Seminar by the Sea:
A Weekend With C.S. Lewis
Join us for an enriching and soul-stirring three-day Seminar by the Sea on the profound ideas of C.S. Lewis’s book, The Four Loves. Through engaging talks by George Fox University professor and former President of the Oxford University C.S. Lewis Society, Dr. Jason Lepojärvi, we will tackle fundamental questions about love: What exactly is love? Are there really “four” loves? Are genuine friendships possible between women and men? What are the dangers of love? What exactly is “Christian love”?
Beyond intellectual exploration and stimulating conversations, you will enjoy enriching experiences, such as beautiful nature and seaside walks, delicious meals, a movie screening on the life and loves of Lewis, and communal worship. Reserve your spot for a journey into love’s complexities and the teachings of C.S. Lewis, deepening your understanding of Christian love and forging new friendships at this unforgettable Seminar by the Sea.
All participants will be mailed a copy of Lewis’s book, “The Four Loves” to read in advance of the retreat.
February 2-4, 2024
February 2-4, 2024
What is Seminar by the Sea?
- Seminar by the Sea is an annual study-oriented retreat focusing on authors or topics of spiritual significance that can be investigated in a weekend.
- To help make the weekend engaging and meaningful, C.S. Lewis’s book “The Four Loves” will be sent to participants several weeks in advance of the weekend to help prepare for the retreat. As such, please register for Seminar by the Sea as far in advance as possible.
- The weekend is jointly sponsored by George Fox University and Twin Rocks Friends Camp & Conference Center.
Jason Lepojärvi
Jason Lepojärvi (pronounced “Leh-poh-yar-ve“) joined George Fox University in the fall of 2022 to serve as C.S. Lewis associate professor of theology & literature in the George Fox University Honors Program. A renowned scholar of C.S. Lewis internationally, he worked previously as a lecturer in theology and literature at Davenant Hall.
Dr. Lepojärvi’s academic positions also included serving as an assistant professor of religious studies at Thorneloe University (2018-21), a postdoctoral visiting research fellow and scholar-in-residence at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. (2016-18), a junior research fellow in theology at St. Benet’s Hall at the University of Oxford (2014-16), and the president of the Oxford University C.S. Lewis Society (2012-13).
His dissertation God Is Love, but Love Is Not God (2015) analyzed love in religion, with a focus on C.S. Lewis, Anders Nygren, and St. Augustine. His first book The Body as the Image of God: Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (in Finnish, Ruumis Jumalan kuvana: Johannes Paavali II:n ruumiin teologia, 2012) is a study of Christian anthropology and sexual ethics.
His other scholarship on theology, philosophy, literature, ethics, and politics have appeared in Harvard Theological Review, Religious Studies, and Politics and Religion, among other journals, and is freely available here. In a more popular vein, his Essays on Love (in Finnish, Perjantailahja – esseitä rakkaudesta, 2021) is a study of love in literature and in our everyday relations. You can also find Dr. Lepojärvi on YouTube here.
A native of both Finland and Canada, Dr. Lepojärvi lives in Newberg with his wife, Iisa, and their three children, Evelyn, Leona, and Kalevi. He enjoys motorcycling, hunting, and road trips.
Academic Background
PhD, Theology, The University of Helsinki
MTh, Theology, Philosophy, Education, The University of Helsinki
Seminar by the Sea: C.S. Lewis on Love and Its Limits
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Friday, February 2, 2024
Evening:
Talk #1: Are there really “four” loves?
Discussion: The Four Loves, chapters 1–2
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Morning:
Talk #2: Can you love too much?
Discussion: The Four Loves, chapter 3
Talk #3: Can women and men be friends?
Discussion: The Four Loves, chapter 4
Afternoon:
FREE TIME
Evening:
Talk #4: Romance and Happiness
Discussion: The Four Loves, chapter 5
Movie: Shadowlands (1993) or Freud’s Last Session (2023)
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Morning:
Talk #5: What exactly is “Christian love”?
Discussion: The Four Loves, chapter 6
Worship Session
Cost:
- Prices range from $ 200-$ 450 (depending upon preferences and individual circumstances)
| Seminar By the Sea | Full Cost | Scholarship |
| Private Room | $ 375 | $ 325 |
| Shared Room | $ 250 | $ 200 |
| Deluxe Housing Upgrade | $ 75 | $ 75 |
Prices include all lodging, meals and program expenses. Please register HERE. Please choose either the “Full Cost” or the “Scholarship” price based upon your own ability to pay. If the “scholarship” price would preclude you from coming, please contact us and request additional scholarship information (503-355-2284). Please don’t let a lack of funds deter you from attending.
Questions?
For more specific information, please contact Twin Rocks Executive Director Ken Beebe.