Reminder of Mr. Wheeler's "The Inklings" Class at Johnson Bible College (now Johnson University)

One of my favorite classes while pursuing a BS at Johnson University, formerly Johnson Bible College, was "The Inklings," taught by Mr. Ron Wheeler. We were required to read The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Descent into Hell by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams respectively. We may have been required to read another work or two which escape my memory. What I enjoyed so much about the class is that Mr. Wheeler conducted it much in the same way the authors who wrote the works we were reading would've met together, informally, often over lunch (minus any alcohol  of course). And for our final project, we met at Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler's home on campus for a Christmas Supper and afterwards gathered around the fireplace to share our projects.

I was reminded of this while reading a post at La Vie Graphite about “The Inklings.” And what is or who were “The Inklings”?

"My experience as a C. S. Lewis Scholar-in-Residence at Oxford invariably put me in contact with the legacy of Lewis’ literary circle called The Inklings. The name refers to a small group of writers brought together at Oxford, and with common interests in philosophy, ancient folklore, scholarship, and spiritual life. Principle members C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Hugo Dyson, and Owen Barfield were accompanied by Lewis’ brother Warnie (Warren Lewis), and Tolkien’s son Christopher, among others. The group met regularly, often at Lewis’ teaching and office space at Magdalen College, and at their favorite pub called The Eagle and Child, which was at the center of Oxford. An informal though closely-knit fellowship, the Inklings would share their works in progress and enjoy spirited discussions. These collegial friends each had their own writing interests, and walked, talked, and dined together."

            Read more about this and see some wonderful photography of Oxford over at La Vie Graphite.