Saturday 18 February 2023
10am to 4pm at Sacrista Prebend Retreat House
This event is fully booked, it you would like to add your name to a waiting list, please email michele.hampson@southwellminster.org.uk
C.S. Lewis’ Narnia novels are known and loved by many people, as both entrancing fantasy tales and images of faith. We will use The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in discussion and reflection to go more deeply into Narnia, exploring the literary and theological riches of Lewis’ work. What do talking beavers have to tell us about Creation? What does the Deep Magic have to do with the Trinity? And, to quote one of the books in Mr. Tumnus’ study, “Is Man A Myth?” By reading passages of the novel, imagining its locations, and hearing the echoes of older texts, we will let Narnia illuminate and enchant our world.
This day will focus on ways in which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe does not simply repeat a familiar story but invites us into a dialogue with the depths of the Christian tradition. Passages of the Narnia story will be paired with medieval poetry, sung hymns and Biblical readings. We will listen, discuss, and share our reflections on the texts. Everyone is welcome, whether you have known Narnia since childhood or have only just heard of it. Participants will need to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe beforehand, and bring a copy with them.
Dr. Jem Bloomfield is an academic at the University of Nottingham and a Reader in the Church of England. His research interests include detective fiction, fantasy literature and the literary histories of Shakespeare and the Bible. His published books are entitled Words of Power: Reading Shakespeare and the Bible, Shakespeare and the Psalms Mystery, and Witchcraft and Paganism in Midcentury Women’s Detective Fiction. Paths in the Snow: A Literary Journey Through The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is due out in Winter 2023.
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Booking your place
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