Monthly Archives: February 2016

Jill Pole’s Road to Emmaus

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

It is one of the more intriguing appearances of Jesus after the puzzling event of the empty tomb. Rather than grand appearances, Christ slowly slipped into the lives of his disciples, visiting two or three at a time while skirting Jerusalem … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, children's literature, Jesus, Letters to Children, Narnia, pilgrimage, Road to Emmaus, The Last Battle, theology, Theology of Culture, writing | 32 Comments

That Awkward Conversation in the Face of Death

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Like so many others before me, I spent my teenage years working in a pizza joint after school and on weekends. We were not well off, so if I wanted the things that mattered to me in high school—a car, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged A Grief Observed, Anthony Hopkins, C.S. Lewis, Death, Debra Winger, Douglas Gresham, grief, N.W. Clerk, Shadowlands | 28 Comments

The Haunting Death: Lewis, Buechner, and Me on the Loss of my Parents

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

On Friday, February 12th, I watched my mother finally succumb to cancer. She was only 61. In her death she taught me a great deal about how to live. You can read a brief story of her life here. I am now … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged Bebb, C.S. Lewis, Frederick Buechner, Galatians 2:20, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Jane Austin, Lemony Snicket, Letters to an America Lady, Lois Lowry, orphan literature, Prince Caspian, The Giver, The Magician's Nephew, The Willoughbys, Watchman Nee | 31 Comments

The Problem with Moralistic Art: A Note on the Expository Demon

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am not an avid theatre goer, but it is something I secretly love. Rather than the grand urban stages, I especially enjoy the small, intimate theatres that we have here in Atlantic Canada and tucked away in cities … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged art, Blue Like Jazz, C.S. Lewis, christianity and culture, Duncan Macmillan, Left Behind, Lungs, Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, pop culture, Steve Taylor, theatre, Theology of Culture, Till We Have Faces, writing | 55 Comments

A Lenten Reading List by Warren Lewis

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I have been slowly gathering a cobbled-together list of books that C.S. Lewis read during Lent. Part of the problem is that, due to the humble nature of Lent, one does not boast of one’s reading. I knew that he … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Brothers and Friends, C.S. Lewis, diary, Dorothy L. Sayers, Everlasting Man, François Maruiac, g k chesterton, lent, Life of Jesus, Reading, The Man Born to be King, Warren Lewis | 12 Comments

For My Mother

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Janet Norgrove (08/05/54-02/12/16) Dear Friends, If life is a journey, then Janet began by walking early. Born in El Dorado, Saskatchewan as an only child, as a toddler she lived in Edmonton and Toronto, where her father was very ill. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Death, feminism, memorial, obituary | 44 Comments

Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Originally posted on Becka's Book Review:
Multitudes of readers and movie-goers are familiar with the names and writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Many are also aware that the two literary giants were part of a ‘club’ called…

Posted in Guest Blogs, Reviews | Tagged Bandersnatch, books, C.S. Lewis, Diana Pavlac Glyer, intertextuality, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, writing | 5 Comments

All the Good Soaps

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Sometime in my teens The Body Shop arrived at the local mall. Today, on the rare occasion I am forced to enter such a place, I steer clear this trendy little cosmetic store. The fumes it emits make my head … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged cancer, Christmas, Death, Fight Club | 37 Comments

Sleepless Knights by Mark H. Williams

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

What kept King Arthur up at night? I bet people have been wondering about this all these centuries. After all, defining a nation, revolutionizing social culture, conquering the world, defending against cuckoldry, protecting your kingdom against your evil witch sister, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, fantasy, Guy Gavriel Kay, Mark H Williams, Monty Python, Roger Lancelyn Green, Roger Zelazny, Sleepless Knights, T.H. White | 7 Comments

A Gospel Too Simple for the Learned: Tough Jo in Bleak House

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

This is my first time reading Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. As it is featured in Gary Colledge’s God and Charles Dickens and Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon, I thought I should come at last to this very long book. If you have ever … Continue reading →