THE OXFORD INKLINGS Lewis, Toikien and their Circle
Author COLIN DURIEZ
Publisher LION
ISBN 978-0-7459-5634-3
Colin Duriez has become a specialist in the studies of C.S.Lewis and Tolkien. He has written several books on their lives and writings and this one concentrates on the friendship that grew between the two of them along with Charles Williams and at least ten others who from time to time joined the meetings of the group that became known, almost by accident (or so it seemed) as, ‘the Inklings.’ They met in various guises for about thirty years right through from the early nineteen thirties. The meetings took place weekly sometimes in public houses in Oxford or in the college rooms of either Lewis or Tolkien. It is plain that the central figure throughout was C.S.Lewis and it was reported that the meetings lacked some of the sparkle and cohesion they had when he was around. The attendees came by invitation and were all committed Christians though not necessarily in agreement in their churchmanship and doctrine. Indeed, some Evangelical Christians up to this present day would have trouble accepting the veracity of the Christian testimony and beliefs of some of these men and they certainly did not enjoy every aspect of one another’s beliefs. Owen Barfield was committed to some aspects of anthroposophy and Charles Williams had a lingering interest in the occult, these aspects were not shared or even sympathised with by either Lewis or Tolkien. As Duriez unfolds his subject matter it becomes clear that these men were friends and that friendship remained unbroken in the context of non agreement in certain matters. They met week by week, to listen to, and comment on, the writings in progress of usually either Tolkien or Lewis, alongside this another meeting took place weekly, usually in a public house nicknamed “the Bird and Baby,” and this was a gathering for conversation on wide ranging topics. Remember that a number of these men were Oxford professors and bringing their prodigious intellects to bear on these subjects. This book is an honest retelling of these men and their meetings, of their differences and the way they encouraged each other. For instance, probably the more famous of Tolkien’s books would never have been published without the encouragements of Lewis. These men and their circle have been influential for good in many ways and continue to be so. Those who start to read Lewis, Tolkien and the more difficult Williams begin to breath an atmosphere, it is Christ centred and introduces us to the wonder of God by way, not only of rational objective statement of truth but by the engaging of the imagination through story. Yes, this is a challenge to those of us who perhaps unconsciously have been imprisoned in the scientific rationalism of the recent centuries but if we allow these men to engage us with their thought we shall certainly not be the poorer for doing so.
