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Eric Reinders has produced a fascinating study of how Tolkien's legendarium, especially The Lord of the Rings, has been translated into Chinese language and culture. He explores translation of concepts across cultures (what is an "elf," anyway?) as well as the contributions to interpreting the legendarium that the target culture may have to offer. China, after all, has its own long, broad, and deep engagement with domestic fantastic literature. Seeing Tolkien from a Chinese cultural perspective can refresh and expand our largely Anglophone interpretive traditions, and in so doing, add depth and enjoyment to our engagement with Tolkien. Join us as we read and discuss Reinders' engaging and accessible exploration of this topic, giving attention to both scholarly and popular interests. [show less]

Throughout Christian history, the Gospel of Mark has been the most overlooked and misunderstood of the four canonical gospels within Christianity. Many assume it to be not much more than a condensed, bare-bones summary of the gospels of Matthew or Luke. This is a serious mistake. Mark's narrative is a genuine literary achievement that rewards careful scrutiny. This series of lectures is dedicated to demonstrating exactly why that is the case. The irony is sharp: Mark depicts a messiah no one around him could understand or recognize, yet readers today often miss the clues embedded right in the text. Over eight lectures, we will dissect the sophisticated and often subtle architecture of this Gospel, bringing to light its rich layers and its provocative thesis: that Jesus embodied a kind of messiah radically different from any prevailing expectation. Additionally, because the preceptor approaches this text outside the Christian faith tradition, this external perspective allows us to engage with Mark’s narrative not as a matter of doctrine or devotional practice, but as a piece of ancient literature with a unique, unsettling, and enduringly powerful message. Lecture 1: The Gospel's Opening Lecture 2: The Enigmatic Messiah of Mark Lecture 3: Jesus’s Proclamation and Parables Lecture 4: The Misunderstood, Suffering Savior Lecture 5: Curiosities in Mark’s Passion Account Lecture 6: The Eloquent Silence of Mark’s Ending Lecture 7: Puzzles in the Manuscript Tradition Lecture 8: Investigating Mark’s Author and the Purpose of Writing the Gospel [show less]

Join Dr. Irina Manea on an amazing journey through Ancient Scandinavia, a true "laboratory" for investigating the development of human societies from the melting of the ice sheets to the dawn of the medieval world. In this module, we'll explore together how a barren land, freshly exposed by retreating glaciers around 13,000 BC, was pioneered by resilient hunter-gatherers and eventually transformed into the seat of powerful Norse kingdoms. We begin with the Late Paleolithic foragers and hunters who settled the Norwegian coast by boat with remarkable speed, covering over 2,000 km in just a few centuries. We walk the road to farming, leading to a landscape defined by tens of thousands of megalithic tombs and the mastery of polished flint technology. Reaching the shining Nordic Bronze Age, we discover a period of expansive dynamism where an elite warrior class funded a spectacular culture of gold and bronze by monopolising the international amber trade and financing long-distance sea voyages. From the Tollense Valley battlefield to the ritual weapon sacrifices found in Danish bogs, we witness the formation of "central places" like Uppåkra and Gudme in the Iron Age, multifunctional hubs where powerful rulers controlled trade, religion, and the military centuries before the first true towns appeared. Although best known for its Viking Age, Scandinavia boasts an enormously rich prehistory well worth investigating. Week 1: Deep prehistory Week 2: The first farmers: Neolithic Scandinavia Week 3: Of art and war: the Nordic Bronze Age Week 4: Secrets of the Iron Age [show less]

This module traces how the great myths of Greece and Rome, tales of transformation, underworld journeys, and heroic quests. have been reimagined by modern fantasy writers including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Ursula K. Le Guin, asking how the classics influenced them and why these ancient stories still speak to us today. Session 1 – The Mythic Toolkit: What Is a Classical Myth? Session 2 – The Art of Transformation: Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Tolkien’s Beren and Lúthien Session 3 – The Ring of Gyges and the One Ring: Plato’s Thought Experiment Session 4 – Descent into Darkness: The Underworld Journey from Homer to Aragorn Session 5 – C.S. Lewis and the Myth of Cupid and Psyche Session 6 – The Hero’s Body: Achilles, Túrin, and the Tragic Flaw Session 7 – Reimagining the Aeneid: Ursula K. Le Guin’s Lavinia Session 8 – Why Myths Never Die: Madeline Miller's Circe and the Video Game Hades [show less]

This module traces the greatest war story ever told, the Trojan War, from its Classical origins in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, through medieval romances and Virgil's Aeneid/i>, all the way to Tolkien's legendarium. Along the way, we will see how Tolkien’s fallen cities, doomed heroes, and wandering exiles echo the ancient conflict: from Achilles’ rage to Túrin Turambar’s curse, from the sack of Troy to the fall of Gondolin, from Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde to Beren and Lúthien, and from Odysseus’s long journey home to the voyage of Eärendil and Aragorn as the new Aeneas. We will end on a final reflection: Why do we keep telling stories about the destruction of great cities? Session 1 – The Greatest War Ever Told: Introducing the Trojan Cycle Session 2 – Heroes and Rage: Homer's Iliad and Tolkien's Doomed Warriors Session 3 – The Fall of the City: The Sack of Troy and the Fall of Gondolin Session 4 – The Women of Troy: Grief and Resistance in Euripides and Tolkien Session 5 – The Long Road Home: Homer's Odyssey and the Voyage of Eärendil Session 6 – Medieval Troy: Chaucer, the Romance Tradition, and Beren and Lúthien Session 7 – Virgil's Aeneid and Tolkien's Founding Heroes: Elros and Aragorn Session 8 – Why the Trojan War Never Ends: From Ancient Epic to Tolkien's Legendarium [show less]

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on,” we’re informed in one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated and enigmatic plays—The Tempest. This hybrid module explores the bard’s tale of magic, monsters, betrayal, and forgiveness, with discussions of the play’s text and lectures on its historical and theatrical context. We’ll look at the circumstances of its conception and early performance history alongside contemporary works on sea travel, exploration, and magic—including Walter Raleigh’s accounts of his voyages, Montaigne’s essay On Cannibals, and Reginald Scott’s tales of magic in foreign lands. We’ll also examine creative and scholarly responses to the play from Dryden, Johnson, Shelly, Browning, and others, ending with Peter Greenway’s film adaptation, Prospero’s Books (1991) starring Sir John Gielgud. [show less]

Step into the wardrobe and journey through Narnia with scholar and storyteller Brenton Dickieson, author of the acclaimed A Pilgrim in Narnia blog. This ongoing series invites readers to explore The Chronicles of Narnia one book at a time in a relaxed, discussion-based setting. Each module offers a space to read closely, reflect deeply, and engage in thoughtful conversation about Lewis’s rich storytelling—its literary beauty, spiritual resonance, and enduring cultural impact. Together, we’ll follow familiar paths and discover new insights, asking how these beloved stories continue to speak to readers today. Whether you are new to Narnia or returning once more, this series welcomes you to walk with wonder, ask meaningful questions, and journey ever deeper into Lewis’s imaginative world. Future installments will continue the voyage as interest grows—so come along and see where the path leads next. [show less]

Think of Lucy Pevensie’s name: “Lucy,” like “lucid,” from the Latin “light.” One of the more intriguing parts of The Chronicles of Narnia is watching Lucy lead in her own way as the youngest sibling, as a girl, and as someone who is a seer or a sympathetic heart rather than a swordsman or strategist. All of Lucy’s features step up into a new atmosphere as the quests of each character become clear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Our Narnian adventure of reading continues as we allow the theme of “light” to highlight other motifs, including longing and liberation. Of course, just like light pierces darkness, with longing there is loss, and liberation follows captivity. Not every moment in this third part of the Narniad is smooth sailing. There are storms ahead, as well as dragons, dufflepuds, and daring deeds aplenty. Whether you are following the series or embarking for the first time, you are welcome aboard in one more mysterious pilgrimage into the lands of Narnia. [show less]

Return to Narnia with Brenton Dickieson as we continue our journey through C.S. Lewis’s beloved other world. In this discussion-based module, we’ll read Prince Caspian, a story of wandering, restoration, and the marks of true leadership. In Prince Caspian, the Pevensie children are called once again into their beloved land of Narnia in a great moment of need. This "return to Narnia" is a book very much set in its natural world, so a "mapping" theme makes sense. The topography of Narnia has changed, but the adventurers are carrying with them old and outdated maps. They discover that they need to redraw various maps in their heads—mental maps they use to navigate their worlds—including the relational cartographies of boys and girls, kings and servants, leaders and followers, past griefs and future hopes, empires and indigenous folks, new friends and old memories, and the like. Whether you are continuing from Part 1 or joining us anew, come ready to read closely, share insights, and journey further into C.S. Lewis's imaginative other worlds on the next Narnian pilgrimage with Prof. Dickieson. [show less]