The Faithful Imagination: Papers from the 2018 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

The Faithful Imagination: Papers from the 2018 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends

Author:

Edited by Joe Ricke and Ashley Chu

Publisher:

Winged Lion Press

Publication Date:

July 25, 2019

Format:

Hardcover

Length:

440 pages

OVERVIEW

Every two years, Taylor University hosts a conference where scholars get together to share papers and new research on “C.S Lewis and Friends,” the writers who Lewis either knew or influenced him in some way. This book collects some of the best work from the 2018 conference, including:

• Essays on the literary and philosophical components of Lewis’ writing
• Essays drawing connections between Lewis and other writers
• Essays on other members of the Inklings and what it means to have a “faithful imagination”
• Poems and short stories inspired by the Inklings’ work
• Transcript from the keynote panel where noted scholars talk about their experience with Lewis and his friends’ work

Like any book that collects papers from an academic conference, this is an eclectic mix. Readers will anything from a paper on Lewis’ brother Warren and his work as a historian to a paper comparing Harry Potter to The Lord of the Rings. Thus, this wide collection gives readers an idea just how diverse and wide Inklings scholarship is, thereby encouraging students and scholars to contribute their own ideas to the field. Some of these essays (such as a piece on C.S. Lewis and H.P. Lovecraft) even show new developments in the field, ideas that scholars are just starting to explore and prove that Lewis and his friends’ ideas are still open to great new analyses even decades later. Whether readers come to find out what Lewis scholars are currently discussing or to see how much depth they can find in Lewis and his friends’ work, this volume is well-worth reading.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

5 stars

Intended Audience

Students and scholars interesting in studying the works of C.S Lewis, the Inklings and writers who influenced them or have been influenced by them.

Christian Impact

Readers will gain a greater understanding of the depth and imagination behind C.S. Lewis and his associates’ work.