis. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1966. Expanded and updated by Walter Hooper. Fount, 1988.
------------. Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1955.
------------. They Stand Together: The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (1914-1963). Ed. by Walter Hooper. New York: Macmillan, 1979.
Lewis, Warren. Brothers and Friends: The Diaries of Major Warren Hamilton Lewis. Eds. Clyde S. Kilby and Marjorie Lamp Mead. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1982.
Sayer, George. Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.
Wilson, A. N. C. S. Lewis: A Biography. HarperCollins: San Francisco, 1990.
Critical Information:
Adey, Lionel. C. S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer, & Mentor. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Downing, David. Planets in Peril : A Critical Study of C. S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy.Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992.
Duriez, Colin. The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia : A Complete Guide to His Life, Thought, and Writings. Crossway Books, 2000.
Edwards, Bruce, Ed. The Taste of the Pineapple: Essays on C. S. Lewis as Reader, Critic, and Imaginative Writer. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1988.
Ford, Paul. A Companion to Narnia. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994.
Gilbert, Douglas, and Clyde S. Kilby, Eds. C. S. Lewis: Images of His World. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973.
Goffar, Janine. C. S. Lewis Index: A Comprehensive Guide to Lewis's Writings and Ideas. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1995.
Hooper, Walter. C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide. London: HarperCollins, 1996.
Howard, Thomas. The Achievement of C. S. Lewis: A Reading of His Fiction. Wheaton, Illinois: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1980.
Kilby, Clyde. The Christian World of C. S. Lewis. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964.
King Don. C. S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulse. Kent, OH: KentState University Press, 2001.
Kort, Wesley A. C. S. Lewis: Then and Now. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Lindskoog, Kathryn. Finding the Landlord: A Guidebook to C. S. Lewis'sPilgrim's Regress. Chicago: Cornerstone Press, 1995.
Menuge, Angus, Ed. C. S. Lewis: Lightbearer in the Shadowlands: The Evangelistic Vision of C. S. Lewis. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1997.
Mills, David, Ed. The Pilgrims' Guide: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Witness. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Myers, Doris. C. S. Lewis in Context. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1994.
Nicholi, Armand M. The Question of God: C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud DebateGod, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life. New York: Free Press, 2002.
Payne, Leann. Real Presence: The Christian Worldview of C. S. Lewis as Incarnational Reality. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1988.
Schakel, Peter and Charles Huttar, Eds. Word and Story in C. S. Lewis. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1991.
---------. Imagination and the Arts in C. S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
---------. Reason and Imagination in C. S. Lewis: A Study of Till We Have Faces. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
Schultz, Jeffrey D. and John G. West, Eds. The C. S. Lewis Readers' Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.
Walsh, Chad. C. S. Lewis: Apostle to the Skeptics. New York: Macmillan, 1949.
------------. The Literary Legacy of C. S. Lewis. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1979.
Online Lewis related essays and reviews by me include: a 1983 essay on other worlds or fantasy literature dealing to some degree with Lewis; a 1984 essay on Narnia and the Seven Deadly Sins; a 1986 essay on the childlike in George Macdonald and C. S. Lewis; a 1987 essay on the Wardrobe as Christian Metphor; a 1988 essay on the rhetorical similarities of C. S. Lewis and Bertrand Russell; a 1989 essay on "The Distant Voice in C. S. Lewis's Poems."; a 1990 essay on a review of A. N. Wilson's 1990 C. S Lewis: A Biography; a review of the 1993 movie Shadowlands; a 1995 essay "'Making the Poor Best of Dull Things: C. S. Lewis as Poet." ; and two 1997 bibliographical essays, "A Bibliographic Review of C. S. Lewis as Poet: 1952-1995, Part One" and "Part Two."
In addition, the summer 1998 issue of The Christian Scholar's Review, guest edited by me, contains "C. S. Lewis: A Centenary Retrospective." The Christian Scholar's Review 27(Summer 1998): 404-405. It is a special issue celebrating the centennial of Lewis' birth.
Other essays I have written on Lewis include:
