Press release: Lewis conference celebrates Christian imagination
He’s a celebrated author who, although born in 1898, writes stories that grip children and adults alike, brilliantly critiques beliefs and worldviews, and shares his own grief at life’s hardships.
Australia’s first C.S. Lewis Today conference (4-6 May) confirmed that the life and works of ‘Jack’—C.S. Lewis—still have a vital role to play in this new millennium.
After four days of wide-ranging sessions, catering for about 350 educators, scholars and fans in both Sydney and Melbourne, Lewis’s position as a ‘mere Christian’ was clear to all. Like Lewis’s work, the conference ranged from the theological, to the practical, from lively stories to high-tech fun, with guest crew from the recent Narnia film, as well as the attendance of Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis's stepson.
On Thursday, educators gathered at the Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney to hear children's author, Andrew Lansdown, defend the importance of fantasy for an understanding of ‘real life’. He was accompanied by American academic, Christopher Mitchell, who directs the Marion E. Wade Center in Wheaton, Illinois. Dr Mitchell gave papers on each of the four days of the conference, emerging as a leading authority on the significance of Lewis as an apologist, a novelist, and a man of Christian integrity. The day was hosted by Ian Keast from Anglican Youthworks.
The Friday sessions at New College were aimed at scholars, with presentations on subjects ranging from Lewis's writing on grief, to the place of Christianity in academic life, to the criticisms of Lewis as racist and sexist. This day was opened by eminent Australian nonagenarian, Stuart Barton Babbage, who met Lewis during world War II. Babbage's moving account of Lewis's words for the troops reminded all that Lewis did his profound thinking not in the ivory tower, but in the trenches alongside ordinary people.
Saturday at Trinity Chapel, Macquarie University, hosted by Dr Robert and Linda Banks, explored the transition of Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe book into film. One of Australia's leading cinematographers, Don McAlpine (Director of Photography) and Tracey Reebey, a key member of the team of 160 make-up and hairstyle technicians that won both the British and American Academy Awards for their work on the film, gave fascinating background to the making of the film, from stories about the children to insights into special effects. The panel also included Linda Banks, representing lovers and users of the book, who talked about how the changes in the film were largely in the spirit of the book.
Ms Reebey revealed that Mr Gresham was the first member of a production leadership team she had ever seen personally thank the junior crew—those who brought the drinks and cleaned the toilets. “His heart of gold shows through in his input and the whole experience of the film,” she said.
Don McAlpine said they strove to ‘out-imagine’ and surprise those who had pictures from the books in their heads since childhood.
Work on filming Prince Caspian is expected to begin next, they said.
On Monday (8 May), the conference continued at the Bible College of Victoria, with lectures by Greg Clarke, Christopher Mitchell and Brian Edgar, as well as panel discussion on Lewis's presentation of the Christian worldview.
The cslewistoday.com website will continue as a forum for fostering ongoing materials and events not only on, but in the spirit of, C.S. Lewis's life and writings.
This was the first international conference on C.S. Lewis in Australia and was jointly organised by MCSI (Macquarie Christian Studies Institute), CASE (The Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education), Anglican Youthworks, SIFT (Society for the Integration of Faith and Thought), Robert Menzies College, Macquarie University and New College, UNSW.
For more information, visit cslewistoday.com. DVDs, audio files and some papers will be available through the website.
Contact: admin [at] cslewistoday [dot] com.
Photos are available.
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