REDLANDS, Calif., April 19, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- In an age of ethical scandals and widely differing views on what can be relied upon as true, not to mention beautiful, more than 600 Americans will soon head to England to attend Oxbridge 2005, the sixth triennial C.S. Lewis Summer Institute, from July 24 through August 6, 2005.
Organized by the California-based C.S. Lewis Foundation, which also has offices in Oxford, England, the conference is entitled "Making All Things New: The Good, the True and the Beautiful in the 21st Century." Set in the medieval university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, Oxbridge 2005 will feature presentations by leading scholars and artists representing many Christian traditions and interests from around the world, in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, and interlaced with music, dance, theater and worship.
"This is a particularly timely theme when we consider the current social and intellectual trends of the Third Millennium," notes Stan Mattson, Ph.D., founder and president of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. "In one of his lesser known books, The Abolition of Man, Lewis warned that our culture was in imminent danger of abandoning the essential foundation of its core values, without which it could not long endure. The social and intellectual trends that followed Lewis' insightful and prophetic warning offer genuine cause for deep concern and serious reflection."
"Yet Lewis was far from a pessimist about the future," Mattson adds, "and it will be in the spirit of Lewis' constructive critique that we will explore the possibilities of 'making all things new' across a wide spectrum of human experience in these, our troubled times."
Featured speakers during the first week in Oxford include Greek Orthodox Bishop Kallistos Ware, David Dockery, David Cook, David Lyle Jeffrey, Louis Markos, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Alister McGrath, Peter Kreeft, Eleonore Stump, Anthony Flew, Chuck Colson and Mattson. Afternoon seminars feature topics on C.S. Lewis, the Inklings, contemplative prayer, peacemaking and reconciliation, political engagement, the Christian scholar in the secular academy, the Oxford libraries, medical and business ethics, social justice, cultural apologetics, science and theology, philosophy, architectural and art history. Workshops include creative writing, theater, dance, choral performance and the visual arts.
In addition to evening performances by the Oxford City Orchestra and the Institute Chorale at the magnificent Sheldonian Theatre, British actor Joss Ackland and American actor Tom Key will give dramatic portrayals of C.S. Lewis. Optional day trips include Warwick Castle, The Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Churchill's birthplace at nearby Blenheim Palace, Lewis' beloved home, "The Kilns," (now owned and beautifully restored by the Foundation) and an evening of Shakespeare in the park.
The second week in Cambridge features Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward, Bishop James Jones of Liverpool, Dana Gioia, Anthony Thiselton, Malcolm Guite, Writer-in-Residence Kathleen Norris, Vishal Mangalwadi, Susanna Caroselli, Armand Nicholi, Sir John Polkinghorne, Dick Staub, Richard Foster, Dean Trulear and Nigel Goodwin.
Special events include evensong service at Ely Cathedral, a traditional English country dinner dance at Chilford Hall, modern dance choreographed around the conference theme, a dramatic performance by the Riding Lights Theatre Company of York, England, all brought to a fitting close with a eucharistic service of dedication at Kings College Chapel, followed by a dinner and book signing reception. Evenings in both Oxford and Cambridge afford generous opportunities for informal socializing at the popular late-night "Bag End Cafe" gatherings, with live music and even livelier conversation.
Attendees may attend one or both weeks, but must attend both to participate in the Choral Institute directed by Dr. John Dickson of Texas Tech University.
For more information or to register for Oxbridge 2005, please visit www.cslewis.org, or call toll free 1-808-CSLEWIS.
About the C.S. Lewis Foundation: Founded in 1986 by a small group of Christian scholars, and inspired by the life and legacy of renowned English professor, author and speaker C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian scholarship and artistic expression throughout the mainstream world of learning and the culture at large. For more information, please visit www.cslewis.org.