Hastings Plaque – 2nd May 2015

On Saturday, 2nd May 2015 a plaque will be unveiled at one of George MacDonald’s homes in Hastings. The plan is to meet at Wellington Square at 2:30pm from where we will walk to the house. The unveiling will be preceded by a few words from our President, Professor Stephen Prickett and followed by a short guided walk (about an hour or so) led by Edward Preston and tea afterwards.

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“Would We Have Been Friends”: Piper/Keller contra Lewis/MacDonald by Ron Dart

Here is a link to the article, “Would We Have Been Friends”: Piper/Keller contra Lewis/MacDonald” by Ron Dart.

The idea that people will know that we are Jesus’s disciples by the love we have for one another (John 13:5) is a challenging thought. Particularly in a context (such as this), where we disagree profoundly with what that person is saying. There is a natural tendency to confront them head on. What strikes me about both Lewis and MacDonald is the breadth of their reading. It seems to me they were able to distil the positive in disparate positions and make it their own without getting sidetracked into dispute. A book I’m reading talks about how we like to stay within our intellectual boxes (a limitation) but that our times of growth are when we are taken outside that box and have our safe view of the world challenged, letting fresh light into the dusty room.

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GM Conference in August – Call for Papers

INFORMING THE INKLINGS: GEORGE MACDONALD & THE VICTORIAN ROOTS OF MODERN FANTASY

A CONFERENCE AT MAGDALEN COLLEGE, OXFORD, AUGUST 13-15, 2014

The ‘Inklings’, an Oxford group that included C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams, has long been recognized as one of the most creative literary groups of the mid-twentieth century, one whose fantasy writings in particular have become a major influence on the development of subsequent literature and film. But, as they freely acknowledged, behind these lay an earlier generation of Victorian writers who pioneered the forms they developed – perhaps most notably George MacDonald. With the fiftieth anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis we wish to explore the many connections, and to see some of the ways in which the work of the Inklings was ‘informed’ by the work MacDonald and his fellow fantasists. Speakers include Kerry Dearborn, Danny Gableman, Malcolm Guite, Moniker Hilder, Stephen Logan, Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, John Pennington, Stephen Prickett (Chair), David Robb and Jean Webb. As Magdalen was Lewis’s college – host to many ‘Inkling’ discussions – and as Oxford’s history is long-entwined with the genre of fantasy, the conference will include a thematic introduction to relevant sites. We invite session papers of not more than 20 minutes on any themes connecting these writers and their work and influence on literature, theology, and the arts in general. Attention to fellow 19th century fantasists such as Charles Kingsley, Lewis Carroll, and William Morris is welcome. Proposals  (including name and institutional affiliation, CV, title of the paper, and an abstract of no more than 400 words) to gmsociety.papers@gmail.com by May 1, 2014.

“MacDonald is the greatest genius of this kind whom I know.”

C.S. Lewis

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Advance Notice: 2014 Conference in Oxford

Advance notice. The George MacDonald Society is hosting a conference from lunchtime Wednesday, 13th to Friday, 15th August 2014 at C.S. Lewis’ own College, Magdalen, in Oxford. The provisional title is Re-Imagining the Inklings: the Victorian Roots of Modern Fantasy and will be chaired by Professor Stephen Prickett our Chairman.

More information and details of speakers will be made available later in the year but do get those dates in your diary now. This is an ideal opportunity for you to combine a stimulating conference, where George MacDonald is a key focus, with a visit to the historic city of Oxford and the United Kingdom.

It would be helpful for us to be able to to gauge possible numbers thinking of attending so, if you would like to provisionally book a place or register an interest, please contact us (macdonaldsociety@gmail.com) and we will add you to our mailing list so that we can update you when fuller details become available.

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Response to John Piper & Tim Keller’s Recent Video

An excellent response to John Piper and Tim Keller’s recent controversial online comments about George MacDonald.

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