JIS Symposium 2025: “C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien: The Promise of Christian Fairytales”

                         CALL  FOR  PAPERS  JIS  SYMPOSIUM  2025 

C. S. LEWIS & J. R. R. TOLKIEN: THE PROMISE OF CHRISTIAN FAIRYTALES

         HILTON  PASADENA,  CALIFORNIA,  USA, 1 - 2  August  2025

                                        Suggested  Themes:

   It is not an exaggeration to state that, in the long shadows of the twentieth century, a remarkable fellowship of British Medievalists known as the Inklings Christianized the Western literary canon.  In their award-winning book, The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams (2015), Philip and Carol Zaleski conclude that a small group of romantics and fantasists sought to revitalize literature and faith in the twentieth century’s darkest years.  Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia narratives and Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings offered Christian fairytales as a conduit for re-enchanting the modern world. Arguably, the Inklings revitalized the ancient genre of the Quest for the Holy Grail that fascinates readers across centuries with its great themes of voyages, challenges, conquest, self-conquest, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.  The question arises whether Christian fairytales may redeem the postmodern temper steeped in a cultural morass of relativism, subjectivism, and nihilism, where many are seduced by a secular marketplace offering high-tech substitutes for self-realization.  Can Lewis’ and Tolkien’s moral imagination inspire a renewed optimism in the human capacities of reason, faith, love, and compassion?  In sum, can Christian fairytales restore a fractured postmodern self by envisioning a more felicitous human nature in pursuit of the classical virtues of beauty, truth, and goodness, nurturing families and communities, and aspiring to transcendence?

JIS Symposium 2025 endeavors to bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplines and denominations for an exciting international conference which takes both scholarship and faith seriously.  JIS Symposium 2025: C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien is co-sponsored by IIR-ICSA-JIS in the City of the Roses--the world-famous Tournament of Roses--in sunny Southern California, with many cultural & sightseeing opportunities.  All conference participants must pre-register (tax-deductible).  Abstracts (250 words) due: March 15, 2025: c/o Dr. O. Gruenwald, JIS Editor, 1065 Pine Bluff Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107, USA, per e-mail (no attachments) to: [email protected]. Include: Paper Title, First & Last Name, faculty or student, institution, mailing address, telephone & e-mail. Fully-developed papers will be considered for publication in the refereed Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies XXXVIII 2026.  Web: https://www.jis3.org/symposium2025.

                                      CONFERENCE  STRUCTURE:

      Check-In: Friday, August 1, 3:00 - 6:00 PM, Hilton Pasadena. Reception: Friday, August 1, 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Coffee Corner.  Main Conference Program: Saturday, August 2, 8:45 AM - 5:45 PM:  Monterey Room.   Keynote: Saturday, August 2: Monterey Room.  Format: Multidisciplinary panels and papers.  Participants are encouraged to attend the entire conference to enhance dialogue, synergy, and synthesis, as well as fellowship.  Presenting a paper is not a prerequisite for participation.  Indicate if you prefer to serve as discussant.  Family members enjoy the reduced student registration rate.  Audio-Visual Equipment: Bring laptop or flash drive if desired for PowerPoint presentation.  Cultural/Sightseeing: Before or after the conference. Optional Field Trips: Huntington Library & Gardens; Norton Simon Museum; JPL.

                                   TRAVEL  AND  ACCOMMODATIONS:

     Lodging: We recommend that conference participants make their hotel reservations as soon as possible.  Hilton Pasadena Reservations: 1-800-445-8667 or 626-577-1000.  Cultural/sightseeing/travel/accommodations:  Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau: www.visitpasadena.com; 1-800-307-7977.  Bring an alarm clock and a sweater or jacket for cooler mornings and evenings. Ground Transportation:  Hilton Pasadena (168 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101) may be reached from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) via shuttles, e.g., Prime Time Shuttle (shared ride $64): 1-800-733-8267, or rent-a-car (ca. 45-minute drive).

                          JIS  SYMPOSIUM  2025  REGISTRATION  FORM:

First and Last Name (Please Print) _____________________________________________

Institution/Street Address _____________________________________________________

City ___________________________  State ____________________  ZIP___________

Telephone _______________________  E-Mail _________________________________

                                               REGISTRATION  FEE:

By March 15, 2025:      After  March 15, 2025:   After May 15, 2025:           Totals:

____  Regular:  $100    ____  Regular: $125      ____ Regular: $150         $ ______

____  Student:  $ 75    ____  Student: $100      ____ Student: $100         $ ______

                             TOTAL  REGISTRATION:  $ ______

Money Order/Travelers Check in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to:  ICSA.

Mail Form & Payment to: Dr. O. Gruenwald, 1065 Pine Bluff Dr., Pasadena, CA 91107, USA.

For Credit Card: Use PayPal Cart on JIS web: https://www.jis3.org/symposium2025.