Echoes of Finnish and Old Norse in Tolkien
Michael D. C. Drout discusses the languages and mythologies that influenced J. R. R. Tolkien’s creation of the world of Middle-earth. (17 minutes)
Mars Hill Audio Journal, Volume 169
FEATURED GUESTS: Alec Ryrie, Frederick Bauerschmidt, Andrew Kern, Ross McCullough, Michael D. C. Drout, Dale Ahlquist
How fantasy restores the world
In this 2019 lecture, Alison Milbank shows how fantasy can help restore to us a vision of human flourishing that counters the atomization and meaninglessness of modern life. (43 minutes)
Echoes of Middle-earth
Holly Ordway describes the overwhelming influence that J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings has had on the development of the fantasy genre in the past 50 years. (12 minutes)
Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy
Critic Alan Jacobs summarizes the theological and moral vision that Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy broadcasts — a vision that unfolds through his dark retelling of the Genesis story. (18 minutes)
Mars Hill Audio Journal, Volume 99
FEATURED GUESTS: Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Paul A. Rahe, James L. Nolan, Jr., Andrew J. Cherlin, Dale Keuhne, and Alison Milbank
Maker of Middle-earth
Tom Shippey, Joseph Pearce, and Ralph Wood examine J. R. R. Tolkien and his mythological Lord of the Rings trilogy to explore what makes Tolkien's work resonant and a vessel for truth. (86 minutes)