Description
Join us as we explore C.S. Lewis’ recently discovered essay, “A Christmas Sermon to Pagans,” as well as J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Letters From Father Christmas” and popular nativity homilies from the church fathers. The approach of the course is to examine the sacramental, typological and liturgical themes of these works from an Orthodox perspective as we journey through the Nativity Fast (or Advent) and the Christmas season together.
“The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of man’s history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy.” -J.R.R. Tolkien (On Fairy-Stories)
Instructor
Cassian (Kyle) King has been married for 17 years and is the father of 7 children. He currently runs Barrel Aged Faith, which focuses on the goodness, beauty, and truth of ancient Christianity. He has a dual degrees from Taylor University in Biblical Theology and Christian Education. He was a Catholic High School theology teacher and Director of Catechesis at his parish before becoming Orthodox. He became interested in Lewis’ Narnia at a young age and began to read his other works along with The Lord of the Rings while in high school. His best friend also became the President of the C.S. Lewis Society at Oxford and befriended his secretary, Walter Hooper. Since then, he has explored how the worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien intersect with the church fathers, the ancient liturgies, and Sacred Scripture.
Course Modules
Session 1: Puritans, Atheists, & the Ghost of Christmas Past
(C.S. Lewis’ Christmas Sermon to Pagans; Part 1)
Session 2: A Christmas Filled Universe
(C.S. Lewis’ Christmas Sermon to Pagans; Part 2)
Session 3: How Old is Father Christmas?
(Tolkien’s Letters From Father Christmas; Part 1)
Session 4: Snow Elves & the Great Goblin War of 1453
(Letters From Father Christmas; Part 2)
Session 5: The Child Who Crushed the Dragons
(Patristic Homilies & Liturgical Texts on the Nativity)
Course Details
Dates/Times: Mondays at 8:00 PM EST, beginning December 1st. Recordings will be provided to all students.
Length of Course: 5 weeks
Class Format: 60 minutes of lecture, followed by 60 minutes of discussion
Prerequisite: Open to all; no prerequisites required