J. R. R. Tolkien Archives — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Christ, Myth & Tolkien: 5-Part Seminar Begins Oct. 25

October 11, 2022 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

I'm going to be teaching live on Zoom for 5 nights in October and November 2022 reading Tolkien's works and making use of both Biblical and mythological material -- the very worlds in which Tolkien himself was steeped.

Myth, Mythology, Fakelore and Whether Fairies Exist

January 25, 2021January 22, 2021 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Reading Tolkien as well as mythology and folklore can help us to re-enchant the world and thus engage more fully with the unseen world as it truly is.

Myth and Fantasy at a Time Like This?!

January 11, 2021 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

How does the study of myth and legend contribute to mankind at a time like this? Are there are not starving people to feed, injustices to be set right, and cults of evil to be put down?

Going Home: On Becoming a Student Again

January 2, 2021 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

I hope that I will become a better Christian, better husband, better father, better priest, better communicator, better story-teller and better writer. Because in the end, everything is one. And de-fragmenting ourselves in Christ is one way of seeing what this life is about.

Can (Should) Dragons Be Tamed?

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

The encounter with a dragon is a signal to man that he is not in control of his world. The dragon is never a pet. But the dragon is also a signal to man that the world he thinks is the world is not actually the world, that there is something Else that intrudes upon it and with which he must reckon.

The Christ & Tolkien Conference: Oct. 1-3, 2020

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Christian Tolkien scholarship and fandom is often marginalized or even met with hostility in some quarters, which makes little sense, since Professor Tolkien himself was such a committed Christian and was explicit about the internal Christian themes of his work. This conference aims to create a space where Christian Tolkien scholars and fans can come together and share their love for both Christ and Tolkien.

Why Orthodox Christians Can Love Tolkien and Other Imaginative Fiction

August 3, 2019April 5, 2021 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

I am a lifelong Tolkien fan, but now that I have a Tolkien podcast, I've found more time to explore how my love for Tolkien fits into my spiritual life as an Orthodox Christian. And it turns out that there is actually a specifically Orthodox Christian reason to love Tolkien and other works of imaginative fiction.

“Tolkien” Film: How Christian Reviewers are Getting it Wrong (SPOILERS)

May 16, 2019May 19, 2019 · Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Some Christian reviewers ignore all the elements that point to a fully integrated Christian world and look only for things that in the modern sensibility qualify as “religious.”