par 6089_myth, imagination, and incarnation (draft - subject to change) syllabus

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To ask what is the origin of stories (however qualified) is to ask what is the origin of language and of the mind.

J R R Tolkien, OnFairy Stories.

The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden bytheveil offamiliarity.The child enjoys his cold meat, otherwise dull to him, by pretending it is buffalo, just killed with his own

bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savory for having been dipped in a storybyputting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it.

C S Lewis, OnStories.

It was not man who made the myths but the myths, or the archetypal substance they reveal, which made man.

Owen Barfield, The Rediscovery of Meaning

Course Description:This course explores the remarkable collection of English writers known as the Oxford Inklings, a group ofliterary friends who produced an astounding body of work throughout the 20th century. In stark contrast toprevailing literary trends, the Inklings and their friends sought to probe the interconnection between a richliterary, mythological imagination, on the one hand, and Christian theological, spiritual and even esoteric

teachings, on the other. They produced works of theology, history, poetry, philosophy, and criticismalongside supernatural thrillers, autobiography, detective stories, science fiction, spiritual writings, and someof the seminal works of 20th century fantasy for both children and adults. Their works are often artisticallystunning and many continue to be popular today.

The writers to be studied include Owen Barfield, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Charles Williams, Dorothy L.Sayers, and Dom Bede Griffiths. We will approach their works through philosophical, theological, and literarylenses, seeking both to understand their substantive religious and spiritual visions, and to assess how theyformally embodied these visions in various genres. Along the way, we will also address a number of questionsrelevant to students of religion today: why is it that childrensliterature is so often the medium for muchcontemporary thinking about spirit, ethics, even politics, and other great questions of life? What is the role offantasy and the imagination in religion, spirituality, and philosophy? How does all of this relate to questionsabout secularity, disenchantment, reenchantment, and the consistent return of religion even within themodern age?

PARP6089

MYTH,IMAGINATION,AND INCARNATIONBARFIELD,TOLKIEN,LEWIS AND THE OXFORD INKLINGS

Fall 2014 (3 units) Thursdays 3-6 pmInstructor: Jacob Sherman
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]



Learning Objectives:When this course is complete, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate familiarity with the writings, methods, and figures associated with the Oxford literaryand religious movement known as the Inklings

2. Describe the larger cultural, literary, and religious influences at work in the Inklings and theirassociates

3.

Identify the theological, philosophical and spiritual visions animating the work of the Inklings, bothvisions they hold in common and those about which they disagree

4. Address questions concerning the coordination of substantive philosophical, theological and criticalpositions and their literary, mythopoeic and artistic presentation

5. Critically discuss and evaluate, both orally and in writing, the continuing importance of myth andmyth creation in the contemporary world

Learning ActivitiesActive participation in class discussion: Students are expected to have completed and reflected upon thereadings before class meetings so that they can actively participate in discussions.

Reflective Essay: Each student will produce an 4-8 page reflective essay or work of creative non-fictionaddressing the role of myth and the imagination in their own experience of religion, spirituality, and thesacred.

Research paper/Integrative Project: Each student will prepare either (a) a traditional research paper, or (b) acreative integrative final project with an accompanying theoretical commentary. Students choosing option (a)

will produce a final research paper of 16-20 pages addressing any topic relating to the course material, butdrawing on additional, out-of-class research as well. Option (b) provides an opportunity for students whohave experience in the arts to create and present an original work of art (literary, dramatic, musical, visual,etc.) and to reflect on it theoretically. In addition to presenting an original work of art, students will completea critical essay of 8-12 pages engaging in theoretical and aesthetic reflection on the medium, tradition, andthemes of the project..

Each student will make a brief presentation of their paper or project in one of the final classes.

All written work should be spell-checked and grammar-checked, written in standard English, and free of run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and unnecessary jargon. All information, ideas, phrasing and analyses thatare not your own must be referenced using a standard citation style (typically either Chicago or APA) Referto a citation guide if you are unfamiliar with these forms. See The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White, foradvice on clear and concise writing. The CIIS Library offers a number of resources to strengthen your

writing here:http://library.ciis.edu/resources/writing.asp

Criteria for AssessmentAssignment Due Date Percentage of Grade1. Reading 10/13/2013 30%2. Final Paper 12/19/2013 50%3. Class Participation 20%

Explanation of Assignments:

Required Texts(available at the CIIS Bookstore):1.

Owen Barfield. Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry.2.

Owen Barfield. The Rediscovery of Meaning.
http://library.ciis.edu/resources/writing.asphttp://library.ciis.edu/resources/writing.asp



3.

Bede Griffiths. The Golden String.4. CS Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet5. CS Lewis, Perelandera.6. C S Lewis. Till We Have Faces.7. Dorothy Sayers. The Mind of the Maker.8. JRR Tolkien. The Silmarillion.

9.

Charles Williams. The Place of the Lion.

Additional selected material from books and journals will be distributed in class or online.

Recommended TextsThere is a tremendous amount of secondary literature on the Inklings and more is published every year. Thejournals VII (Seven)and The Journal of Inkling Studies are devoted exclusively to such work. Weekly handouts

will direct students to many of the excellent studies of the Inlkings and their works.

For the general purposes of our class, however, students are especially encouraged to consult R J Reilly,Romantic Religion: Barfield, Lewis, Williams, Tolkien (Lindisfarne Press, 2006).

Special note since we are at CIIS: Students interested in the surprising place of archetypal cosmology in C SLewissfamous childrensbooks are highly encouraged to consult Michael Ward, Planet Narnia: The SevenHeavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis(Oxford University Press, 2007).

SCHEDULE OF READINGS/CLASSES:

1.

Introduction: The Jerusalem Bible. Genesis 1-11. Trans. Joseph Leo Alston et al (including J.R.R.Tolkien). Ed. Alexander Jones. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1966.

2. 9/5: Myth, Story, and Reality 1a. George MacDonald, TheFantastic Imaginationb. C.S. Lewis, OnStoriesc. J.R.R. Tolkien, OnFairy-Storiesd.

G K Chesterton "On Fairy Tales"e. Stephen R L Clark "How to Believe in Fairies"

3.

Myth, Story, and Reality 2a.

C S Lewis, OnThree Ways of Writing for Childrenb.

Dorothy Sayers, FreeWill and Miracle,The Mind of the Maker, ch.5c.

Owen Barfield, Myth,Imagination, and Philosophical Double Visiond.

Owen Barfield, Imageryin Language and Metaphor in Poetry

4. The Problems of Disenchantment: C S Lewis, The Abolition of Man

5. The Rebirth of Myth? Owen Barfield, Saving the Appearances

6. Myth and Incarnation: Owen Barfield, Saving the Appearances(continued); selections from TheRediscovery of Meaning

7.

Science FictionsEntry into Mythic Worlds: C S Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet and C S Lewis,Perelandera



8.

ChildrensLiterature and the Myth of Narniaa. C S Lewis, The Magician's Nephewb. C S Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobec. C S Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treaderd. Highly Recommended: Michael Ward, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S.

Lewis (Oxford University Press, 2007).

9. TolkiensMyth for Englanda. Jeffrey, David. "Tolkien as Philologist." Tolkien and the Invention of Myth: A Reader. Ed. Jane

Chance. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004. 61-80. On Reserveb. Read Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion, The History of the Silmarils," pp. 29-112

10.

TolkiensMyth for England (continued)a.

Read Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion, The History of the Silmarils," pp. 113-316

11.The Myth and Mystery the Artist Herselfa. Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Makerb. Dorothy Sayers, Gaudy Night

12. Myth Reimagined: C S Lewis, Till We Have Faces

13.The Incarnation of the Archetypes:a. Charles Williams, The Place of the Lionb.

Charles Willliams, The Precursor and the Incarnation of the Kingdomc.

Charles William, ThePractice of Substitution

14. Entering Other Myths: Bede Griffiths, The Golden String

15. Conclusion and presentations

Instructor Biography:Jacob Holsinger Sherman, PhDJacob is Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Hereceived his PhD in Philosophical Theology from the University of Cambridge and taught previously as a



Visiting Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at KingsCollege London. His writings have appearedin journals such as Religious Studies, Modern Theology, Spiritusand The Heythrop Journal. In addition to co-editingThe Participatory Turn: Spirituality, Mysticism, Religious Studies(SUNY Press, 2009), he is the author of Partakers ofthe Divine: Contemplation and the Practice of Philosophy(Fortress Press, 2014). He is currently researching his nextbook, Imagining Creation: Ecology, Poiesis, and the Philosophy of Religion.



CIIS POLICIES:

Attendance and TardinessStudents are expected to attend all class meetings regularly and punctually. Students are assigned an F(Failure) or NP (No Pass) grade if they are absent for more than 20 percent of a course. This maximum

includes both excused and unexcused absences. Three instances of tardiness or leaving early are consideredequivalent to one absence. Instructors may permit a student to deviate from this rule on the grounds of illnessnecessitating confinement for 24 hours or more, a death in the family, or other extreme emergencies. Theinstructor may request verification of these circumstances by a letter from a medical professional, the Dean ofStudents, or the Academic Vice President as appropriate.

Academic IntegrityPlagiarism: Creative and original scholarly research is at the heart of the Institutesacademic purpose. It isessential that faculty and students pursue their academic work with the utmost integrity. This means that allacademic work produced by an individual is the result of the individualsefforts and that those effortsacknowledge explicitly any contribution by another person.

Reproducing anotherswork and submitting it as onesown work or without acknowledging the source iscalled plagiarism,or stealing the intellectual property of another, which is the antithesis of scholarlyresearch. Any use of other ideas or othersexpression in any medium without attribution is a serious violationof academic standards. If confirmed, plagiarism subjects a student to disciplinary action.

Duplication of Work: With regard to dissertation and thesis research and regular class term papers, projectsmust not be a duplication of student work previously submitted for fulfillment of either course requirementsor previous research at CIIS or elsewhere. Such activity, if confirmed, subjects a student to disciplinary action.Disciplinary action can include (a) failing the course in which any such work was submitted, (b) expulsionfrom the Institute, and (c) revocation of any degree or academic honor.

Sanctions arising from a determination of plagiarism may be applied by an instructor (if coursework isinvolved), by a program committee, or by the Academic Vice President. All sanctions may be appealed asoutlined in the General Student Complaint Procedure found in the InstitutePoliciessection.

Mid-semester Evaluation of InstructionHalfway through the course, students are to be given the opportunity to provide informal, verbal commentsto the instructor in a constructive spirit. This is a time for the instructor to receive feedback on his or herefforts, and also a time for students to reflect upon their own. This conversation is to be facilitated by astudent chosen by the class. The instructor is to leave the room (or be offline if the course is an online one)

while the facilitator is selected.

Credit UnitsAccording to federal mandate, each credit unit should be accompanied by 15 hours of class time and 30 hoursor student work outside of class. Accordingly, for a 3 credit course, one should meet 15 times over a semester

for three hours each (breaks included) and each student should expect to spend approximately six hours aweek on the course in preparation (reading, reflection, etc.) and research.

par 6089_myth, imagination, and incarnation (draft - subject to change) syllabus

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