Cambridge Study Center

Scholar Louis Markos Speaks at Cambridge

Bruce Kirby — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:00:31 +0000

We are pleased to report that Cambridge had great success with our Free Community Seminar on March 15th featuring Louis Markos. Geneva Classical Academy in Lakeland, Florida hosted the event which was well-attended and well received. Dr. Markos spoke twice and his lectures were characterized by high energy, passion and high scholarly content.
Dr. Markos has published a number of books on the relationship between Christianity and Literature and is recognized internationally as an expert on the History of Ideas and The Inklings, the literary group that included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Dr. Markos holds a BA in English and History from Colgate University and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Michigan. He is a Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University, where he teaches courses on British Romantic and Victorian Poetry and Prose, the Classics, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Film.

Dr. Markos holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities and teaches classes on Ancient Greece and Rome for HBU’s Honors College. He is the author of From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics, Pressing Forward: Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the Victorian Age, The Eye of the Beholder: How to See the World like a Romantic Poet, Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis can Train us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World, Apologetics for the 21st Century, Restoring Beauty: The Good, the True, and the Beautiful in the Writings of C. S. Lewis, Literature: A Student’s Guide, and On the Shoulders

of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue in Tolkien and Lewis. His Heaven and Hell: Visions of the Afterlife in the Western Poetic Tradition is due out in 2013.

He has also produced two lecture series with the Teaching Company (The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis and Plato to Postmodernism: Understanding the Essence of Literature and the Role of the Author), published some five dozen articles and reviews in such journals as Christianity Today, Touchstone, Theology Today, Christian Research Journal, Mythlore, Christian Scholar’s Review, Saint Austin Review, American Arts Quarterly and The City, and had his modern adaptation of Euripides’ Iphigenia in Tauris, Euripides’ Helen, and Sophocles’ Electra performed off-Broadway in the Fall of 2011, the Fall of 2012, and the Spring of 2013, respectively. His adaptations of Euripides’ Medea and Sophocles’ Oedipus are scheduled for 2014-5. He is also the co-author of a script on C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lion Awakes, that is currently in pre-production.

He is a popular speaker, and has spoken on such topics as C. S. Lewis, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and Dante in two dozen states and in Oxford and Rome. He is committed to the concept of the Professor as Public Educator and believes that knowledge must not be walled up in the Academy but must be disseminated to all who have ears to hear.

He lives in Houston with his wife, Donna, his son, Alex, and his daughter, Stacey.

Dr. Markos presented his lecture, On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with J. R. R. Tolkien. The lecture was based on his current book of the same title available from Moody Publishers. He also spoke to the Cambridge faculty and other interested educators on the subject of Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics. Dr. Markos concluded his lecture with a stirring encouragement to those of us who teach Classical Education as possibly the ones who will save the Western Canon from extinction as we enter a post-Christian age in the same way that the Irish monasteries saved Western Civilization during the Middle Ages.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Scholar Louis Markos Speaks at Cambridge

Bruce Kirby Publishes 2 More Poems

Bruce Kirby — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:55:47 +0000

Faculty member Bruce Kirby has had two more of his poems, “Wallflower,” and “The Killing” accepted for publication. They will appear in upcoming issues of Fugue, and The Potomac Review, respectively. This follows on the heels of two other published poems: “Charles Foster Kane” (The Wallace Stevens Journal – Johns Hopkins University Press) and “Blooded” (Magnapoets – a Canadian literary journal). Bruce is now the social media editor for Relief Journal (“like” them on facebook to receive regular posts). He is also pursuing his MFA (a three-year program) at Seattle Pacific University. Congratulations, Bruce!

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Bruce Kirby Publishes 2 More Poems

Lauren Fritz in India

Bruce Kirby — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:50:52 +0000

Recently, Cambridge Faculty member Lauren Fritz (2nd from the left in photo) joined a team of eight women through Mission to the World to help teach women and children of the Tamil and Telugu language groups in India. While the church is growing among these people, the growth tends to be broad rather than deep, especially among the women, who comprise the majority of the church. Due to deeply engrained cultural assumptions, many women and children who join the church with their husbands and fathers have a very limited understanding of even the basic gospel message. A sense of fatalism and lack of literacy pervades their society. This keeps many from believing that they can grasp points of doctrine. They only know that they need to attend church. Unfortunately, in a society with very strict ideas of gender roles, very little communication even between husbands and wives takes place, and male church leaders are not able to do much to facilitate the growth of the women under their care.

Miss Fritz says, “In his providence, God has raised up some women in these local congregations who are passionate about seeing the women and children in their communities grow in their knowledge of the gospel and their relationship with Christ. The yearly General Assemblies of these two people groups provide an ideal opportunity for them to build relationships with each other and to receive training that will equip them to be leaders in their communities back home. This year, our MTW team worked alongside these women, teaching them not only the basic points of doctrine in The Apostles’ Creed, but also provided them with guided experience at leading small groups so that they are further equipped to teach women and children in their home communities. In addition, we worked with the children of these women and other local leaders to help them gain a greater understanding of the main story of redemption in Scripture.”

Miss Fritz teaches New Testament Greek and Hermeneutics at Cambridge and is currently completing her Master’s degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Lauren Fritz in India

Cambridge Students Create Video Games

Bruce Kirby — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:47:53 +0000

Two of our Cambridge students and two friends of the study center are currently engaging the culture by creating video games. Ian Anthony and Will English graduated from high school last May, but are completing their Cambridge education with Thoughts Captive IV this year. They have a passion for computer gaming and see it as an important part of our culture. Ian and Will, along with colleagues Harrison Tucker and Jonathan Fielder, have four interactive games at various stages of completion.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Cambridge Students Create Video Games

Adult Students Return from Overseas

Bruce Kirby — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:40:27 +0000

Kari and Andrew Clever recently returned to central Florida after working in Amman, Jordan and throughout the Middle East for the past four years. Kari and Andrew have been teaching English, especially among refugees. They feel that their love for and gradual mastery of Arabic has given them a real advantage at the English language Institute where they have been working for the past two years. Andrew says, “One of our main assets (even as English teachers) was our ability to speak Arabic. The door opened wide when we white faces would simply pronounce a greeting correctly, or at least with a pleasant accent. Arabs are quick to proclaim that Arabic is the most difficult language in the world. Most guests don’t try. We could actually work up to conversations, though on limited subjects.”

Also, the couple has been involved in the arts community there. Kari is a fine visual artist and Andrew played trombone in the Amman Symphony Orchestra. Upon their return to the United States they resumed their studies at Cambridge in Thoughts Captive III. It is great to have them back, and we have been enjoying hearing about their experiences with Middle Eastern culture.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Adult Students Return from Overseas

Getting Published: Bruce Kirby

Bruce Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:39:38 +0000

We are very pleased to report that Cambridge Director, Bruce Kirby has had another poem accepted for publication. His poem “Blooded” will appear in a January issue of the Magnapoets poetry journal. This is on the heels of his poem “Charles Foster Kane” being accepted for publication in the Wallace Stevens Review, coming out in the Spring. Bruce has been teaching students how to enjoy and productively read poetry since the beginnings of Cambridge. He is committed to the study center’s priority of engaging the culture. Bruce offers quarterly poetry workshops.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Getting Published: Bruce Kirby

Another Free Community Seminar

Bruce Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:34:24 +0000

Ever wondered how to “crack the secret code” of paintings and movies? On Tuesday, December 6th, Cambridge adjunct faculty member Lou Kaloger offered another free community seminar as an introduction to deciphering the messages embedded in visual art, film and Holy Scripture. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of Looking Closer: Art, Film and the Language of Scripture beginning in Janurary.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Another Free Community Seminar

Annual Field Trip: The Gainesville Book Sale

Bruce Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:32:15 +0000

We had a great time this year on our annual field trip to the Gainesville Friends of the Library Used Book Sale. This year’s field trip was well-attended and offered an opportunity for our students to learn how to shop wisely for books both to fill gaps in their Cambridge Reading List as well as to build a personal library. One of our young students, Gavin Sullivan found a copy of a favorite author’s book, The Angel’s Command, signed by the author (Brian Jacques)! The field trip was also an opportunity for our Cambridge students to meet and build relationships with fellow students whom they do not see during the academic week.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Annual Field Trip: The Gainesville Book Sale

Singer Kourtney Rea, New to Cambridge Study Center

Bruce Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:29:57 +0000

Kourtney Rea is 16 and grew up in Lakeland. She began to sing and play piano at 3. She started but quickly stopped taking lessons when she found she did not enjoy playing other people’s music. She wrote her first song at 5 and sang it in church. Kourtney also played at fairs and community events. Her shows and YouTube videos attracted the attention of a Nashville recording label, Bandhouse. She was asked to sign with them and traveled to Nashville to record her first Christian single, due out in November.

Kourtney’s plans for the next few years include touring Europe, working with top writers, making a CD to be purchasable on iTunes and other websites, and hopefully (she adds modestly) making it successfully in the industry! Kourtney gives thanks to God for making everything fall into place … perfectly.

Kourtney came to Cambridge Study Center to accommodate her music schedule. She loves what she has found there, like class discussions about hidden meanings and symbolism. She uses a lot of metaphor and symbolism in her writing and Cambridge brings out that side of her, helping her do what she loves to do, better. We’re excited for Kourtney and pray God’s blessing on her life and gift. You can find out more about Kourtney at maximumentgroup.com. Kourtney Rea Sings “Stronger”

Kourtney will be performing at The Venue in Bartow, Florida on November 11.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Singer Kourtney Rea, New to Cambridge Study Center

Community Seminar with Lou Kaloger

Bruce Kirby — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:25:27 +0000

We had a great turnout and fascinating discussion at our first Free Community Seminar to be held at our new location. Lou Kaloger presented A Response to Our Creative God. The seminar featured a lavish PowerPoint presentation on our new 8-foot projection screen. We were able to study Renaissance paintings in larger-than-life detail. Artists and appreciators of art from all over the central Florida area attended. The discussion, led by Lou, explored (among other themes) the relationship between what is thought of as “high culture” and the creativity that people bring to everyday tasks such as housekeeping and child-rearing.

Read this at Cambridge Study Center: Community Seminar with Lou Kaloger