OXFORD TUTORIAL SERVICE
Subjects Offered for 2008/2009:
Course Descriptions 

C.S. Lewis
A introduction to and overview of the works of C.S. Lewis, including his most popular works of fiction and non-fiction.  Ages 13 and up.   The first semester will cover all seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia (THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW; THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE; THE HORSE AND HIS BOY; PRINCE CASPIAN; THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER; THE SILVER CHAIR; and THE LAST BATTLE) as well as the Screwtape Letters.  The second semester will include Mere Christianity, The Abolition of Man, the Great Divorce and the Weight of Glory (a collection of 9 sermons & essays).  Students will be given weekly reading assignments with study questions.  Class sessions will include lecture, discussion, reading quizzes, and analysis of Lewis' literary technique and Christian worldview.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule in the C.S. Lewis Atrium. For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. 

Great Books 1
The first year of the Great Books Tutorial (GBT) begins with the great epics of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.  It then covers the most famous plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles, the Histories of Herodotus, and an introduction to the works of Plato and Aristotle.  For a complete list of the GBT1 curriculum in a time-line format please click here: Oxford GBT Summary Chart.   The Great Books course has been designed to develop Christian minds that will understand and discern the influences that have shaped our culture.  Ages 13 and up.  In special cases the tutor is willing to work with individual students in a correspondence program of Extension Study in Great Books.  Please contact Dr. Lund if interested for more information.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule for GBT1 in the Great Books Atrium.   For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore.   

Great Books 2
The second year of GBT begins with Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.  It then moves into a study of some the greatest and most important works of Plato and Aristotle, including the Republic and the Nicomachean Ethics.  The second semester concludes with a study of Lucretius, Virgil, Tacitus and Plutarch.  For a complete list of the GBT2 curriculum in a time-line format please click here: Oxford GBT Summary Chart.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule for GBT2 in the Great Books Atrium.. GBT1 is highly recommended as a prerequisite for GBT2, but not required.  For students whose schedule doe not allow taking the GBT1 course beforehand, the GBT2 curriculum may still be pursued on its own with great benefit.  The tutor assists students by setting the historical background and explaining the literary context of each new work in the light of earlier works.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. 

Great Books 3
The third year of GBT begins with Augustine's two greatest works, the City of God and the Confessions.  It then moves into a study of Anselm, Aquinas, Dante, and Chaucer.  For a complete list of the GBT3  curriculum in a time-line format please click here: Oxford GBT3 Summary Chart.  Although GBT1 and GBT2 are highly recommended as prerequisites for GBT3, they are not required.   For students whose schedule doe not allow taking the GBT1 or GBT2 courses beforehand, the GBT3 curriculum may still be pursued on its own with great benefit.  The tutor assists students by setting the historical background and explaining the literary context of each new work in the light of earlier works.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule for GBT3 in the Great Books Atrium.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. 

Latin (1 and 2)
Latin 1 is a one-year course which emphasizes vocabulary and grammar with the goal of reaching a beginner's reading ability in basic translation exercises.   Ages 13 and up.  There are usually two identical sessions of Latin 1 offered each year (choose one).   Latin 2 is also a one-year course of study.   Advanced grammar is completed and students focus primarily upon translation, completing all of the translation exercises in the Wheelock's textbook, and as much of Garton's Latin Stories as possible.  The pre-requisite for Latin 2 is Latin 1 or the equivalent.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule in the Latin Atrium.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore and scroll down to the Latin course in which you are interested.  

Logic
Logic is one of the three key components of the Trivium.  The Trivium (Lat., a place where three roads meet) constituted the first three academic disciplines of university study ("liberal arts") in the Middle Ages.  While grammar emphasizes the knowledge of facts, and rhetoric emphasizes the persuasive communication of facts, logic emphasizes the connections between facts, the science of correct reasoning.  The Oxford Logic tutorial is a one-year study of introductory and intermediate logic utilizing the Mars Hill Textbook Series.  The first semester will cover Introductory Logic, 3rd ed. (1997) (Textbook and Exercise Key) by Douglas J. Wilson and James B. Nance.  The second semester will cover Intermediate Logic (1996) (Textbook and Exercise Key) by James B. Nance.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule in the Logic Atrium.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. 

Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the third and final course in the classical Trivium (see above).  While grammar involves the knowledge of facts, logic deals with arguments and the connections between facts, and rhetoric emphasizes the persuasive communication of facts.  It is generally accepted that the study of grammar should come first, providing a foundation in the building blocks of language.  Logic should come next as the science of thinking and analysis.   Rhetoric comes last, as the use of language and logic in persuasive communication.   Rhetoric includes both written and oral communication.  The study of rhetoric dates back to the Golden Age of Greece in the 5th century, B.C.  The democratic government of Athens assumed that all citizens had an equal right and responsibility to participate in their government.  Aristotle's treatise On Rhetoric is the seminal work which focuses on the three major components of persuasive communication: (1) logical argument; (2) the speaker's character; (3) the emotions of the audience.  The study of rhetoric is vital, not only for increasing the clarity and effectiveness of one's own communication (whether oral or written), but also for evaluating the communication of others.

The Oxford Rhetoric tutorial is a full year course of study (two semesters).  It will begin with a study of the principles and methods of rhetoric; then examine many of the greatest speeches in world history; and end with a study of two of the greatest works in Christian apologetics in this century: Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton; and Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule in the Rhetoric Atrium.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore.  

Shakespeare: Chivalry in Shakespeare
      Eight Great Histories

This is an excellent course for high school students in English literature.  It covers Shakespeare's life and times, focusing on his histories.  Students will critique and analyze these literary works through reading, discussion, and a 'readers' theater' format.  Students are also encouraged to attend a live performance of Shakespeare, and to watch at least two video productions of Shakespeare's plays.  Students have weekly reading assignments as well as assigned parts to read in class.  The tutor sets the scene with historical background and guides discussion of selected themes and topics.  Each class begins with a "Finish This Line" game quiz.  Homework will focus upon character studies, the analysis of Shakespeare's literary techniques, and the interpretation of famous passages like Henry V's St. Crispen Day speech: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers," etc.  Some essays and memorization may be required.   Ages 13 and up.  To confirm course offerings please check the Course Schedule for the current year.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore.  Two essays per/semester and some memorization may be required. 

Tolkien/Lewis
An English literature class which will investigate the friendship of two famous writers and their writing fellowship, the Inklings, and will examine some of their best works of fiction.  The focus will be on Tolkien for the 1^st semester: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King.  The focus will shift to Lewis for the 2^nd semester: Till We Have Faces and The Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet; That Hideous Strength; and Perelandra.  Reading assignments will emphasize enjoyment and comprehension Writing assignments will include one formal essay on the moral development of a favorite character.  Class sessions will include some lecture, discussion, quizzes, and reading favorite passages out loud.  The class will also include a vocabulary component as an aid for SAT prep, with weekly vocabulary quizzes on the reading covered that week.  Average preparation time is estimated at about four hours/week.   Ages 13 and up.  For assignment information please see the Reading Schedule in the Tolkien Atrium.  For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. 


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