Amon Sûl: Recent Episodes
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Ancient Faith Radio
Exploring the Tolkien Legendarium with the Christian Faith - Join Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Richard Rohlin and their guest co-hosts as they explore the life, works and Middle-earth legendarium of author J. R. R. Tolkien, informed by the Orthodox Christian faith.
Dcn. Nicholas Kotar is back on the podcast to discuss with Fr. Andrew what is probably the funniest of all of Tolkien’s stories, the non-Legendarium tale “Farmer Giles of Ham.” Pull up a chair, grab a big bowl full of Dragon’s Tail, and be prepared for some storytelling joy.
Dcn. Nicholas Kotar is back on the podcast to discuss with Fr. Andrew what is probably the funniest of all of Tolkien’s stories, the non-Legendarium tale “Farmer Giles of Ham.” Pull up a chair, grab a big bowl full of Dragon’s Tail, and be prepared for some storytelling joy.
Fr. Andrew comes over to this side of the podcast to discuss the tale of The Mariner’s Wife, one of the most melancholy tales in the legendarium. They talk about marriage, the sea, and Fr. Andrew even shares a beautiful piece of music to lift our spirits at the end…
Podcaster and entomologist Aaron Irber of “I Might Believe in Faeries” rejoins Richard to continue his extended deep-read of the Silmarillion. They finish up the Quenta Silmarillion proper. If this series has passed from the high and the beautiful to darkness and ruin, that was of old the fate of Arda Marred; and if any change shall come and the Marring be amended, Manwë and Varda may know; but they have not revealed it, and it is not declared in the dooms of Mandos
Dr. Cyril Jenkins joins Fr. Andrew for a reading of Tolkien’s short story “Leaf by Niggle.” Is this really an allegory? What does it say about this life and the life of the age to come? Why did Tolkien write this story?
After 99 episodes of talking about how to interpret Tolkien’s works in religious and specifically Orthodox Christian terms, in Episode 100 Fr. Andrew and Richard talk about all that religion that really is in Middle-earth. Because actually it really is in there – prayer, worship, invocation of saints, etc. The episode wraps up with a big announcement about the future of the podcast.
Richard Rohlin returns from his travels and travails with a lenten meditation on food and song, bacon and eggs, and the love of home.
Author Georgia Briggs joins Fr. Andrew to talk about the character arc of the great Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of the North and White Lady of Rohan. Why is she the way that she is? Why is she so relatable? What makes her different from the other prominent women in The Lord of the Rings? And which passage in The Silmarillion has notable parallels with her confrontation with the Witch-king of Angmar?
For their 2023 Christmas episode, Fr. Andrew and Richard discuss the Old English Cynewulf poem “Christ,” whoase famous line “Eala Earendel engla beorhtast” inspired the core of the Tolkien legendarium.
Andrea with the Bangs comes back for Part 2 of our mini-series on the Voyages of Earendil. She and Richard talk more about what it would mean for Earendil to leave his wife and sons for the doomed voyage into the West, take a deep-dive into Tolkien’s insanely complex notes for his unfinished Earendil heptology. Finally, Andrea makes a billion-dollar pitch.
Richard joins Fr. Andrew for the conclusion of his two-year walk through The Hobbit, pondering on what it means to be just a little hobbit in the wide world, reading a little Tinfang Warble, and taking a funky dive into the funkiest of all Tolkien movies.
Richard is rejoined by Andrea with the Bangs for part 1 of a 2-part series on the Voyages of Earendil. They talk about stories, the necessity of properly pairing the masculine and the feminine, and various matters touching seabirds. Richard poses a billion-dollar question to Andrea and the audience.
Michael Landsman joins Fr. Andrew to look at the penultimate chapter of The Hobbit, chapter 18, “The Return Journey,” featuring many farewells and most importantly, the death of Thorin. They talk about themes of hope, asceticism, blessings, generosity, repentance, and of course dwarven eschatology.
Michael Haldas joins Richard once again to wrap up the conversation they started in 089 - The Last Homely House: The Fall of Everything. This time, they finally make it to Gondolin, and talk about how Professor Tolkien first broke their hearts. Michael also gives us a DoxaMoot after-action report, and we talk once again about the danger presented by lonely metalworkers.
Unearthed from hidden archives (because you can never delve too greedily nor too deeply when it comes to lore), we present this previously unpublished 2021 DoxaMoot lecture by Richard Rohlin: "'A dream that some other mind is weaving’: Faerian Drama and the Liturgical Making of Middle-earth."
Steven Christoforou joins Fr. Andrew to talk chapter 17 of The Hobbit, “The Clouds Burst,” where we finally get the Battle of Five Armies – but which five? The King Under the Mountain leaps forth, Bilbo collects war stories, and the podcast says a very fond farewell to a silent but critical contributor.
Michael Haldas joins Richard to discuss “Of the Fall of Doriath,” which rivals “The Fifth Battle…” for being the bummerest chapter in The Silmarillion. They talk about weeping, Michael’s favorite character in the legendarium, and Michael schools Richard on some Rock & Roll trivia.
Reading chapter 16, the shortest chapter in The Hobbit, “A Thief in the Night,” Dr. Cyril Jenkins and Fr. Andrew talk about what the Arkenstone means for the narrative, whether Bilbo ought to have handed it over, and how possessiveness turns us into gnostics. They also talk Oxford, Doxamoot, and finish up with a reading from one of Tolkien’s letters.
Richard is joined once again by fellow philologist Scott Brewer. Together, they passionately defend flagon-tossing, rant about the current state of medievalism as an academic discipline, and dispense hot takes about all of the latest vowel-shifting, syntax-muddling news. Also, they read a LOT of poetry.
Richard interviews Tom Hillman about his forthcoming book “Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many.” They talk about what exactly the Ring is, how it works, and the importance of Pity in Tolkien’s legendarium. There’s also some poetry reading.
Tolkien scholar Dr. Lisa Coutras joins Fr. Andrew to discuss chapter 15 of The Hobbit, “The Gathering of the Clouds.” Together they ponder balding ravens and whether Thorin is acting like an Antichrist, wrapping up with a short reading from The Two Towers that introduces Eowyn.
Richard is rejoined by Dr. Augusta Hardy. Together, they explore the saddest of all of the Great Tales of the First Age of Middle-earth: the Tale of the Children of Hurin, and discuss the dangers of Protagonist Syndrome. Also, Augusta talks about the bad boys of Middle-earth, and enrolls her name in the Amon Sul Faramir Appreciation Society.
Richard joins Fr. Andrew to discuss chapter 14 of The Hobbit, “Fire and Water.” Bard gets introduced, Smaug sleeps with the fishes, and the dream of gold comes back into everyone’s hearts. Richard reads a little-known Tolkien dragon poem, and Fr. Andrew makes a corvid joke.
Fr. Andrew joins Richard as The Last Homely House returns after being closed for renovations. They discuss Chapter 20 of the Quenta Silmarillion: The Fifth Battle, and also talk a good bit about Beowulf and Germanic myths, legends, and poetry. What’s the coolest moment in the Silmarillion? What hath Telchar wrought in the deeps of time? What kind of submission hold DID Beowulf use on Grendel? All of this and more in this month’s installment of The Last Homely House.
Dcn. Nicholas Kotar joins Fr. Andrew to cover chapter 13 of The Hobbit, “Not at Home.” The dwarves have a look around inside the mountain while the dragon is away, and Bilbo picks up a couple souvenirs.
Dr. Cyril Jenkins joins Fr. Andrew to cover chapter 12 of The Hobbit, “Inside Information.” Dragons sit on gold, conversations are had with the wyrm, and key narrative links are made to Beowulf and the Volsungasaga. But what does it mean to be King Under the Mountain?
Fr. Anthony Cook returns to The Last Homely House to talk about the autobiographical origins of the earliest version of the story of Beren & Luthien. Richard and Fr. Anthony read the wild and wonderful Tale of Tinuviel, discussing love, marriage, cats, dogs, and spiders along the way. And, we find out that actually, Fr. Anthony doesn’t need his legs.
Pop culture columnist and fantasy fiction writer Elizabeth Dresdow joins the podcast to discuss chapter 11 of The Hobbit, “On the Doorstep.” She shares her thoughts on “The Rings of Power” and its reception and explores with Fr. Andrew why the Dwarves can’t seem to remember that they have a key. They wrap up with reading an iconic moment from LOTR and a prophetic jaunt toward Isengard.
In this second installment of our mini-series on Beren and Luthien, Richard Rohlin is joined by Andrea with the Bangs. Together, they talk about the masculine and the feminine, the difference between masculine and feminine heroic archetypes, and the way that those archetypes come together to create what is not just one of the most important stories of the legendarium, but one of the most beautiful stories ever written.
Michael Haldas returns to the podcast to talk with Fr. Andrew about chapter 10 of The Hobbit, “A Warm Welcome,” in which Bilbo and the Dwarves arrive at Laketown. But what is the lost history of the city-state of Dale? What does it mean to be the Master? And what happens when your legends show up and walk through town? They discuss all this and more, but first they respond to a listener question about whether Sam might have actually been the better Ring-bearer.
Richard Rohlin is rejoined by guest co-host Tom Hillman who shows up… prepared to talk about something else entirely? It all works out in the end, though, as Rohlin and Hillman begin a discussion of Beren & Luthien. What makes this story so beautiful, and what did Legolas mean when he said that the line of Luthien would never end?
Richard joins Fr. Andrew to read chapter 9 of The Hobbit, “Barrels Out of Bond.” We meet the Elvenking, learn about the Wood Elves’ fondness for wine, and Bilbo does what it takes to acquire his great title of “Barrel Rider.” Also, there is no Tauriel. Not even a little bit. And where is Legolas? No idea.
Richard Rohlin is joined by Fr. Anthony Cook. Together, they read Chapter 18 of the Silmarillion “Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin” and discuss the primacy of poetry in the Legendarium. And yeah, there’s also a little Rings of Power chatter in here, but we promise, not too much.
Fresh from watching the first two episodes of the new Amazon Tolkien series “The Rings of Power,” Fr. Andrew and Richard give their initial impressions – what they liked, what they didn’t like, and that haunting, uncomfortable feeling Richard has that there is a lot of acne in Amazon’s Middle-earth. Spoilers included!
Rev. Michael Landsman (Fr. Andrew’s co-host on the Areopagus Podcast) finally joins the podcast to talk about chapter 8 of The Hobbit with its spiders, enchanted forest, and that elven dinner party that you can’t quite reach. The episode wraps up with Michael serving up a melancholic slice of shared beauty.
Richard Rohlin is joined by Aaron Irber, the host of the “I Might Believe in Fairies” podcast. They continue Richard’s deep-read through the Silmarillion with Chapter 17 “Of the Coming of Men into the West” and talk about why it turns out to have been one of the most important and overlooked chapters in the book.
Fr. Anthony Cook returns to the podcast to talk about everyone’s favorite were-bear in “Queer Lodgings,” chapter 7 of The Hobbit, not to mention animals who walk upright, the proper greetings of eagles, the many blessings in The Hobbit, and Gandalf as the match-maker who introduces Beorn to his future Missus. References to Beowulf and Icelandic sagas naturally abound.
Richard is joined by recurring guest Deacon Nicholas Kotar to discuss Chapter 16 of the Quenta Silmarillion “Of Maeglin.” They talk about the dark side of Tolkien, dish on the new Obi-Wan Kenobi show, and answer some of your questions about recommendations for contemporary fantasy authors.
Dr. Cyril Jenkins returns to the podcast to discuss “Out of the Frying-pan Into the Fire,” chapter 6 of The Hobbit. Is this the real turning point in Bilbo’s career? What does the virtue of duty mean? And are eagles the anti-dragons? Includes a big “save the date” announcement!
Richard is joined by fellow parishioner and philologist Scott Brewer, and the two of them finally cut loose about their deep love of lenition, morphology, and the English language. They read Chapter 15 “Of the Noldor in Beleriand,” drop some hot takes and weird language lore, and pull back the veil on the wild and scandalous world of linguistics.
Fr. Andrew and Richard tackle “The Quest of Erebor,” a text found in Unfinished Tales that provides depth and context for The Hobbit. They talk about whether and how texts like this count as “Tolkien Apocrypha,” Thorin’s real opinion of Bilbo, and how flawed heroes fit into the larger story of both the Tolkien legendarium and the salvation of the world in Christ.
Richard is joined by Fr. Andrew for this month’s installment of The Last Homely House as they discuss orcs, ogres, and take a deep dive into the notorious lucky number chapter fourteen of the Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and Its Realms. In this podcast, you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about vowel shifts in Sindarin, the exciting and highly profitable field of onomastics, and who would win in a fight: Aragorn or Tuor?
Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable? Christian Gonzalez joins Fr. Andrew to riddle some riddles in the dark, looking at chapter 5 of The Hobbit. They also address listener questions about the morality of Bilbo Baggins and the original owners of Gollum’s cave. Fr. Andrew also talks about his big paper for this past semester on the Harrowing of Hell in Tolkien.
Stan Shin joins Richard Rohlin to talk about gaming and Tolkien, Tolkien and gaming, and field some questions from listeners about violence in our entertainment. They also read and discuss Chapter 13 of The Silmarillion, “The Return of the Noldor.”
Dr. Joshua Moritz joins Fr. Andrew to discuss Chapter 4 of The Hobbit, “Over Hill and Under Hill,” where Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin and company get dragged into the goblin underworld. It’s the first(?) and only(?) time we meet giants and the first time we meet orcs, who get bit and beat by Biter and Beater. They wrap up with a discussion of how orcs use language and reflect on life with a palantir.
Richard Rohlin is joined by philologist, classical educator, and bowtie aficionado Reno Lauro as they talk about language, “recovery,” and anthropology. They barely make it 2 paragraphs into Chapter 12 of The Silmarillion “Of Men,” and Reno offers some words of comfort and wisdom about the new Amazon Rings of Power show.
Maritime surveyor Davede Thompson joins Fr. Andrew to cover a pivotal chapter in The Hobbit, “A Short Rest,” where we meet Elrond the master of Rivendell in his Last Homely House. They discuss the eucatastrophe of lore consolidation that occurs in this chapter and the idea of Rivendell as an image of the rest and sanctuary of the Church, and they wrap up with a short chat about adaptations of Tolkien’s works.
Dr. Cyril Jenkins joins Richard Rohlin to both catch up with Deacon Nicholas Kotar on guest appearances and also discuss the Sun, the Moon, and the Hiding of Valinor. Is the Sun masculine or feminine in Tolkien? And how well does one of Amon Sul’s most frequent guests remember trivia questions he’s answered before?
“Roast Mutton,” Chapter Two of The Hobbit, is toasting slowly over the fire for our continued walk-through, and Fr. Andrew is joined by Dcn. Anthony Gaelan Gilbert to dodge trolls, ponder the proper roasting of dwarves, and where exactly the trolls were planning to spend all that gold they were hoarding.
John Heitzenrater joins the podcast to begin with Fr. Andrew a chapter-by-chapter walk-through of Tolkien’s seminal work, the novel that introduced most of us to Middle-earth – The Hobbit. In “An Unexpected Party,” we are introduced to Bag End, to Hobbits, to Bilbo Baggins, to Gandalf, to Dwarves, to the Quest for Erebor and… to Sauron(?!). Lay aside your walking-sticks and put on your swords, everyone, because it’s time to go There and Back Again.
Richard and Fr. Andrew resume their deep-read of the Silmarillion with Chapter 10 “Of the Sindar.” We find out what has been happening in Beleriand while Feanor was busy ruining paradise, talk about where trolls come from, and find possibly the only time anyone ever took Melian’s advice. Fr. Andrew shares his favorite bits about orc-speech.
What does Legolas and Gimli's conversation in "The Last Debate" about rebuilding Minas Tirith tell us about creativity? Dcn. Nicholas Kotar and Jonathan Pageau team up with Fr. Andrew to discuss Elvish and Dwarvish making in Middle-earth and what that means for us Men, whose deeds hold both promise and disappointment.
In this special edition of The Last Homely House, Richard interviews Dr. Timothy Patitsas, Interim Dean of Hellenic College and Assistant Professor of Ethics at Holy Cross Seminary. Dr. Patitsas is also the author of a book called The Ethics of Beauty, which Richard tries to mention every time he records a podcast. Today, Dr. Patitsas joins us to talk about Tolkien and how he relates to Orthodoxy in America, and about a new Tolkien course at Hellenic College...
Dr. Cyril Jenkins, Richard and Fr. Andrew get together to look at three passages from The Nature of Middle-earth: “Beauty and Goodness,” “Mind Pictures / Knowledge and Memory,” and “Manwë’s Ban.” But first they discuss two listener comments -- on how Tolkien’s works inform one’s Christian faith and whether Tolkien risks being “canonized,” thus stifling further mythopoeic creativity.
Richard is joined by Fr Andrew and legendary Tolkien scholar Carl Hostetter for Part 1 of their discussion of Carl’s (and JRR Tolkien’s!) new book, The Nature of Middle-earth. If you’ve ever wondered about the question of “canon” in Tolkien’s legendarium, how old Elves are when they marry, or what an E.L.F. is anyway, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Fresh from keynoting DoxaMoot 2021, Richard joins Fr. Andrew in his Emmaus studio to debrief the moot experience. They also discuss a grab bag of topics suggested by the mooters, including Old English and its relationship to Orthodox Christianity and Tolkien, what it means to see things through Morgoth’s eyes, Gandalf’s last words to the hobbits before the Scouring of the Shire, what Richard thinks of the 2021 “Green Knight” film, and whatever else comes to mind in this freewheeling chat.
Richard is rejoined by Tom Hillman as they discuss the qualities you need to get into the high-pressure, fast-paced, and unbelievably profitable world of Tolkien scholarship! They also finish their discussion of “Of the Flight of the Noldor” and a new epithet for Ulmo is coined.
Tolkien scholar Dr. Lisa Coutras returns to the podcast to continue the discussion of Túrin Turambar, focusing on her two Túrin chapters in Tolkien’s Theology of Beauty. They start with a disappointed note from a listener and ask: Is Túrin a hero? What exactly is an Elf-Friend? And what version of the Túrin story does Elrond know?
Richard is joined by insightful Tolkien scholar, book seller, and long-time friend Tom Hillman. They talk about pity, peril, the Flight of the Noldor, and the Doom of Mandos.
Fr. Andrew and Richard team up to talk the Master of Doom himself, Túrin Turambar. They take a long look into his many names, wrestle with the question of fate, doom, and free will, and ask this burning question: What is Túrin’s spiritual gift? Fr. Andrew wraps up by putting Richard in the hot seat and takes those hobbits to Isengard.
Richard is joined by fellow Data Analyst and Philology student Jeremy Morgan. They discuss The Darkening of Valinor, the nature of evil, and the anti-liturgy of Ungoliant. Is Ungoliant a Maia or not? Find out on this episode of The Last Homely House.
Dcn. Nicholas Kotar returns to the podcast to talk with Fr. Andrew about one of the darkest chapters in the Legendarium -- The Akallabêth, the Fall of Numenor. They start by talking about how Christianity uses fairy tales, then take a topical survey of major themes in the Akallabêth -- the Numenoreans as a people, sacred geography, the problem of death, Numenor as a remix of Atlantis and the Biblical Flood, and finally the cosmological shift that occurs for the Legendarium. They wrap up by giving their notes for the “LOTR on Amazon Prime” crew filming in New Zealand and fully expect their opinions will be honored.
Dr. Lisa Coutras returns to the podcast to discuss the Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos and the many Marian figures in Tolkien’s legendarium. Richard forgets some basic Greek words along the way.
Is evil a “thing” in Middle-earth? What are the differences between Morgoth/Melkor and Sauron? Michael Haldas joins Fr. Andrew to shine a light on the darkness, and they wrap up with Fr. Andrew dragging in bits of what he called poetry (in Old English!).
Fr. Andrew and Richard read about the making of the Silmarils and talk about the concept of holiness in the Legendarium. Along the way, they discuss the re-enchantment of the primary world, and Fr. Andrew gets to vent his spleen a little.
Fr. Andrew and Richard take a deep journey into Tolkien’s The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, his retelling of major elements of Norse mythology. They romp through all things Germanic in Tolkien (including, naturally, a certain horse-focused culture we all love), placing Tolkien within mythology and mythology within Tolkien.
Richard is joined by Dr. Augusta Hardy to talk about even more Elven migration patterns, the participatory aspects of subcreation, and all of Fëanor’s mommy issues.
Fr. Paul Hodge joins Fr. Andrew to look at the leaders of the legendarium, both great and small, good and evil. Is Bilbo a leader? What about the more obvious ones like Aragorn and Gandalf? Or the less likely, like Feanor or Aldarion? They wrap up with a reading from The Notion Club Papers, Tolkien’s abandoned time travel novel.
Richard Rohlin discusses everyone’s second least-favorite chapter of the Silmarillion with John Wayne Coatney. Along the way, they discuss camel husbandry and shower genealogies.
Steven “Yay!” Christoforou returns to the podcast to talk with Fr. Andrew about using Tolkien and other imaginative fiction in ministry, about what it means to live (and not live) in Sarumanic fashion, and how confronting monsters is at the core of the Christian life. Thrill as Steve can’t remember not to call him Sauron, Fr. Andrew badly pronounces Old English, and both make a plethora of allusions to the Ancient Faith Cinematic Universe.
Richard interviews “The Tolkien Professor” and Signum University president Corey Olsen, and they discuss the Silmarillion in its various conceptions and whether it really even exists. Richard also vents his spleen.
Fr. Anthony Cook returns to the podcast to take a deep dive with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick into the Ainulindalë, Tolkien’s myth of how the creation is sung into being, including the origin and problem of free will and evil, as well as the making of the Tolkienian divine council. They wrap up with a new segment, looking at the Finnish epic The Kalevala, a highly influential piece in Tolkien’s formation and legendarium.
Fr. Andrew and Richard Rohlin introduce “The Last Homely House,” a new series of episodes hosted by Richard, and discuss “Of Aule and Yavanna” from The Silmarillion. And Fr. Andrew shockingly uses an Elvish pejorative.
Tolkien scholar and history professor Bradley Birzer joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to discuss his Tolkien books, legend-making, Tolkien in culture and as a Christian humanist, and the Nativity of Christ as the eucatastrophe of human history.
AFR station manager Bobby Maddex (finally!) joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to geek out about the Peter Jackson film trilogy, and how it compares with the books, the good and bad unique to the films. And of course the hobbits get taken once more to Isengard, courtesy of fan-submitted quiz questions.
Michael Haldas returns to the podcast to talk none other than the great Frodo Baggins with Fr. Andrew. Along the way, they talk about what sailing from the Grey Havens really means, where in Middle-earth they’d love to live and visit, as well asking: Why introduce other people to Tolkien?
Tolkien scholar Dr. Lisa Coutras joins Fr. Andrew to talk the theology of beauty in Tolkien’s legendarium, including deep dives into the tales of Beren and Luthien and Turin Turambar. They wrap up with your indispensable wishlist items for a Hobbit birthday.
Fr. Andrew welcomes iconographer, artist, and author Jonathan Pageau of “The Symbolic World” to talk dragons in Tolkien’s legendarium and in the traditions that inform and surround it. Do dragons almost exist? The answer is yes.
Having cut it from the hand of Fr. Andrew, Prof. Cyril Gary Jenkins takes up the Podcast of Power and hosts fellow history professor William Tighe to talk teaching Tolkien to college and high school students, as well as giving a critic’s eye to the Tolkien biopic.
Fantasy author and Orthodox Christian deacon Nicholas Kotar returns to the podcast to talk wizards -- Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and those two mysterious Blue Wizards! Along the way, they discuss a fake Slavic god, story-telling (what else?) and the difference between angels and Maiar, wrapping up a fascinating episode by digging a dusty heap of old mathoms out of Fr. Andrew’s hobbit hole.
Sarah, a combat veteran of the Iraq war joins Fr. Andrew to co-host an episode talking about the experience of war and what it means to come home after, whether one is a hobbit or human, including an in-depth exploration of Eowyn as a warrior and wrapping up with a roaring charge into the legend of the most famous hobbit warrior of them all.
Fr. Stephen De Young joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about monsters, myth and mythology in the Tolkien legendarium, especially as they relate to Biblical narrative and the historical background of the Ancient Near East. Watch out for giants, wraiths, Atlantis, flood, fire, the sword and the answer to the burning question: Shouldn’t Aragorn be taller?
For International Tolkien Reading Day, Dr. Cyril Jenkins joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk March 25 in the Tolkien legendarium -- Atonement, Annunciation and our Lady the Theotokos. They wrap up with reading from some of their favorite non-legendarium Tolkien tales.
Celebrating the first anniversary of the podcast, Germanic philologist Richard Rohlin joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk Tolkien as a philologist, medievalist and inventor of languages. The Corn King, cellar doors and hijinks abound.
Michael Haldas speaks at DoxaMoot 2019 at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Deacon Nicholas Kotar speaks at DoxaMoot 2019 at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Alfred Kentigern Siewers speaks at DoxaMoot 2019 at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick speaks at DoxaMoot 2019 at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Cyril Gary Jenkins speaks at DoxaMoot 2019 at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Sarah Livick-Moses joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as guest co-host to talk about the power and sacredness of language in the Tolkien Legendarium. We begin with a brief memoriam to Christopher Tolkien and end with the incredulity of the Rohirrim.
On this special Christmas episode, Orthodox Church musician Richard Barrett joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about music as signposts of the divine in Middle-earth as well as a lost and recently recovered Tolkien poem celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christian Gonzalez, podcaster, thinker and therapist, joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to pace the lonely, palantir-haunted halls of the White Tower of Ecthelion to figure out just what makes the penultimate Steward of Gondor tick.
Dcn. Nicholas Kotar returns to the podcast to discuss with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick his forthcoming epic fantasy novel in the Raven Son series, world-building, sub-creation in Tolkienian terms, and how this contributes to Christian culture-creation.
Violinist Rebecca Rovny joins as guest co-host to talk with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick about music in Middle-earth and the role it plays for Tolkien’s characters and cultures and how that relates back to Tolkien’s creation myth. She also helps Fr. Andrew introduce a new segment: The Hall of Fire.
The theme of Hope is woven into and throughout all Tolkien’s legendarium just as it is in the Christian narrative of the salvation of the world. Dr. Lori Peterson Branch joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to examine this theme with a little help from two young Tolkien fans.
Author and podcaster Michael Haldas and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick put on their bright blue jackets and yellow boots to talk the single most requested character study in all our feedback so far: Tom Bombadil! Just who is this enigmatic figure that never makes it into the movies? We close with a trivia game designed exclusively for Michael Haldas.
In Tolkien’s legendarium, healing means renewal, not reset. Fr. Andrew is joined by psychology student Stasia Braswell to discuss what it means to be healed in Middle-earth and how that image of transformation sheds light on our own lives as Christians. Also: Ponies. (No, not those ones.)
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and live panelists Dcn. Nicholas Kotar, Dr. Cyril Jenkins, Michael Haldas and Steven Christoforou talk visions of the age to come in the works of Tolkien. Fr. Andrew adds meditations on music and poetry inspired by the vision.
Guest co-host Joshua Duncan joins Fr. Andrew to talk food, cheer, song, hoarded gold, the merrier world, and the hobbits who love them. Is the hobbit life compatible with Orthodox Christian asceticism?
Fr. Andrew thinks a lot of the reviewers of the 2019 film “Tolkien” are getting their reviews wrong, and he tells you all about it in this special review minisode with a lot of help from you, the listeners.
Guest co-host and Greek Orthodox priest Fr. Anthony Cook joins Fr. Andrew to talk about life, death, anthropology (and elvenology?), with a dive into one of the lesser-known Tolkien texts, the “Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth.”
Fr. Andrew addresses some messages from listeners and also discusses a famous passage from The Two Towers, where Faramir opens up the “Window on the West,” that is, he shows us how to look into the transcendent from the immanent.
Epic fantasy author and Russian Orthodox deacon Nicholas Kotar joins Fr. Andrew to discuss Tolkien’s famous essay “On Fairy Stories,” storytelling, Christian hagiography and culture, and their benefit to spiritual life. They wrap up with a strange journey into the wild world of Russian Tolkien fandom.
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick introduces his first "minisode" (a.k.a. "The Appendices") to talk about what Amon Sûl actually is in Middle-earth and its significance for him. He also responds to some concerns from a listener and visits the Tolkien exhibit in New York along with Steven Christoforou and a very special guest.
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick launches his new podcast with guest co-host Steven Christoforou, sharing their mutual love for the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, and discussing how journeying through Middle-earth helps us on the journey through our modern secular world.