C.S. Lewis at Oxford

I had previously blogged about the wonderful book Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis can Train us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World (Broadman & Holman, 2003), written by my wife's former English professor Lou Markos. Well, Lou will be giving a series of lectures at Oxford this summer on CSL. Alas, I wish I could make it. Here are the details:


Picture yourself spending ten long, lazy summer days on the campus of one of the oldest, most idyllic Universities in Europe. Imagine further that you devote part of that time to wrestling with the life, works, and enduring legacy of a man who spent over half his life studying and teaching at that University. If this sounds to you like the ideal summer vacation, then we would invite you to participate in the C. S. Lewis in Context seminar to be held from July 30 to August 8 at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. In addition to living on the college grounds, attending lectures by Oxford dons, and taking various excursions, participants will be accompanied in their Lewis pilgrimage by Louis Markos, a scholar and lover of all things Lewis.

A Professor in English at Houston (TX) Baptist University, and the author of Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis can Train us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World (Broadman & Holman, 2003), Dr. Markos will be on hand throughout the conference as guide, lecturer, mentor, and fellow traveler. In a series of informal presentations and interactive lectures, Dr. Markos will take us through the highlights of his book, opening us up not only to the rich legacy of Lewis’s work, but helping us to use that legacy in our own wrestlings with the ideals, the values, and the worldviews of our modern and postmodern world. Whether the issue be the on-going debate between evolution and creation, the challenges of the New Age, the dangers of deconstruction, or the age-old question of how a loving God can permit suffering and condemn souls to hell, Dr. Markos will show us how a full encounter with the works of C. S. Lewis can help equip us to grapple first-hand with the key challenges of our day. For more information on Dr. Markos and Lewis Agonistes, please visit his webpage (http://fc.hbu.edu/~lmarkos) or email him at lmarkos@hbu.edu.

St Hugh’s College, Oxford University
Presents
C. S. Lewis in Context
July 30-August 8, 2004
Room/Board
Single room with en suite facilities (shower/toilet/washbasin) at St Hugh’s
All meals in St Hugh’s College (box or pub lunch on full-day excursions) Seminar Program

Moderator: Dr. Henry Speck, Director of Extramural Programs, St Hugh’s

Lectures by members of Oxford and Cambridge Universities
Group discussions involving members of Oxford University
Worship service at Holy Trinity, C. S. Lewis’ parish church Visits to C. S. Lewis sites in Oxford and Cambridge

Certificate of Participation Other Activities Full-day excursion to Cambridge, including a visit to Magdalene College Full-day excursion to Warwick Castle and Stratford-on-Avon Full-day excursion to London including a performance of “Les Miserables”

Half-day excursion to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill Half-day excursion to Cotswolds, including special dinner at Minster Lovell Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral A Shakespeare play in Oxford Social Use of approved St Hugh’s College facilities Use of St Hugh’s College Library Access to TV/VCR/Email Insurance Cancellation and medical evacuation Optional Activities Theater, concerts, museums, and walking tours of Oxford Final Saturday for sightseeing and shopping in London

Total price (excluding cost of airfare and transportation to/from St. Hugh’s) is $1595
There are no hidden enrollment or registration fees.

Group airfare from Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston is guaranteed to participants who sign up before 1 February 2004 Transfers between London Gatwick and Heathrow airports and St Hugh’s College can be arranged through the Seminar program (Dr. Speck has already arranged a package deal for those traveling from Houston Intercontinental Airport. The package includes airfare and a private couch to take you back/forth from London Gatwick Airport and St Hugh's College. The price is $950 inclusive. Please contact Dr. Speck to sign up for the package.)

Deposit of $250.00 with balance due not later than 1 June 2004 For further information, contact Henry Speck by phone (325-439-1503) or email (extramural@st-hughs.ox.ac.uk)