Class on CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien

I've been working on an outline for a class on Christian themes in the works of JRRT and CSL. I will be teaching it at my church for 5 weeks starting in September, and it will mostly be to people who have only a passing acquaintance with their work--possibly never having read LotR or the Narnia books, but only having seen the movies. I am hoping that my little class may spark some interest in both writers by some of the people who attend it.

I have decided to emphasize their fictional work, using their non-fictional work only as a reference to illuminate their fiction. So far my outline is a bit top-heavy on the Tolkien part. I'd like to also include some ideas from some of Lewis' other fiction. But I am trying to think of how to fit these themes into Till We Have Faces and The Screwtape Letters. I am including some things from the Narnia books and the Space Trilogy and The Great Divorce

I have a number of books about both Tolkien and Lewis, as well as access to some from a good library, and will be preparing a bibliography. I'd welcome suggestions for resource books--if you suggest something I'm already considering that's not a problem, as it will indicate to me that I'm on the right track, but I'd love to find some other books as well, while I have time to track them down. (I do have biographies of both men, as well as access to an excellent book about their friendship with one another.) The class starts Sept. 10.

Each major heading indicates that week's topic.

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Class on CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien

I've been working on an outline for a class on Christian themes in the works of JRRT and CSL. I will be teaching it at my church for 5 weeks starting in September, and it will mostly be to people who have only a passing acquaintance with their work--possibly never having read LotR or the Narnia books, but only having seen the movies. I am hoping that my little class may spark some interest in both writers by some of the people who attend it.

I have decided to emphasize their fictional work, using their non-fictional work only as a reference to illuminate their fiction. So far my outline is a bit top-heavy on the Tolkien part. I'd like to also include some ideas from some of Lewis' other fiction. But I am trying to think of how to fit these themes into Till We Have Faces and The Screwtape Letters. I am including some things from the Narnia books and the Space Trilogy and The Great Divorce

I have a number of books about both Tolkien and Lewis, as well as access to some from a good library, and will be preparing a bibliography. I'd welcome suggestions for resource books--if you suggest something I'm already considering that's not a problem, as it will indicate to me that I'm on the right track, but I'd love to find some other books as well, while I have time to track them down. (I do have biographies of both men, as well as access to an excellent book about their friendship with one another.) The class starts Sept. 10.

Each major heading indicates that week's topic.

( Read more... )