Category Archives: Original Research

“(Re)Considering the Planet Narnia Thesis”: My Article in An Unexpected Journal

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Popular readers of C.S. Lewis and A Pilgrim in Narnia may be surprised that I have not been won over by Michael Ward’s thesis in Planet Narnia. It is an elegant, sophisticated, symmetrical, and well-argued idea about how C.S. Lewis constructed … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged An Unexpected Journal, C.S. Lewis, Michael Ward, Narnia, Planet Narnia, The Narnia Code, writing | 28 Comments

Reading and the Cultural Moment, with C.S. Lewis

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

So much of C.S. Lewis’ uniqueness comes down to his sheer love of diversity. He loved variability, colour, the exchange, the alienation of encounter and unity with others. His weird dystopia That Hideous Strength was, in many ways, a protest against … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, On the Reading of Old Books, Plato, Reading, Sr. Penelope, That Hideous Strength, The Screwtape Letters, The Symposium, Theology of Culture | 41 Comments

The Shape of the Cross in C.S. Lewis’ Writing: My Oct 23rd Talk at the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I’m pleased to announce that I will be giving a talk at the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society next week (Tues, Oct 23rd, 8pm for 8.15pm start at Pusey House). The Society was very kind to fit me in on my … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, cruciformity, Dymer, lion the witch and the wardrobe, Mere Christianity, Oxford, Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, self-death, spiritual theology, The Great Divorce, The Pilgrim's Regress, The Problem of Pain, theology, Till We Have Faces | 5 Comments

Luke Shelton’s Tolkien Experience Project

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

One of my fondest early memories of The Hobbit was when a storyteller came to my elementary school and recited the entire book (from memory) to my fourth grade class in installments. This was a marvelous feat. I must have … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Original Research | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson, PhD Research, Return of the King, The Hobbit | 2 Comments

Full: My Experience of the L.M. Montgomery Institute Conference (L.M. Montgomery Series) #LMMI2018

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Note: This is a rewriting of my guest post at the L.M. Montgomery Institute blog. I am full. And no doubt. We have just finished a packed four and a half days of conferencing and workshopping, speaking and listening, flipping … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian literature, L.M. Montgomery, Original Research | Tagged Anne of Green Gables, Eugene Peterson, intertextuality, L.M. Montgomery, literature, Lucy Maud Montgomery, PEI, PhD Research, Prince Edward Island, Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, UPEI | 5 Comments

The Inklings and King Arthur: Selfies and News

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Since the first call for chapters for The Inklings and King Arthur, this not-so-little book has been on its own adventure. Conference panels, keynote talks, digital round-table discussions, and crowd-sourced funding were all part of a long editorial and publication journey, … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Original Research | Tagged Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Inklings, Inklings and King Arthur, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marion E. Wade Center, Mythcon, Mythopoeic Award, owen barfield, research, That Hideous Strength | 12 Comments

Why the C.S. Lewis and Friends Colloquium is Awesome: The Bit About Students

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I have just returned from what remains for me the best conference I have ever experienced when it comes to engendering an atmosphere of support for emerging scholars while remaining critical on the material. Part of this is no doubt … Continue reading →