Why Study CS Lewis in High School?

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Why Study CS Lewis in High School? Why Study CS Lewis in High School? This week on HSHSP, Vicki talks about one of her favorite topics: the writings of C.S. Lewis! If you have not ever thought about Lewis for homeschool high schoolers, hang in there. Vicki will explain why studying his works is a good idea. Here are some reasons why study CS Lewis in high school?: There are tons of reasons why Why Study CS Lewis in High School. However, we only have time for a few: It is fun! Really! Did you read The Chronicles of Narnia to your kids when they were younger? You might have noticed that you were enjoying the stories also. That is because Lewis wrote these stories to be ageless. He said: A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest. The Narnia books really do not grow old. Teens in high school can revisit The Chronicles at a more adult level. Now, they can enjoy and learn from the symbolism and deeper concepts that Lewis embeds in those stories. Then, they can move onto his deeper fiction works, like The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy. They can learn to think about theological concepts in a different way Many of our homeschool high schoolers are used to Bible studies with the family or in their Sunday school classes, youth groups or summer camps. However, they can gain a deeper understanding when they turn the theological perspective on its head. When they read The Screwtape Letters, that is exactly what Lewis does. This novel are the "letters" of an older demon trying to train his nephew on how to be a successful tormentor of his assigned human. In the book, readers learn a bit about the whiles of the devil and the undefeatableness (is that a word?) of God. While thinking about theological concepts in a different manner, teens can move on to literature studies in The Space Trilogy. This is a series of books: * Out of the Silent Planet * Perelandra * That Hideous Strength Each of the books takes a Science Fiction look at theology. No kidding! Lewis authored these books in the early days of Sci-Fi popularity (even before space exploration). With the popularity of this genre in mind, Lewis embeds theological and ethical concepts in some deep and compelling ways. (These books might be a little dense for younger teens, however, every reader is different- so do what is best for your students.) Teens learn to think wisely and to read deeply As high schoolers, teens can read The Chronicles of Narnia at a deeper level. Lewis embedded a lot of symbolism in his books. While reading, teens can learn to have fun looking for it. For instance: * It is obvious that Aslan is a symbol of Christ. * Aslan sacrifices himself for Edmond's betrayal. This, of course, is a symbol of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. * Prince Rilian in the cavern is a symbol of Plato's analogy of the cave. (You really need the study guide if you have not studied Plato's cave.) However, there are even more symbols that are not quite as obvious. For instance,