Tag Archives: PhD Research

The Other Reasons I Became a C.S. Lewis Scholar

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

An intriguing, fun, and occasionally perverse part of being a scholar in areas where there is a lively fandom is that I am often asked to tell my “encounter” story. This can be a bit strange in that in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged academic writing, C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, culture, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, literature, Mere Christianity, Miroslav Volf, N.T. Wright, PhD Research, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Sallie McFague, theology, Ursula K. Le Guin | 8 Comments

I Passed my Viva!

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I am very pleased to announce that I have successfully defended my PhD at the University of Chester! The viva voce was strong, with critical feedback and some verbal sparring. Overall, though, it was a great experience, with some levity … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Original Research | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Christian spirituality, L.M. Montgomery, Narnia, PhD, PhD dissertation, PhD Research, phd students, PhD thesis, spiritual theology, spirituality, theology and literature | 61 Comments

Rather than Marching to Doom I Walked the Cheshire Countryside

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

As I posted about earlier today, tomorrow I march to my doom, my PhD defence at the University of Chester. This is where all those years of preparation, research, testing ideas, and writing will come to a point of decision. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Cheshire, Chester, PhD, PhD Research, University of Chester, walking | 15 Comments

Thoughts on the Eve of my PhD Viva

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

As I announced at the end of May, I have completed my PhD thesis at the University of Chester and I have been awaiting my defence date. The viva voce, or just Viva, is this terrifying affair where two scholars … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Chester, PhD, PhD Research, research, spiritual theology | 52 Comments

On the Critical Missing Piece from the Best Part of Gary Selby’s Earthy Spirituality: C. S. Lewis and Incarnational Faith

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I am about to defend my Ph.D. thesis on the “spiritual theology” of C.S. Lewis as part of a larger research project on Lewis and the spiritual life. I am on the lookout, then, for books and articles about Lewis … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged A Fellowship of Differents, A Life Observed, American evangelicalism, Christian spirituality, Devin Brown, Earthy Spirituality: C. S. Lewis and Incarnational Faith, evangelicalism, Gary Selby, Joe Rigney, John Bowen, Lewis on Christian Life, Martin Luther King, PhD Research, Scot McKnight, spiritual theology, spirituality, The Hidden Story of Narnia, The Spirituality of Narnia, Theology of Culture, Will Vaus | 17 Comments

A Timeline of C.S. Lewis’ Major Talks

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I have been interested for a while in working with precision on C.S. Lewis’ timeline. Joel Heck has a detailed 1100-page chronology, which includes all the verifiable facts in C.S. Lewis’ life. Prof. Heck joins other Lewis biographers and academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Original Research | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Digital Humanities, joel heck, PhD Research, research, Timeline, Walter Hooper | 15 Comments

An Update on the 700,000th Hit, or Everybody Needs a Little Time Away

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Dear Readers, With 876 Posts, 6,929 Followers, 15,179 Comments–3,821 of them mine–A Pilgrim in Narnia just passed 700,000 viewers a couple of weeks ago. The stats are pretty good for a blog that hits at a fairly high intellectual level–and … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged blog, Blogging, C.S. Lewis, Inklings, literature, PhD, PhD Research, theology, world-building | 29 Comments

The Stumbling, Grunting, Teeth-Gritted, Exhilarating Race to the Finish

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I am hardly someone who has the right to use a marathon as a metaphor. Or any sports analogy, really (see here for proof). I have never run anything approaching a marathon. I can do the two miles and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged academics, C.S. Lewis, PhD, PhD Research, spiritual theology, writing | 27 Comments

This Time of Year, This Time of Life

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

As a house full of educators and students, normally this week our family is having first first days, second first days, and third first days. My son’s first day of high school was yesterday. He was off to school, nervous … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged academic, archival research, Bodleian, Bodleian Library, C.S. Lewis, Oxford, Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, PhD Research, Planet Narnia, research, spiritual theology, Teaching, University, UPEI | 11 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 →