In this course, students will read through the entirety of C.S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy (otherwise known as the Cosmic of Space Trilogy): Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. Lewis is known to many as a profound philosophical Christian thinker via his non-fiction writings, and as a great author of fiction via the Chornicles of Narnia. But the significance of his earlier trio of novels has been much overlooked. It is rich in philosophical, theological, linguistic, political, and moral insight.
Students in this class will consider Lewis’s novels from a variety of angles, with the aid of some supplementary reading. Particular attention will be given to Lewis as a reader of our times. Topics considered will include science and materialism, gender, enchantment, ethics, and more.