Signum University — Blackberry

Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.

Gabriel teaches literature at Signum University, specializing in cultural histories, Arthuriana, and the works of the Inklings. He also teaches at Signum Path. [see full bio...]

Current and Upcoming Modules

February 2026

C.S. Lewis and the Classical World: Till We Have Faces in Context

Language Learning & Philology Tutorials [ST] (6 Sections)

April 2026

C.S. Lewis and the Medieval and Renaissance World

Highlighted Modules

Fantasy Studies

Non-Sequential Series

All Modules

C.S. Lewis and the Classical World: Till We Have Faces in Context

Discussion-based Medium intensity

The myths and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome had a profound influence on C.S. Lewis throughout his life, from That Hideous Strength and The Chronicles of Narnia through to his novel Till We Have Faces, which he wrote with his wife: the poet and author Joy Davidman. Till We Have Faces is a rewriting of the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche from the perspective of Psyche’s sister Orual, and is widely considered Lewis’s greatest work of fiction. We will read through the novel and discuss each section in class, analyzing the ways Lewis used classical myth to write something new and profound. In doing so, we will also understand how Lewis was inspired by the Classical World throughout his work and life.

February 2026

C.S. Lewis and the Medieval and Renaissance World
Discussion-based Medium intensity

C.S. Lewis was not only the author of beloved classics, including The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and his science-fiction Space Trilogy; he was also a scholar of Medieval and Renaissance Literature. Our text for this class is Lewis’s final masterpiece, The D...

C.S. Lewis was not only the author of beloved classics, including The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and his science-fiction Space Trilogy; he was also a scholar of Medieval and Renaissance Literature. Our text for this class is Lewis’s final masterpiece, The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature. In this book, Lewis shares his detailed knowledge of the medieval and renaissance worldview, editing and expanding the lectures he gave at Oxford and Cambridge universities. As such, it is an excellent overview of both a) The medieval and renaissance mind, and b) How Lewis himself thought about the period. We will read through The Discarded Image week by week, taking our time to discuss and understand the ideas Lewis is describing and the places those ideas also appear in his own work.

His Dark Materials in Context Non-Sequential Series
Mixed Lecture/Discussion Medium intensity

Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array...

Sir Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic, has been described by The New Statesman as “the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,” and has been adapted onto stage, radio, and screen. The series is also deep and complex, drawing from a rich array of literary, philosophical, and theological ideas. In this three-module series we will read, successively, the three novels in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, juxtaposing each with selected materials that will allow us to read Pullman’s work both on its own and in conversation with other works. Note: Students can join one, two, or all three modules. There are no prerequisites.

His Dark Materials in Context: The Golden Compass

His Dark Materials in Context: The Subtle Knife

His Dark Materials in Context: The Amber Spyglass

The Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien, Barfield, and Williams
Discussion-based Medium intensity

What did the creators of Middle-earth, Narnia, a philosophy of consciousness, and spiritual shockers have in common? Answer: they were all part of a group called The Inklings who met in Oxford between the 1930s and 60s to discuss their ideas and work. We will spend a week on each of the four main m...

What did the creators of Middle-earth, Narnia, a philosophy of consciousness, and spiritual shockers have in common? Answer: they were all part of a group called The Inklings who met in Oxford between the 1930s and 60s to discuss their ideas and work. We will spend a week on each of the four main members of The Inklings, discussing samples of their work and the ways their imaginations and ideas overlapped. By the end of the course, we will understand how this group of writers influenced each other and helped create the genre of fantasy literature.