Adult Ed Study: The Abolition of Man

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When I first read The Abolition of Man, I found it to be one of C.S. Lewis' more intriguing books. Beginning with what appears to be a rather innocuous reference to Coleridge's comments about a couple looking at a waterfall, the book builds a case for traditional values (what Lewis calls "the Tao"). Since I often learn the most when I prepare for a class and have to defend my understanding to a group of educated people, I undertook to teach a four week class on the book in the Adult Education program of my church.

The results were great. Having discussed the book within the study, I found that I have a much better grasp of the problems that C.S. Lewis was addressing.

Thus, I am sharing on the CADRE site the material that I prepared for the class. Besides for the book itself (the text of which can be found entirely on-line), the only other resources that I used in the course were the first two chapters of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, and a short essay from C.S. Lewis' God in the Dock entitled "Meditations in a Toolshed." It is posted on the a Public Square page of the CADRE website, but can be accessed directly here.

The Study is in .pdf format. If you choose to use it, I ask only that you mention that you got the study through the CADRE site at the time that you teach the class (and give people the web address). I taught it in four weeks, but could easily have stretched it out to six weeks.

Enjoy.

Comments

Unknown said…
Thanks for making this resource available, BK. It looks like something I could easily employ as a springboard for a young adult's class I teach.

CJD
8/18/2009 09:55:00 AM
Anonymous said…
The all inclusive concept and reality of the Tao means that everything is in one way or another inter-connected, and that there is not a jot of separation to be found anywhere---in fact it is impossible for any kind of separation to occur.

And yet the Christian "world"-view is based on a tri-partite notion of separateness. Namely that we are inherently separate from the Divine Reality, the World Process altogether, and from each other (and all other sentient beings).

All of which means that the Christian "world"-view is at root, entirely against the lawful movement of Tao in and as the World Process.

And thus essentially at war with everything, including The Divine Reality altogether.

In a very real sense this is borne out by the politics now espoused by right-wing religionists, especially in the USA. They are stridently at war with everyone who disagrees with them. Their blogs are full of the language of conflict.
8/24/2009 11:55:00 PM
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