C.S. Lewis Summer Conference
"Finding the Way: C.S. Lewis as Pilgrim Guide in a Pluralistic Age"
Small Group Breakout Sessions
To provide our Summer Conference participants opportunity to interact with the speakers in greater depth and in a more informal setting, we are pleased to offer the following seminars.
Friday, June 29 – 2:30-3:30 p.m. ~ SESSION ONE
1) "Teaching C.S. Lewis: A Seminar for Lewis Enthusiasts, Group Leaders, and Teachers of All Levels" with Richard Hill
A practical guide to facilitating a Lewis reading group, Sunday School seminar, or academic course. Topics include course organization, constructing a prospectus and reading list, incorporating Lewis biography, using media, leading discussions, finding reference material, networking, and discussion of other concerns depending on the class composition. This session will be an opportunity for new Lewis enthusiasts to learn and seasoned teachers to share ideas.
Rick Hill is Professor of Writing and Literature at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego. He has written on C.S. Lewis for numerous publications and conferences and has taught Lewis in college courses, small group seminars, and adult Sunday school. Since 1997, he has been program chair and conference book editor for the international C.S. Lewis and Friends Colloquium based at Taylor University. His most recent book, written with Lyle Smith of Biola University and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishers, is Teaching C.S. Lewis: A Handbook for Professors, Group Leaders, and Lewis Enthusiasts.
2) "Kingdom Come, Thy Joy Be Done: C. S. Lewis as Guide in Discerning God's Will" with Paul Ford
How did C. S. Lewis help people work their way through temptation and find God's way in their daily lives? Beginning by suggesting a biblical theology of discernment, Dr. Ford will analyze the two main locations of Lewis' teaching on discernment (The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce), look briefly at other life-issues in which discernment is crucial, and state the principles of spiritual discernment according to C. S. Lewis.
Paul Ford is Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy at St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, CA. He has been involved in study of the life and writings of C.S. Lewis throughout his adult life. He was the founding director of the Southern California C.S. Lewis Society and past Vice President of the C. S. Lewis Foundation, CA. Ford published the award-winning Companion to Narnia and has contributed eleven entries to C.S. Lewis: A Reader’s Encyclopedia.
3) "A Brief History of Tolerance" with Vishal Mangalwadi
A discussion of the historical and theological origins of tolerance following the Thirty Years War of religious bigotry (1618-1648), contending that, because the postmodern West has rejected the fundamental assumptions of modern tolerance, our current pluralistic age may well destroy the West's virtuous heritage of institutionalized tolerance.
Vishal Mangalwadi is an International lecturer, social reformer, political columnist, and author of thirteen books. Vishal was born and raised in India, and studied philosophy at various universities, in Hindu ashrams, and at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. The author of several books on the role the Bible must play in transforming entire societies, Vishal has lectured in 27 countries. He is currently working on the production of a television documentary, The Book of the Millennium: How the Bible Changed Civilization.
4) "Friends and Fellow Pilgrims: C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien" with Andrew Lazo
Eccl. 4:9-10a (ESV) Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.
Years before Lewis’s conversion, before The Inklings, The Hobbit or The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis and Tolkien became friends reading Norse myth together. This meeting formed the basis for a friendship that even today continues to challenge and inspire many lives. In this session we’ll see how their friendship directly helped both men, touch upon Lewis’ chapter on Philia (Friendship) in The Four Loves, and look for ways we can draw lessons from their friendships into our own lives, intentionally guiding our own friendships to help us on our pilgrim paths. We may even have some special guests join our discussion!
Andrew Lazo is a Ph.D. candidate in Modernist British literature at Rice University, a Jacob Javits Fellow in the Humanities and a visiting scholar at the Marion E. Wade Center (Wheaton, IL). He has published several articles and lectures widely on the works of Lewis and Tolkien. Upon receiving his doctorate, Lazo looks forward to lecturing at seminars and retreats across the country. He teaches composition at Houston Baptist University and has taught in and out of the university for several years. Lazo has also taught a highly popular, church-based adult education course, exploring the devotional aspects of The Chronicles of Narnia.
5) “C. S. Lewis: Inclusivist” with Janice Daurio
C.S. Lewis has often been wrongly accused of endorsing universalism – the view that all religions are basically the same and that everyone will eventually be saved. Orthodox Christianity, among other major religions, insists that it is the one true way to salvation. Yet the spirit of our pluralistic age counters that there isn’t any one true religion or only one way to salvation. This workshop will explore how Lewis truly viewed these questions and how this might inform our own thinking and living in the world today.
Professor of Philosophy at Moorpark College, Camarillo, CA, Dr. Daurio was selected as Teacher of the Year for 2000-2001. She has taught at the high school as well as college level. In addition to philosophy, her interests include reading the fiction works of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Anthony Trollope, Jane Austen, and Flannery O'Connor.
6) "Finding the Way: Experiencing God through the Labyrinth" with Susan Adkins
The “labyrinth” is an intentional path designed to foster reflection and prayer, modeled on the medieval pattern at Chartres Cathedral in France. It is not a maze, in that a maze has dead ends and requires exploration to find the way out. A labyrinth consists of one circuitous path leading to a center and then back to the beginning along the same path. To Christians, the labyrinth offers a rich opportunity to pause in the hectic pace of 21st century life and go deeper into one’s faith walk, reflecting on Scripture and listening for the presence of the Holy Spirit. You are invited to enrich your pilgrimage... walking with Christ, who knows you ... individually, personally.
Susan Adkins has been involved with Labyrinth studies and facilitating Labyrinth Walks for over 15 years. She studied under Canon Lauren Artress of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Currently, Susan is Chair of the Labyrinth Ministry at her church in Pasadena and has facilitated Labyrinth walks and workshops for Christian adults, youth, outreach missions and small groups throughout Southern California.
7) “Rethinking the Concept of Christian Film: Finding the Sacred in Style, not Story Alone” with Brett McCracken
Why do we sometimes feel a strong evocation of God or experience a spiritual catharsis in films that seem to have nothing at all to do with religion on a content level? Can we point to specific characteristics of films (even the most secular of films) that seem to reveal an aesthetic of the Holy through the way their stories are told? If so, what are these formal elements, and how might Christians apply them to their own filmmaking and film appreciation? The central exploration in this seminar will be that of how "Christian" or sacred truths might be evoked through the forms/styles of cinema, rather than just the content/story. We will discuss a number of specific films that might not be traditionally viewed as "sacred," but nevertheless might help us answer the question: how can the Holy be embodied in cinema?
Brett McCracken is online editor of the Progressive Culture section of Relevantmagazine.com , a publication geared toward twenty-something Christians. He also writes freelance articles and commentaries on film and culture for Relevant, Christianity Today Movies, Looking Closer , and Faithvisuals.com. Currently he is working on an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies at the UCLA Film School, where he was recently appointed to an editorial position on the department's graduate e-journal, Mediascape.
8) "Writers’ Workshop" with Melanie Jeschke
With Lewis as our guide, we’ll explore what it takes to be a Christian writer in today’s world. An open forum will encourage discussion among aspiring writers and experienced authors as we share our stories and inspire one another to influence our culture for Christ through the written word.
Melanie Jeschke is the author of The Oxford Chronicles (Inklings, Expectations, and Evasions), a series of inspirational historical novels set around Lewis and the Inklings; and numerous travel articles, including the Oxford chapter for Rick Steves’ England guidebook. She has a degree in English Literature and teaching credentials in Secondary English and Drama. Melanie has guest lectured in various educational settings. She is a pastor’s wife and home-schooling mother of nine children.
9) "Creative Pilgrims in a Postmodern Culture" with Joey O’Connor & Grace Marestaing
The languages of the arts and creativity –music, poetry, visual arts, theatre--are powerful tools in speaking to a post-modern culture. What are the values of these languages to individuals and the culture? Lewis charts the path as a shining example of engagement with the creative.
Grace Marestaing, music educator, professional accompanist, and vocal coach has well over thirty years’ experience as a professional musician and teacher. She serves on the boards of Marketplace Women of Orange County and The Grove Center for the Arts & Media.
Joey O’Connor is an author, artist and the executive director of The Grove Center for the Arts & Media. He lives in San Clemente, California with his wife and 4 children. (www.thegrovecenter.org).
Friday, June 29 – 4:00-5:00 p.m. ~ SESSION TWO
1) “Screwtape: A Multi-Media Presentation” with Michael Roeder
A presentation of Screwtape Letters (read by John Cleese) with images and Scriptures that touch such vulnerable areas as our relationship with mother and fears of the future. Students may say, “Lewis only had words, so how could he be interesting today?” We’ll share ways to help reveal the Gospel to skeptics through “Screwtape.”
Mike Roeder did graduate studies in Speech Communication, started a career in publishing: from newspapers and magazines, to Sunday School lessons and auto repair manuals. An elder at First Presbyterian Church, San Diego and a trustee for Lamb's Players Theatre, he has created and taught a number of classes since discovering Lewis in the 1960’s.
2) "Teaching C.S. Lewis: A Seminar for Lewis Enthusiasts, Group Leaders, and Teachers of All Levels" with Richard Hill
A practical guide to facilitating a Lewis reading group, Sunday School seminar, or academic course. Topics include course organization, constructing a prospectus and reading list, incorporating Lewis biography, using media, leading discussions, finding reference material, networking, and discussion of other concerns depending on the class composition. This session will be an opportunity for new Lewis enthusiasts to learn and seasoned teachers to share ideas.
Rick Hill is Professor of Writing and Literature at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego. He has written on C.S. Lewis for numerous publications and conferences and has taught Lewis in college courses, small group seminars, and adult Sunday school. Since 1997, he has been program chair and conference book editor for the international C.S. Lewis and Friends Colloquium based at Taylor University. His most recent book, written with Lyle Smith of Biola University and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishers, is Teaching C.S. Lewis: A Handbook for Professors, Group Leaders, and Lewis Enthusiasts.
3) “Rethinking the Concept of Christian Film: Finding the Sacred in Style, not Story Alone” with Brett McCracken
Why do we sometimes feel a strong evocation of God or experience a spiritual catharsis in films that seem to have nothing at all to do with religion on a content level? Can we point to specific characteristics of films (even the most secular of films) that seem to reveal an aesthetic of the Holy through the way their stories are told? If so, what are these formal elements, and how might Christians apply them to their own filmmaking and film appreciation? The central exploration in this seminar will be that of how "Christian" or sacred truths might be evoked through the forms/styles of cinema, rather than just the content/story. We will discuss a number of specific films that might not be traditionally viewed as "sacred," but nevertheless might help us answer the question: how can the Holy be embodied in cinema?
Brett McCracken is online editor of the Progressive Culture section of Relevantmagazine.com , a publication geared toward twenty-something Christians. He also writes freelance articles and commentaries on film and culture for Relevant, Christianity Today Movies, Looking Closer , and Faithvisuals.com. Currently he is working on an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies at the UCLA Film School, where he was recently appointed to an editorial position on the department's graduate e-journal, Mediascape.
4) "Writers’ Workshop" with Melanie Jeschke
With Lewis as our guide, we’ll explore what it takes to be a Christian writer in today’s world. An open forum will encourage discussion among aspiring writers and experienced authors as we share our stories and inspire one another to influence our culture for Christ through the written word.
Melanie Jeschke is the author of The Oxford Chronicles (Inklings, Expectations, and Evasions), a series of inspirational historical novels set around Lewis and the Inklings; and numerous travel articles, including the Oxford chapter for Rick Steves’ England guidebook. She has a degree in English Literature and teaching credentials in Secondary English and Drama. Melanie has guest lectured in various educational settings. She is a pastor’s wife and home-schooling mother of nine children.
5) "Creative Pilgrims in a Postmodern Culture" with Joey O’Connor & Grace Marestaing
The languages of the arts and creativity –music, poetry, visual arts, theatre--are powerful tools in speaking to a post-modern culture. What are the values of these languages to individuals and the culture? Lewis charts the path as a shining example of engagement with the creative.
Grace Marestaing, music educator, professional accompanist, and vocal coach has well over thirty years’ experience as a professional musician and teacher. She serves on the boards of Marketplace Women of Orange County and The Grove Center for the Arts & Media.
Joey O’Connor is an author, artist and the executive director of The Grove Center for the Arts & Media. He lives in San Clemente, California with his wife and 4 children. (www.thegrovecenter.org).
6) "A Pagan Pilgrim’s Progress: Unlocking the Baffling Beauty of Till We Have Faces" with Andrew Lazo
Almost without fail, readers have a similar reaction to Lewis’ last, and what many consider his greatest, book – we scratch our heads, knowing that something beautiful occurred there, but we cannot, for the life of us, quite say what it was. In this session, Andrew Lazo will share the exciting results of his recent research in order to unlock the staggering devotional beauty of Lewis’ last novel. He will explain how in Till We Have Faces we can find a treasure trove of ideas that culminates and clearly expresses Lewis’ ideas about faith, paganism, myth, beauty, and the terrible reality of the love of God. Drawing on all of Lewis’ writings, we’ll discover ways to embrace his central theme—how we as pilgrims must lean daily into the love of God.
Andrew Lazo is a Ph.D. candidate in Modernist British literature at Rice University, a Jacob K. Javits Fellow in the Humanities and a visiting scholar at the Marion E. Wade Center (Wheaton, IL). He has published several articles and lectures widely on the works of Lewis and Tolkien. Upon receiving his doctorate, Lazo looks forward to lecturing at seminars and retreats across the country. He teaches composition at Houston Baptist University and has taught in and out of the university for several years. Lazo has also taught a highly popular, church-based adult education course, exploring the devotional aspects of The Chronicles of Narnia.
7) "Secret Signposts, Hidden Helpers: Finding Our Way Home to Our Father’s House" with Malcolm Guite
In The Horse and his Boy, a young boy grows up in a society and culture which totally undermine his true identity, but in spite of these obstacles he finds out who he is and makes his way back to his true homeland. In this session we will explore how the story of Shasta's journey to his true father's house, his unlikely friends and hidden helpers, his discovery that even in the desert there are hidden springs, is really the story of our own journey from the deserts of secular culture, to finding our true identity and freedom as children of the King. Lewis will be our pilgrim guide as we map Shasta's journey onto our own.
Malcolm Guite is Chaplain and Fellow, Girton College, Cambridge, and teacher of Literature and Pastoral Theology for the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges. Trained for the Priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, he was ordained in 1990. Guite is involved with a number of projects linking theology and the arts, and he has published poetry, literary criticism and theology in various journals.
11) “Nice, Nasty, Nurturing, and Necessary: Pictures of Community in the Fiction of C.S. Lewis” with Diana Glyer
It is easy to affirm the importance of community, easy to acknowledge that it is central to the life of faith. But not every community is the kind that leads us along the path to life; in fact, the wrong kind of community can lead us in exactly the wrong direction. In this breakout, we'll start by collecting images from That Hideous Strength and then add in more images taken from The Great Divorce, Out of the Silent Planet, and Narnia. Together we'll paint a portrait of healthy, wholesome, vibrant community as Lewis envisions it.
Diana Glyer is Professor of English at Azusa Pacific University. She is intrigued by the creative process, particularly the way that creativity thrives within small groups and creative clusters. She holds degrees in art, education, literature, and composition, and has published extensively on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Joy Davidman, and the Inklings. Glyer’s latest book is The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community.
12) "The Beginning of Heaven: C. S. Lewis as Guide in Learning to Pray" with Paul Ford
C. S. Lewis' whole theology of prayer can be summed up thus: In prayer we allow ourselves to be known as persons before God. In prayer we unveil before God. We learn, first, to tolerate and, then, to welcome God's loving gaze and touch. Prayer is, then, personal contact between incomplete persons and God; in this contact he shows himself to us and, un-self-aware, we become persons. This process begins when we show God who we are now and what we honestly want. Whatever desires we have must be the subject of our prayers. Petition, penitence, thanksgiving, and adoration are the traditional four forms in which this growth as persons through personal contact with God takes place. Prayer is the beginning of heaven.
Paul Ford is Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy at St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, CA. He has been involved in study of the life and writings of C.S. Lewis throughout his adult life. He was the founding director of the Southern California C.S. Lewis Society and past Vice President of the C. S. Lewis Foundation, CA. Ford published the award-winning Companion to Narnia and has contributed eleven entries to C.S. Lewis: A Reader’s Encyclopedia.
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The C.S. Lewis Foundation is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, donor supported 501(c)3 corporation.