WEBINAR: Another Unexpected Journey with JRR Tolkien

Apr 30, 2020

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute.

You have two sections to choose from:

1:00pm-2:00pm

3:30pm-4:30pm

Hobbits and elves, humans and dwarves, trees with personality and the most famous ring of all time.... through his stories, JRR Tolkien has taken generation after generation on countless fantastical journeys to far-off places, full of magic and mystery. What's more, Tolkien has imbued his stories with the beauty of the Christian faith, through careful allegory and metaphor.

In this hour-long session together, we'll read and discuss one of Tolkien's lesser-known stories, "Leaf by Niggle." You thought there was nothing more humble than Hobbiton, but through this brief tale of a regular man's begrudging kindness and yes, another unexpected journey, we'll see how even the most humble of human endeavors can leave an enormous, magical impact.

Like all of his works, Tolkien guides us into the mysteries of Christian faith through allegory and imagistic suggestion. These are the most enjoyable of stories, the ones that surprise us and leave us asking "what could that symbol mean?" During our time together, we'll unpack the layers of symbols in this short little story and wade into the picture of Christian faith Tolkien paints for us: How are we to spend our lives? How are we to treat our neighbors? What does it mean to prepare for a journey?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

You will receive a copy of the story, "Leaf by Niggle" when you register! Please read through the story prior to the start time of the session!

There is no charge for the seminar, but a good-will donation of $10 is encouraged.

(Teachers and Youth Ministers may sit in, if interested. Please register as "Other," and log in to the provided Zoom link 15 minutes prior to your session's start time to ensure you are properly muted.)

Photo titled "Leaf by Niggle," by Emily Austin Design, LLC