Level: Form III (7th–9th grades)
Subject(s): Citizenship, Communication, History, Literature, Philosophy, Theology
Description:
In this three-year series Form 3 students (7th through 9th grade) will develop critical thinking, listening, and discussion skills through Socratic discussion as they grapple with foundational questions of faith and existence. Students will read and discuss a variety of classic literature along with selected works of the writers known as the Inklings, such as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams, as well as similar-minded contemporaries such as Dorothy Sayers and G. K. Chesterton. Students will be expected to complete reading assignments in preparation for class, as well as occasional writing assignments.
The Introduction to Inklings series of courses is offered in a three-year cycle with rotating historical themes: (Reading selections for any given cycle are subject to change each time that cycle year is offered.)
Cycle 1 (2026–27) focuses on the Inklings and the classics of antiquity and the early church such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, Herodotus, Plato, the Ramayana, Athanasius, Beowulf, the Poetic Edda, and the Bible.
Cycle 2 (2027–28) focuses on the Inklings, the Bible, and great works of medieval & renaissance literature such as Hildegaard von Bingen, Song of Roland, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Teresa of Avila, Luther, Pilgrim’s Progress, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, Arabian Nights, and various folk and fairy tales.
Cycle 3 (2025–26) focuses on the Inklings, the Bible, and key works and authors of the modern period such as John Wesley, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Frederick Douglass, Charlotte Mason, Lorraine Hansberry, and A Wrinkle in Time and other novels.
Materials:
2025–26: Families purchase the following required supplies:
Unless otherwise indicated, the listed ISBNs are required, and each sibling needs their own copy. Used books are fine as long as the ISBN matches. Some books will be used again throughout the Intro to Inklings/Inklings & Classics class cycles, and siblings in different classes may share copies.
- Esther, any Bible translation (not a paraphrase), NKJV preferred
- James, any Bible translation (not a paraphrase), NKJV preferred
- John Wesley, “The Almost Christian”—No purchase necessary; a PDF/print-out will be provided.
- The Declaration of Independence—No purchase necessary; a PDF/print-out will be provided.
- Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, ISBN: 0141439513
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, ISBN: 1952433037
- George MacDonald—selection TBD (We will contact enrolled families when ordering information is available.)
- Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, ISBN: 0648063399
- G. K. Chesteron, The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown,ISBN: 0486298590
- C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, ISBN: 0060653205*
- Dorothy L. Sayers, Letters to a Diminished Church, ISBN: 0849945267*
- Joseph Bruchack, Code Talker, ISBN: 0142405965
- C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy, The Chronicles of Narnia boxed set, Collectors Edition, ISBN: 0064409392*
- C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves, ISBN: 0062565397
- Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, ISBN: 0679755330
- Madeline L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, ISBN: 0312367546
- Composition notebook and/or lined paper in a 3-ring notebook (or in a dedicated tabbed section in a multi-subject binder)
- Pens, black ink, 2 or more
- Pencils, 3 or more, pre-sharpened and ready to use
- Erasers
- Optional: Colored pencils, erasable, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and brown
- Recommended: Dictionary for home use. Consider apps such as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus.
*These books will be used over multiple years and levels (Intro to Inklings/Inklings & Classics) as only selections are assigned each year.
