Monthly Archives: August 2016

Lewis, Wagner, and Frankenstein: Literary Accident or Reader’s Providence?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I call “Pilgrim’s Providence.” This is when we as travelers embrace the challenges and opportunities that come along our pathway as a kind of opportunity provided for us. It is a perspective … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, Frankenstein, John MacInnis, John Milton, mary shelley, Paradise Lost, pop culture, Ring Cycle, Signum University, the Lumineers, The Valkyrie, vampires, Wagner | 21 Comments

What Art is For: With C.S. Lewis and Dr. Charlie Starr

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am pleased to be presenting a paper at the International Society for Religion, Literature and Culture in Glasgow, Scotland. This great adventure is mostly to present some of my doctoral research on C.S. Lewis, focussing on his An Experiment … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Original Research | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, art, C.S. Lewis, canon, Charlie Starr, fantasy, ISRLC, myth, mythopoiea, Reading, Taylor University | 35 Comments

Madeleine L’Engle and the Poetry of Us

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Originally posted on Eclectic Orthodoxy:
by Alana Roberts Madeleine L’Engle as a poet doesn’t muddle herself into blah, kneel to politics, or contemplate evil. Yet she will never be considered by such as Harold Bloom to be a first-rate or…

Posted in Feature Friday, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, fantasy, literature, Madeleine L'Engle, Nietzsche, Poetry, worldviews, writing | 11 Comments

Some British Nonscents

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am sitting in a sort of international hipster clubhouse. It’s a makeshift lean-to made of corrugated plastic and 3×3 poles. On two walls there is the old brick garden wall; on a third wall there is fishing net. Wooden … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Addison's Walk, car detailing, England, Great Britain, hipsterism, hipsters, Magdalen College, Mary Poppins, Oxford, scent allergies, scents, toilets, Wales | 15 Comments

A Love Hymn by Thomas à Kempis

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

The Imitation of Christ, often called Imitatio Christi, is a Latin devotional handbook attributed to Thomas à Kempis. Perhaps the most widely read devotional book other than the Bible, the Imitatio is not merely a classic Christian text, but where … Continue reading →