C.S. Lewis Initiative

05/28/2026

We are delighted to welcome John Garth as a keynote speaker at the Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, where he will deliver his lecture, “The Undiscovered J.R.R. Tolkien.”

John Garth is the award-winning author of Tolkien and the Great War, Tolkien at Exeter College, and The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, together published in eighteen languages. He has contributed to major Tolkien scholarship, including the Blackwell Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien, the Bodleian Library exhibition volume Maker of Middle-earth, and The Great Tales Never End: Essays in Memory of Christopher Tolkien.

A widely respected Tolkien scholar and speaker, Garth has lectured at major museums, libraries, and universities across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. His writing has appeared internationally in leading news and cultural media. He is currently at work on Tolkien’s Mirror, exploring how the major crises of the twentieth century shaped The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.

Join us September 24–27, 2026, in Oregon for what promises to be an unforgettable gathering of Lewis and Inklings enthusiasts. Registration link in the comments.

05/11/2026

We are delighted to welcome Michael Ward as a keynote speaker at the Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, where he will deliver his world-premiere lecture, "'Cursèd fate that gave thee to the Moore'? Mrs. Moore in Lewis’s Life and Works."

Dr. Michael Ward (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is an associate member of the faculty of theology and religion at the University of Oxford and professor of apologetics at Houston Christian University. He is the award-winning author of Planet Narnia and After Humanity, coeditor of The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis, presenter of the BBC documentary The Narnia Code, and appeared as the Vicar in The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis. In addition to his academic work, he serves as a Catholic priest at Holy Rood Church, Oxford.

Join us September 24–27, 2026, in Oregon for what promises to be an unforgettable gathering of Lewis and Inklings enthusiasts. Registration link in the comments.

05/09/2026

Dear Friends of the C.S. Lewis Initiative,

On behalf of Prof. Simon Horobin and Prof. Giuseppe Pezzini, we are pleased to share this special three-year postdoctoral opportunity, which may be of interest to attendees of the Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference. The application deadline is June 7, 2026.

Best wishes,
UCSL Conference Team

Magdalen College proposes to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher to work on the project C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien: A Scholarly Reappraisal, led by Professor Simon Horobin (Magdalen College) and Professor Giuseppe Pezzini (Corpus Christi College), based at the Calleva Research Centre. The post will commence on 1 October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter and will be for three calendar years.

This project aims to undertake a reassessment of the scholarly legacy of one of Magdalen College’s foremost fellows, the English literary scholar C.S. Lewis, in the context of his professional, intellectual and personal relationships with his friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien.

We are seeking one qualified and highly motivated individual to work full-time on this project, contributing to the extensive programme of research into C.S. Lewis’s reading and writing, his academic archives, as well as the works of the scholars and groups with which he engaged, including especially J.R.R. Tolkien. This appointee will also contribute to an extensive survey of printed reviews and relevant secondary literature of Lewis’s major scholarly outputs in order to assess both the immediate impact of Lewis’s writings as well as its later significance. The postholder will join a stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment, and will gain experience in translating academic research for public audiences. The Postdoctoral Researcher will be responsible for research activities such as collecting and analysing of historical and literary data, carrying out archival research, communicating with academics and non-academics, liaising with librarians and exhibition curators, and the preparation of manuscripts for publication.

This is a three-year fixed-term position.

The appointment will be made on Grade 7.4 of the Unified College Pay Scale, currently £41,064 per annum, plus £1,730 per annum Oxford Location Allowance.

The appointment includes five free meals (lunch or dinner) in College each week that the kitchen is open, membership of the College’s Senior Common Room, and access to generous research funds.

The closing date is Sunday 07 June 2026, and applications must be completed at or before that time. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Magdalen College is an equal opportunities employer. Further information can be obtained from the College web site, at http://magd.ox.ac.uk/equality

For further information and how to apply, see the link in the comment below.

04/08/2026

Tomorrow is Give Day! Double the impact of your donation to the C.S. Lewis Initiative: a generous donor has offered a $5,000 match.

By giving through the link below, you can support our 2026 Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference, student scholarships, and other important endeavors.

Dear Friends of the C.S. Lewis Initiative:

George Fox Give Day is Thursday, April 9, 2026. This annual day celebrates generosity and giving to campus areas you care about most. This year's theme, "Give to Your Passion," highlights our unique connection to the university community. We are fundraising for the C.S. Lewis Initiative and competing for an additional $5,000 for the cause with the most supporters. Your gift is a "vote."

DOUBLE THE IMPACT of your gift to the C.S. Lewis Initiative this Give Day: generous donors have provided a match of $5,000! And alumni gifts also trigger a $500 match for the Scholarship Fund, doubling the impact.

Support the C.S. Lewis Initiative and help bring the next Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference to life in September 2026. Your gift will allow us to invite the world’s leading experts on Lewis and Tolkien to Newberg and provide registration stipends for underprivileged students, independent scholars, and international participants.

The 2024 conference was the largest academic gathering on C.S. Lewis in history—let’s make the next one even more impactful!

You can make a donation any time on on before April 9 here:

https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/2026GiveDay/team/CSLewis

Thank you!

04/03/2026

Dear Friends of the C.S. Lewis Initiative:

George Fox Give Day is Thursday, April 9, 2026. This annual day celebrates generosity and giving to campus areas you care about most. This year's theme, "Give to Your Passion," highlights our unique connection to the university community. We are fundraising for the C.S. Lewis Initiative and competing for an additional $5,000 for the cause with the most supporters. Your gift is a "vote."

DOUBLE THE IMPACT of your gift to the C.S. Lewis Initiative this Give Day: generous donors have provided a match of $5,000! And alumni gifts also trigger a $500 match for the Scholarship Fund, doubling the impact.

Support the C.S. Lewis Initiative and help bring the next Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference to life in September 2026. Your gift will allow us to invite the world’s leading experts on Lewis and Tolkien to Newberg and provide registration stipends for underprivileged students, independent scholars, and international participants.

The 2024 conference was the largest academic gathering on C.S. Lewis in history—let’s make the next one even more impactful!

You can make a donation any time on on before April 9 here:

https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/2026GiveDay/team/CSLewis

Thank you!

03/27/2026

Why attend the Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference 2026? And what kind of work are we looking for?

This Pints with Jack interview offers a behind-the-scenes look at the conference’s vision, themes, and scholarly aims—from fresh approaches to Lewis to the recovery of overlooked texts and questions.

If you’re considering submitting a paper, this conversation will give you a clear sense of the intellectual spirit of the conference. And if you’re planning to attend, it offers a taste of what’s to come.

Dr. Bruce Johnson and Dr. Gary Tandy stop by for a half pint and to talk about the upcoming C. S. Lewis Conference in Oregon: […]

03/05/2026

The Lewis & Tolkien Club and the Theology Club at George Fox University are co-hosting Dr. Isaac Choi’s open lecture, “Historical Myths, Laws of Nature, and Miracles.” Join us this Friday, March 6, at 5:30! The lecture is open to community members as well as students, and there will be pizza.

03/04/2026

This lecture is tomorrow, free and open to the public. Welcome!

We’re delighted to invite you, on behalf of the Honors Program and the Division of Honors and Humanities, to next week’s public lecture by Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University.

On Thursday, March 5, from 7:00–8:30 PM, Dr. Wilson will speak in the GFU Chapel on: “God vs. AI: Dorothy L. Sayers’s Rally Cry for Making Things.”

Drawing on the thought of the acclaimed novelist and Oxford intellectual Dorothy L. Sayers, the lecture will explore what her theology of creativity has to say about the rise of artificial intelligence. Sayers believed that the human impulse to make things reflects our desire to imitate our Creator. Whatever our vocation, we are called to “serve the work.” Faithfulness to our gifts, she argued, protects us from forces that dehumanize. In an age when AI may accelerate those forces, Sayers offers timely wisdom for Christians seeking to navigate this moment thoughtfully.

We hope you’ll join us—and please feel free to share this invitation with others who might be interested.

03/02/2026

Join us next Wednesday, March 11, at 6 p.m. for "The Forge of Friendship" screening and panel discussion. This J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis documentary will be shown in the screening room of George Fox Universities new Art & Cinematic Arts Building.

Following the film, we will have a panel discussion with the filmmakers moderated by Joel Mayward, assistant professor of Christian ministries, theology and thea arts.

Refreshments will be provided.

This event is co-sponsored by The C. S. Lewis Initiative, Cinematic Arts, and the Lewis & Tolkien Society.

Please contact Alex Chung at [email protected] for more information.

02/25/2026

We’re delighted to invite you, on behalf of the Honors Program and the Division of Honors and Humanities, to next week’s public lecture by Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University.

On Thursday, March 5, from 7:00–8:30 PM, Dr. Wilson will speak in the GFU Chapel on: “God vs. AI: Dorothy L. Sayers’s Rally Cry for Making Things.”

Drawing on the thought of the acclaimed novelist and Oxford intellectual Dorothy L. Sayers, the lecture will explore what her theology of creativity has to say about the rise of artificial intelligence. Sayers believed that the human impulse to make things reflects our desire to imitate our Creator. Whatever our vocation, we are called to “serve the work.” Faithfulness to our gifts, she argued, protects us from forces that dehumanize. In an age when AI may accelerate those forces, Sayers offers timely wisdom for Christians seeking to navigate this moment thoughtfully.

We hope you’ll join us—and please feel free to share this invitation with others who might be interested.

02/16/2026

Welcome to our new followers!

Good news! Registration for the 2026 Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference is now open. You can register on our new website.

Participation is capped at 250 to fit snugly in our chosen venue. We expect to sell out again, so we encourage you to register soon. Early-bird registration runs through March 31.

For now, we have set aside 100 tickets to ensure that everyone with an accepted paper proposal (after the March 31 deadline) will be able to register.

That said, if you expect to attend with or without a paper, we recommend registering early at the early-bird rate.

Questions? Please use the Contact Us form on our website, and a member of our team will respond promptly.

Please note that we have updated the Call for Papers to include a mandatory statement regarding the use of AI. You can find the updated CFP on our website.

Inquiries prior to submission regarding the suitability of proposed works may be directed to Dr. Jason Lepojärvi at [email protected].