Monthly Archives: February 2020

Corey Olsen’s Exploring The Hobbit: A 10 Minute Book Talk

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

From my point of view, there are three (linked) things that make Corey Olsen’s Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit an effective companion to one of the most important pieces of literature in the 20th century: 1. A focussed close-reading of the text, … Continue reading →

Posted in 10 Minute Book Talk, Reviews | Tagged Corey Olsen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, The History of Middle-earth, The Hobbit | 3 Comments

It is Easy to Teach C.S. Lewis’ “Till We Have Faces,” but It’s Hard to Blog About It

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Though I am always nudging readers to see The Great Divorce as C.S. Lewis’ most genius work of fiction, Till We Have Faces truly is a remarkable novel. It is the dying-days journal of Orual, Queen of Glome, who sues her capricious gods … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reflections | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, Signum University, The Great Divorce, Till We Have Faces | 45 Comments

Call For Papers: C. S. Lewis and Friends Colloquium, Taylor University, June 4-7, 2020

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I wanted to re-share the Call for Papers for one of my favourite conferences (which I describe here and here). I am working on my proposal today–a month early–because I think they are filling up the timeslots pretty rapidly. If you … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Charles Huttar, Diana Pavlac Glyer, Don King, Dorothy L. Sayers, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Chance, Jason Lepojärvi, Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, Monika Hilder, Taylor University | Leave a comment

Charles Williams’ Descent Into Hell: A 10 Minute Book Talk

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Truly, and in both ways, this is a weird book. Charles Williams‘ (in)famous novel, Descent into Hell (1937), encapsulates Williams‘ idea of “Co-Inherence,” Substitution, or the Way of Exchange. This is a complex, many-layered, lovely, and disturbing book. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in 10 Minute Book Talk, Reviews | Tagged books, Charles Williams, Co-Inherence, Descent into Hell, Exchange, Inklings, Sorina Higgins | 24 Comments

Celebrations of Life: 30 Years, 4 Years, Today

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of my father and baby brother. I saw them perish in a fire when I was a boy–an event that has shaped not just my family life, but my entire understanding of … Continue reading →