Class Overview

Intro to the Inklings: Faith, Fiction, and Imagination is a high school literature course for students ages 15–18 that explores the spiritual, intellectual, and creative lives of the Inklings—a group of 20th-century Christian writers best known for two of their most influential members, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. At the heart of the course is Lewis’s memoir, Surprised by Joy, which follows his early life, intellectual formation, and eventual conversion to Christianity.

Students will read Surprised by Joy independently over the semester. Class time will focus on unpacking its themes and connecting them to Inklings-adjacent poetry, essays, and stories. These include works by fellow Inklings Owen Barfield and Tolkien, as well as other influential thinkers who shaped the group’s vision, such as George MacDonald and Dorothy Sayers. 

This course invites students to think deeply, ask mindful questions, and engage with challenging ideas through guided group discussion, instructor modeling, reflective writing, and both oral and written expression. Alongside our weekly readings, students will prepare a recitation piece and complete a final project combining written and spoken components. Our goal is to delve deeply into these great Christian writers and thinkers, inviting students to add their voices to topics at the intersection of faith, literature, education, and imagination.

Course Objectives

• Explore the context and lasting legacy of the Inklings through rich, thought-provoking texts.

• Learn how literature, imagination, and friendship shaped C.S. Lewis’s journey to faith in Surprised by Joy, connecting his story to the broader work of the Inklings.

• Read and discuss themes of faith, beauty, truth, and joy through essays, poetry, and stories by the Inklings and their literary influences.

• Develop critical thinking and reflective habits through guided discussion, journaling, and instructor modeling.

• Strengthen written and spoken expression through memory work, recitation, and a final  presentation.

• Invite students to join the ongoing conversation between faith, literature, and imagination with confidence and wonder.
  

Class Schedule

Class will meet once weekly for 1 hour on Fridays from 3:15–4:15 p.m., running for 13 weeks from the first week of September through December, with a break for Thanksgiving Week.

Class Price

While the regular price for a class at Tyndale Classical Institute is $650 per term, the institute is offering an 80% Scholarship for the Fall 2025 term to allow families to “test the waters” and see what Tyndale Classical Institute is all about.

So, the price for a class in the Fall 2025 term is $130.