Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
Days and Times
Weekly pre-recorded lectures will be supplemented by live meetings on Thursdays at 4:00 PM Eastern for four 1-hour sessions on June 4, 11, 18, (skip 25), July 2.
Why are the works of J.R.R. Tolkien still so relevant to us in the 21st century? In this course, we will look at some of the central themes of his novels, including Family, Home, Good vs. Evil, and Loss, exploring how Tolkien is still speaking to us almost fifty years after his death.
There are no required texts for this course, however, you may find having a copy of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings very useful (any edition).
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
There are no required texts for this course, however, you may find having a copy of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings very useful (any edition).
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: War and Home |
| Discussion 1: Why is Tolkien still relevant? | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Family, friendship, and fellowship |
| Discussion 2: Hope and Heroes | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Good and Evil |
| Discussion 3: Fantasy: Recovery, Escape, and Consolation | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Gender and Race |
| Discussion 4: Nature and the Landscape |
Required Texts
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (any edition).
| Sessions Overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Signum Time US/Eastern |
Note |
| 1 |
Mon, Jun 1 4:00 PM |
Pre-recorded lecture: NOT LIVE |
| 2 |
Thu, Jun 4 4:00 PM |
Live discussion |
| 3 |
Mon, Jun 8 4:00 PM |
Pre-recorded lecture: NOT LIVE |
| 4 |
Thu, Jun 11 4:00 PM |
Live discussion |
| 5 |
Mon, Jun 15 4:00 PM |
Pre-recorded lecture: NOT LIVE |
| 6 |
Thu, Jun 18 4:00 PM |
Live discussion |
| 7 |
Mon, Jun 29 4:00 PM |
SKIP June 22 & 25 for MythMoot; Pre-recorded Lecture: NOT LIVE |
| 8 |
Thu, Jul 2 4:00 PM |
Live discussion |
This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.
Delivery Plan
1. The first session each week will be a pre-recorded lecture sent to students at least 2 days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
Delivery Plan
1. The first session each week will be a pre-recorded lecture sent to students at least 2 days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
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