Tag Archives: Albert Camus

Simone de Beauvoir and the Keyspring of the Lord of the Rings

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

If I were to pick a public intellectual least likely to have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien, Simone de Beauvoir may not be the first person I would think of. There’s a good chance, though, that she would make the shortlist. French … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes | Tagged Albert Camus, Betty Friedan, Death, existentialism, feminism, intertextuality, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, philosophy, Return of the King, Simone de Beauvoir, The Feminine Mystique | 56 Comments

How I Stumbled into C.S. Lewis (“On Pretending to be in a PhD” pt. 1)

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

In my 400th blog post I noted that In 2011 I began pretending I was in a PhD. It is doubtless an odd thing to say, though it has been normal for me for so long I didn’t even think … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Albert Camus, archive, biblical studies, C.S. Lewis, christianity and culture, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, graduate school, Inklings, Regent College, Sartre, Teaching, theology, Theology of Culture, writing | 31 Comments

On Embracing my Inner Nerd, Or Erasing the Division between Head and Heart

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

The phrase, “doing your devotions,” still gives me the shivers. Early in my spiritual journey, my well-meaning leaders tried to instill a little religion in me. I was the Christian equivalent of Huckleberry Finn when it came to disciplines that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Albert Camus, Anne Lamott, Bart Ehrman, books, C.S. Lewis, Christian spirituality, Christopher Hitchens, Darwin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, evangelicalism, Hans Kung, Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, Miroslav Volf, Old Books, richard dawkins, spiritual theology, St. Augustine, Stephen King, theology | 21 Comments

Age of Ultron: Mythic Mess or the Absurd Man?

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Joss Whedon is a smart filmmaker. Buffy was genius, and The Avengers was an intelligent, funny, moving, high-action, hyper-effects superhero movie—a package I wasn’t sure was possible. I like how Whedon delves into big stories with what many will assume … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Age of Ultron, Albert Camus, Artificial Intelligence, Asimov's Laws of Robotics, film, film criticism, Inception, Joss Whedon, Marvel, myth, myth of sisyphus, mythmaking, philosophy, Science Fiction, The Avengers | 18 Comments

Some Reflections on my 3 Day Novel Experience

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I have just finished my 5th weekend writing for the International 3 Day Novel Contest (3DNC). As usual, I’m absolutely exhausted. Like I’ve been pummeled. I’ve done the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and it has its challenges. But there … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing | Tagged 3 Day Novel Contest, Albert Camus, Animal Farm, books, children's literature, epic myth, George R.R. Martin, imagination, literature, NaNoWriMo, novel contest, Stephen King, writing | 20 Comments

But I am reading…

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

Alas, I have not been writing. I am in the midst of an incredibly heavy marking season, facing dozens–hundreds, actually–of assignments on this two-dimensional backlit screen. The thought of carving out mental space to pour my heart out onto this … Continue reading →