Five Decades of Narnia

Narnia is the world which C. S. Lewis created in order to introduce the most important themes and images of the great western intellectual tradition and to help people as young as twelve years old experience what he called the baptism of the imagination or the liberation of true feelings (the “stock responses” of The Abolition of Man). The seven Chronicles are guides to growing up and growing older in Christ. Dr. Ford will share the fruits of nearly half a century of loving and living in Narnia.

Bio

Dr. Ford has been reading C. S. Lewis since he was fifteen years old (since 1962) and has become an internationally recognized expert on the life and writings of C. S. Lewis and author of the award-winning book, Companion to Narnia (now in its fifth edition, HarperCollins, 2005) and of the Pocket Companion to Narnia (HarperCollins, 2005). His most recent Lewis-related publications are: Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C. S. Lewis (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2008) and Words To Live By: A Dictionary for the Mere Christian (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2007).

Dr. Ford is the first Roman Catholic to receive a doctorate in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California (1987). His doctoral dissertation was: “C. S. Lewis: Ecumenical Spiritual Director: A Study of His Experience and Theology of Prayer and Discernment in the Process of Becoming a Self.” In 1974 he founded the Southern California C. S. Lewis Society. He serves as a board member of the the C. S. Lewis Foundation, Redlands, California.

Since 1988 Dr. Ford has been teaching theology and liturgy at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. He is married to Dr. Janice Daurio who received her doctorate in philosophy from the Claremont Graduate School. They make their home in Camarillo, California.

Thank you to our sponsors!