Discover the meaning of life and the afterlife via great literature with Tolkien and Lewis expert Professor Joseph Pearce.
Total classes: 6
Duration: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: The ability to read and enjoy the works.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: 1/2 semester Literature or Theology
Instructor: Joseph Pearce
Instructor email: joseph.pearce@augustineinstitute.org
Course description: Focusing on three works by J.R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, this course will examine the insights into the after-life that these great Christian writers offer. Students will gain a deeper theological understanding of sin and virtue, faith and reason, and justice and mercy, gained through Tolkien's and Lewis's visions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Course outline:
Class One: The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis, Chapters 1-8
Class Two: The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis, Chapters 9-14
Class Three: The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis, Chapters 12-14
Class Four: The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis, Chapters 15-16
Class Five: Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien, Part One
Class Six: Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien, Part Two
Course materials: C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, ISBN: 978-0-06-065295-1
C. S. Lewis, The Great Battle, ISBN: 0-06-447108-X
J. R. R. Tolkien, Tree and Leaf, ISBN: 978-0-00-710504-5
Homework: Reading Assignment: approximately 40 pages per class meeting. Daily quizzes are automated and graded by the computer for immediate feedback.
- Teacher: Joseph Pearce