C. S. LEWIS / COURSE 5
C.S. Lewis’s List
Read the books that shaped the reader. Explore ten works Lewis named as formative influences on his vocation and philosophy of life.
Enquire about this course ↗
THE READER BEHIND THE WRITER
What shaped C.S. Lewis?
In 1962, The Christian Century published Lewis’s response to a question about the books that had most influenced him: “What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?” His answer was a list of ten titles.
Fantasy, epic, poetry, biography, theology, and philosophy sit side by side. Reading these works alongside Lewis opens a fresh way into his faith, imagination, and vocation—and into the questions that shaped his own writing.
YOUR READING JOURNEY
Ten books. Ten conversations.
Choose four topics for a minor, eight for a major, or explore the complete list in ten tutorials. Discuss your selection and reading pace with Jason.
- 1Phantastes
- 2The Everlasting Man
- 3The Aeneid
- 4The Temple
- 5The Prelude
- 6The Idea of the Holy
- 7The Consolation of Philosophy
- 8The Life of Samuel Johnson
- 9Descent into Hell
- 10Theism and Humanism
READ · WRITE · DISCUSS
Read with Lewis.
Each topic brings a work from the list into conversation with Lewis’s own books, essays, poems, and letters. You will explore how his reading informed his thinking, then develop your own argument in a paper and a one-to-one tutorial.
Jason provides a detailed syllabus with primary and secondary sources and an essay prompt for each tutorial. The reading includes relevant passages from works such as Surprised by Joy, Collected Letters, The Pilgrim’s Regress, and Miracles, according to the topics you choose.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Choose your depth.
Four tutorials
Explore four topics from the list.
US$750Eight tutorials
Explore eight topics from the list.
US$1,400Ten tutorials
Explore all ten books.
US$1,700All fees are in US dollars. Arrange weekly, fortnightly, or monthly meetings with Jason.
More about the tutorial format ↗YOUR NEXT CHAPTER