Formation: Exploring C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy
“On the heavenly realms and struggles on earth: Exploring C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy.”
Over six-weeks, we will explore C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy—Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. Written between 1938 and 1945, these novels blend science fiction, theological imagination, and philosophical reflection to probe some of the deepest questions of human existence: What is the nature of good and evil? How do we discern truth in a disordered world? What is our place in the cosmos, and how do spiritual realities intersect with the material universe?
Lewis, a scholar of medieval and Renaissance literature, uses the medium of “interplanetary romance” to craft a theological vision of the universe as a morally ordered creation. Through the journeys of Dr. Elwin Ransom—philologist, accidental space traveler, and spiritual pilgrim—we encounter alien civilizations, angelic intelligences, and profound moral tests.
The trilogy unfolds as follows:
Out of the Silent Planet introduces us to Mars (Malacandra), where Ransom discovers a harmonious society untouched by the Fall, and gains new insight into Earth’s spiritual isolation.
Perelandra (Venus) places him in a reimagined Garden of Eden, where he must participate in a cosmic drama of temptation, obedience, and redemption.
That Hideous Strength, set back on Earth, brings the battle home—critiquing technocratic utopianism, spiritual corruption, and the loss of human dignity in modern institutions.
This reading group is an invitation to engage these texts not only as stories but as thought experiments and spiritual reflections. We will discuss how Lewis’s Christian convictions shape his cosmology, his critique of modernity, and his vision of a cosmos infused with divine purpose.
To sign up: Register in Realm at https://bit.ly/45khr55. Not in Realm? Email Caleb Briggs at communications@stannes-annapolis.org.
Dates: 10/1 – 11/5 2025 (Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:15 pm)
Location: Teams©
Minimum Number of Participants required: 5. Maximum Participants 25.
Here is a link for the books.https://amzn.to/3ISlw9c
Peace,
Manoj+
The Rev. Dr. Manoj Mathew Zacharia