New College Madison (NCM) is holding a conference next weekend (January 25 & 26) entitled "C.S. Lewis and the Challenge of the 21st Century." A line-up of nationally known speakers will be presenting, including actor Tom Key, Gilbert Meilaender of Valparaiso University, David Downing of Elizabethtown College and Crystal Downing of Messiah College.
NCM executive director Vern Visick explains the need to refocus on C.S. Lewis in this way:
During the last part of the 20th century, C. S. Lewis was for many an important defender, interpreter, and exemplar of Christian faith in dialogue with a weakening and fallen world. Can C. S. Lewis play the same kind of role for us as we face the challenges of the 21st century? Where is Lewis still relevant, and where does his thought and approach need to be corrected, extended, or developed in new ways?
Our program is designed to remind us of who Lewis was and what he did for us, and to bring his thought and approach into dialogue with the problems of the 21st century–in terms of the preservation of our humanity, the ongoing fight against idolatry, the challenge of ethical naturalism, and the proper relationship of men and women. Presentations by leading academic figures will take place in between two dramatic presentations by Tom Key, a brilliant actor from Atlanta, GA, in "Screwtape in Person" and "C. S. Lewis on Stage."
Our hope is to stimulate our audience to continue their interest and study of C. S. Lewis, and in the process come to a stronger and more vital Christian faith.
You can register for the conference here. Terry Morrison, an NCM board member, talked about the impact of C.S. Lewis in this article.
.