C. S. Lewis produced a body of work as diverse as it is beloved. He is known the world over for his cherished Chronicles of Narnia, but he is also the author of novels for adults, scholarly work, and the writings that rival his Narnia series in terms of continued popularity: his eloquent defences of Christianity. A friend to J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis spent much of his life at Oxford surrounded by academics who often held him in contempt for his Christian views (though few could fail to admire Lewis for his skills as a writer and his exhaustive knowledge of literature).
In this course, we will look at Lewis's life and examine the influences that would help to shape Lewis both as a man and as a writer. We will take an in-depth look at Lewis's science fiction trilogy, his Chronicles of Narnia, his apologetic and scholarly works, and his other writings. In doing so, we will come to understand the major thematic elements that mark Lewis's work. More importantly, perhaps, we will come to a finer appreciation of a writer whose true testament may be that which he strove for in all his major works: the evocation of "joy.
Lecture 1 C. S. Lewis: Reputation and Influence
Lecture 2 Clive "Jack" Staples Lewis: Life and Career, 1898-1963
Lecture 3 Out of the Silent Planet: Space Trilogy 1 (1938)
Lecture 4 Perelandra: Space Trilogy 2 (1943)
Lecture 5 That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups: Space Trilogy 3 (1945)
Lecture 6 The Chronicles of Narnia: Large-Scale Structure
Lecture 7 The Magician's Nephew (6): Narnia 1 (1955)
Lecture 8 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1): Narnia 2 (1950)
Lecture 9 The Horse and His Boy (5): Narnia 3 (1954) and the Prince Caspian Trilogy: Prince Caspian (2): Narnia 4 (1951)
Lecture 10 The Prince Caspian Trilogy (Continued): The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3): Narnia 5 (1952) and The Silver Chair (4): Narnia 6 (1953)
Lecture 11 The Last Battle (7): Narnia 7 (1956)
Lecture 12 Till We Have Faces (1956)
Lecture 13 Apologetic Works: Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, Miracles
Lecture 14 Other Works