Reading Assignment for April 9, 2011

Our last class will be April 8, 2011, so make sure you have completed reading The Screwtape Letters by then. Also, please remember to bring copies of the 2 essays from the last Till We Have Faces assignment, "Sometimes Fairy Stories ....." and "Myth Became Fact", for discussion.

See you then!

Reading Assignment #1 - The Screwtape Letters

The first reading for our next C.S. Lewis book, The Screwtape Letters will be from Chapter I to Chapter XV inclusive. Please have this read for the next class (April 1st) and your assignments (questions/comments) completed to be handed in.

Please feel free to post any comments you may have on this blog post!

Thanks!

SPRING BREAK

Just a reminder that this coming week is Spring Break. There will be no class on Friday, March 25th. Classes will resume on Friday, April 1st. Have a great break!

ESSAYS - TLA Students

Just a reminder that essays will be due two weeks after the last class (April 8th) on April 21st. They can be sent to me or dropped off at my house. I will send my address via e-mail. Please DO NOT e-mail them to me. If you need to make other arrangements for handing them in, please let either myself or Dr. Butcher know. Late essays will be subject to mark deductions; they need to be received on or before April 21st.

Anyone who is choosing his own topic (and not one of the suggestions on the blog) should discuss their topic with Dr. Butcher before commencing, to make sure they are on the right track. Essay instructions are in the previous essay post on this blog.

Thanks and see you Friday!

ASSIGNMENTS REMINDER!

TLA Students

As I've noted in my previous e-mails, as well as personal conversations with some of you and/or your parents, PLEASE make sure that your assignments are handed in on time to avoid mark deductions. I still have assignments outstanding from a few students that need to be handed in by the next class.

There are also two other items that should be addressed:

1. Please hand in questions/comments for each reading on a separate document (which, of course, could be more than one page depending on the length of your questions/comments). For example, if you haven't handed in your questions/comments for three weeks, please do not include them all in the same document; they should be in three separate documents, titled with the reading to which they refer (ie. Till We Have Faces - Book II, etc.).

2. Some students are handing in either more or less questions than they are required to write for each week. If you wish to hand in more, that is wonderful, but for the students who are submitting less than the required amount, please remember that for grade 8-9 you need to have 2-3 questions/comments and for grade 10-12 you need to have 3 questions/comments per week (reading).

Thank you for your cooperation!

Supplemental Reading for Mar. 18

Dear Students,

Please follow this link for two supplemental readings (short articles) for next week: one entitled "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said," and the other, "Myth Became Fact."

These will help us come to understand why Lewis chose to write fictional works, and especially, I trust, the inspiration behind such a work as Till We Have Faces.

Warm regards,

Dr. Butcher

PowerPoint Presentation: Unit IV

Dear Students,

Please follow this link to the PowerPoint presentation for Unit IV - Till We Have Faces

Warm regards,

Dr. Butcher

TILL WE HAVE FACES - FINAL READING

Our final reading of Till We Have Faces is Book II (to the end of the book).

Please feel free to post any comments ........

Edit: You can also post comments on the supplemental essay readings "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said" and "Myth Became Fact".

See you all Friday!

TILL WE HAVE FACES - Next Reading

Hello everyone,

Our next reading from Till We Have Faces is Chapter 10 through Chapter 21 inclusive (to the end of Book One).

Please feel free to post any comments you have, or to respond to any comments that are posted. For the students taking this course through TLA for credit, this will count towards your marks for discussion and the questions/comments assignment (although the assignment still needs to be completed and handed in during class). Our first reading had an exciting ending so let's see what happens next .......... !

TLA IDS document

Also for TLA students taking the course, here is the Independent Directed Studies document we've developed for it, which includes the Learning Outcomes for the course: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/688197/4ALL/DL/Grad/CSLewisIDS.docx

Hope you're all having fun!

Breakdown of Marks

I have received permission from TLA to post the breakdown of marks on the blog. They are as follows:

10% Class Attendance

30% Written Questions/Comments

30% Participation in Discussions

30% Essay (see previous post for details)

Thanks for your patience!

PowerPoint Presentation: Unit III

Dear Students,

Please follow this link to the PowerPoint presentation for Unit III - Mere Christianity Book IV - Beyond Personality.

Warm regards,

Dr. Butcher

P.S. A reminder that chapters 1-9 inclusive, of Till We Have Faces, are to be read for this Thursday.

ENG 175 Essay Instructions

Dear Students,

For those who will be completing the essay for ENG 175 (required for academic credit), I am providing a link to this guide to writing a successful essay.

Please make use of the Chicago Manual Style in citing sources. A quick reference guide to the Chicago Manual can be found here. A good essay will include both primary (i.e., works by Lewis) and secondary (i.e., works about Lewis & his work). Internet sources are acceptable.

The essay is due two weeks after the last class (which is April 8th), on April 21st. It is requested that each student have his essay proofread by a peer beforehand, incorporating corrections/suggestions into the final draft.

The word count for the essay is 1500-1750 words (6-7 pages) for grade 10 -12 , and 1000 - 1250 words (4-5 pages) for grade 8-9, and may treat either Mere Christianity or Till We Have Faces. You are responsible for choosing your own specific topic; suggestions include the following:

Mere Christianity

1) Compare the Lewis' moral theology ("Christian Behaviour") with that of another Christian writer, whether classical or contemporary (e.g. St. Thomas Aquinas or St. John Chrysostom, for ex., or N.T. Wright or Peter Kreeft).

2) How does Lewis' view of "mere Christianity" compare with your own Christian faith? Where do you (dis)agree with Lewis, and why?

3) How does Lewis go about explaining the doctrine of the Holy Trinity ("Beyond Personality")? Find another Christian writer who has discussed the Trinity, and compare his account with that of Lewis.

Till We Have Faces

1) Compare Lewis' retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche with the classical version of this myth, as found in Bullfinch's The Age of Fable or in his source, the Golden Ass (Chapter 22) by Roman writer Lucius Apuleius (translation from the Latin available here). How has Lewis altered the myth? Do you think it is is better/worse as a result; why?

2) Comment upon the transformation of the principal character Orual; discuss the way she changes, and why. Is the view of herself that she presents accurate, do you think; how might her sister describe Orual differently?

3) Compose your own retelling of a classical myth, followed by a commentary explaining how you have changed the original and why. Research the different extant versions of your chosen myth prior to developing your own version.

3) Offer a theological analysis of Orual's case against the gods, by drawing upon your knowledge of Lewis' other works, such as Mere Christianity and Screwtape Letters.

I look forward to hearing any other ideas you may have, and will be happy to discuss the development of your projects with you.

Warm regards,

Dr. Butcher

PowerPoint Presentations: Units I & II

Dear Students,

Please follow the following links for the PowerPoint presentations for:

Unit I - Mere Christianity Books I & II - What Christians Believe

Unit II - Mere Christianity Book III - Christian Behaviour

Warm regards,

Dr. Butcher

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog on C.S. Lewis! This has been started for the sake of a group of homeschoolers who I currently have the privilege of teaching. We are reading several of Lewis' works, and I will be posting the PowerPoint presentations from my lectures here, as well as links related to C.S. Lewis. Feel free to make yourself at home!