Scholars gather at Anáhuac University Querétaro to explore how the Inklings’ Christian imagination can answer modern nihilism.
Newsroom (10/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) This April, scholars, theologians, and readers from around the world will converge on Anáhuac University Querétaro in Mexico for the international congress “Inklings for the 21st Century: The Return of Grand Narratives in the Face of Contemporary Nihilism.” The three-day event, held from April 8 to 10, seeks to rediscover the power of storytelling rooted in faith to address the profound crisis of meaning shaping modern societies.
Organizers describe the initiative as a response to a world adrift—one where purpose, truth, and beauty often seem fragmented or lost. From the vantage point of Christian imagination, the congress reexamines the thought and legacy of four luminous minds: Saint John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.
“These writers stand as a beacon for rethinking the relationship between faith, reason, art, and culture,” the organizing committee explained in a statement shared with ACI Prensa.
Revisiting the Legacy of the Inklings
For Manuel Alejandro Gutiérrez González, president of the organizing committee and coordinator of Chairs and Research at Anáhuac’s Faculty of Humanities, the congress is far more than a literary gathering. “We found that there are many people in the 21st century who are losing all sense of purpose,” he told EWTN News. In his view, figures like Newman, Chesterton, Tolkien, and Lewis “help us understand who we are as human beings” and how stories can shape economic, political, artistic, and social life.
The congress takes its name from the informal Oxford literary group known as the “Inklings,” whose members met in the mid-20th century to debate faith, myth, and creativity. Gutiérrez points out that this intellectual lineage traces back much further—to the Oxford Movement of the 19th century, spearheaded by Newman. “When Newman founded the Oxford Movement, it unleashed a powerful intellectual and spiritual impulse in England,” he explains, one that would deeply influence Chesterton.
That influence extended, in turn, to the family and formation of J.R.R. Tolkien. A close spiritual figure connected to Newman served as a mentor to Tolkien, nurturing the faith that later found expression in The Lord of the Rings. Decades later, in Oxford’s smoky taverns, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would continue this inheritance through their friendship and spirited disagreements. As Gutiérrez noted, “If they hadn’t met, if they hadn’t argued in the tavern, we definitely wouldn’t have The Lord of the Rings.”
Faith, Imagination, and the Renewal of Culture
The congress aims to do more than celebrate literary masterpieces; it intends to recover what the organizers call “meta-narratives” — overarching frameworks of truth that help individuals and societies orient themselves. Newman’s thought, newly honored with his declaration as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV, will serve as a cornerstone for these reflections. His vision of education as a “space for the search for truth and the development of the philosophical habit” will be contrasted with today’s reduced view of learning as mere job training.
Chesterton will be explored as a social critic whose wit and paradox challenged individualism, technocracy, and cultural imperialism. Tolkien and Lewis, meanwhile, will inspire discussions on imagination, moral law, memory, death, and hope. Through their fantastical worlds, the congress proposes to rekindle the idea that storytelling is not escapism but a way to recover ethical and spiritual clarity.
Beyond Lectures: Music, Storytelling, and Fellowship
In keeping with the spirit of the Inklings, the congress will blend serious scholarship with the convivial joy of shared creativity. Alongside keynote lectures, attendees will participate in thematic workshops on fantasy writing, detective fiction, and even gastronomy inspired by the authors’ works. The event will culminate with a symphonic concert featuring Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings film scores—an homage to the enduring cultural impact of Tolkien’s mythic vision.
Participation and Practical Details
Registration for “Inklings for the 21st Century” is set at 1,500 Mexican pesos (approximately $80 USD), with discounts available for students and faculty from the Anáhuac University Network and other institutions. Interested participants can contact the organizing committee at manuel.gutierrezgon@anahuac.mx.
The congress stands as an invitation—to scholars, believers, and seekers alike—to engage with stories that remind humanity of its divine calling. In an age often characterized by cynicism and moral fatigue, these four Christian writers still speak with clarity: faith and imagination, far from fading, remain vital tools for rebuilding a shared vision of the good, the true, and the beautiful.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
Related Images:
