What did C.S. Lewis think of Freud? What did Lewis and some of his friends and mentors think of psychoanalysis--and why should this matter to us today?
On Thursday, October 2, the Inklings Institute of Canada will present an evening of discussion: The Inklings and Psychoanalysis. Psychology professor Chuck MacKnee, Ph.D., English professors Holly Faith Nelson, Ph.D., Monika Hilder, Ph.D., and Stephen Dunning, Ph.D., and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities student Nicolas Noble will give presentations on various Inklings writers and their views on Freud and psychoanalysis.
“The Inklings are absolutely stellar authors,” said Hilder. “They are distinctive in that they are well-educated and committed to Christ.”
Unique in Canada, the Inklings Institute of Canada is an interdisciplinary research effort that strengthens and advances TWU’s contribution to international research on the works of the Oxford Inklings group, which includes C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as friends such as Dorothy L. Sayers—and their literary mentors, earlier writers such as George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton.
Thanks to film adaptations of stories such as Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis’ Narnia series, the popularity of these classics is stronger than ever. “So many people love the Inklings,” Hilder said. “Their writings are representative of what’s best in literature. To read the Inklings is to receive an education in many authors, such as Beowulf, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, to name a few.”
In addition to educating the general public about the vital contributions of these authors, the Inklings Institute scholars are committed to teaching others to think critically about Inklings literature.
“We’re excited about Inklings scholarship,” said Hilder. “So many people have been nurtured by their writings. Our mandate is not only to continue to grow the scholarship and train the next generation of scholars, but also to take this information and make it available to the general public. That’s really what scholarship is about.”
The establishment of the Institute highlights the blend of faith and academics that exists at TWU. “It’s not just The Hobbit and Narnia,” Hilder said. “It’s a much larger world. They really do represent literature at its best, and in particular, the idea of literature that points to truth—that points to the Incarnate God: Christ.”
Event at a Glance:
The Inklings and Psychoanalysis
Thursday, October 2, 2014
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Fosmark Graduate Collegium
Trinity Western University
22500 University Drive, Langley, BC
Open to the public. Please RSVP to paula.walton@twu.ca