Tag Archives: The Silmarillion

Why is Tolkien Scholarship Stronger than Lewis Scholarship? Part 2: Literary Breadth and Depth

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

For the last couple of weeks I have been looking at questions of C.S. Lewis scholarship, beginning with my own journey. As I am deep in a scholarly study, I decided to design a thought experiment. By creating a sort … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, lion the witch and the wardrobe, Ransom Cycle, The Hobbit, The Last Battle, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Till We Have Faces | 25 Comments

Why is Tolkien Scholarship Stronger than Lewis Scholarship? Part 1: Creative Breaks that Inspired Tolkien Readers

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

It is a question that has been nagging me for some time: Why is Tolkien Scholarship Stronger than Lewis Scholarship? By this, I do not mean any particular insult to Lewis scholars. I am one, in fact. As I note … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Garth, Narnia, Splintered Light, Stephanie Derrick, The Fame of C.S. Lewis, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Tolkien and the Great War, Verlyn Flieger | 65 Comments

Reading J.R.R. Tolkien by Audiobook and Adaptation: Thoughts on a Portland Discovery

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

It was pouring rain in Portland as Nicolas and I wove our way through the artisan-filled streets of this renewed East Coast City. I love Portland, though we were not visiting on the best of circumstances. Just a couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Andy Serkis, Beren and Lúthien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mr. Bliss, Nicol Williamson, Peter Jackson, Philip K. Dick, Portland Maine, Stephen King, The Children of Húrin, The Fall of Gondolin, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Tolkien Reading Day, Unfinished Tales | 14 Comments

“C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien: Friendship, True Myth, And Platonism,” a Paper by Justin Keena

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

There is doubtless a significant amount of interest in the friendship of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis–both in the more formal setting of the Inklings and in their own literary and personal paths. I’ve written here and here about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, friendship, J.R.R. Tolkien, myth, Oxford, The Silmarillion, Walter Hooper | 17 Comments

Readings from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Tale Of Beren and Lúthien, with The Center from the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Hi folks. This event is past, but The Center for the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends at Taylor University are having a digital Inklings “tea” on Friday’s at 4pm. They are an archive, a host of strong Inklings-informed study … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, News & Links | Tagged Beowulf, Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, Fictional Universes, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, writing | 20 Comments

Christopher Tolkien, Curator of Middle-earth, Has Died, and a Letter from His Father

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

As last evening tilted towards nighttime in my part of the world, my social media feeds began filling with the news that Christopher Tolkien had died. The last living Inkling, Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 Nov 1924 to 15 Jan … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, News & Links | Tagged archival research, Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle Earth, The History of Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Inklings, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien | 48 Comments

The First Meeting of the Inklings, with George Sayer

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I wrote last week about all the literary groups that formed some of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and how L.M. Montgomery was alone. One of those was the Inklings, which made C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien into … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, George Sayer, Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joy Davidman, Nevill Coghill, northernness, Paris Expats, Robert Havard, The Bloomsbury Set, the Detection Club, The Inklings, The Silmarillion | 72 Comments

“Filling the Gaps in History: Mythopoesis as Deep Insight” by Charles Huttar

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Many of you will know what a pleasure it is to hear Charles Huttar read a paper, to meet and converse with him – and how fruitful to your knowledge, understanding, and further thought. And many more who have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Inklings and Arthur | Tagged Arthurian Torso, Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Descent into Hell, Inklings and Arthur, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ransom Trilogy, Studies in Words, That Hideous Strength, The Descent of the Dove, The Figure of Arthur, The Silmarillion | 43 Comments

Thesis Theater Monday, Feb 26: Rob Gosselin on Tolkien’s Sub-creative Vision

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

It is my pleasure to announce that my student, Rob Gosselin, has completed his thesis at Signum University. Rob’s topic is both fascinating and personal, where he explores how J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of “subcreation” works when we move outside of … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien, Leaf by Niggle, Malcolm Guite, Mark Wolf, mythopoiea, On Fairy-Stories, research, Signum University, subcreation, The Silmarillion, Tree and Leaf, Verlyn Flieger | 7 Comments

The Top 6 New Posts of 2017

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

In 2017, A Pilgrim in Narnia passed a number of milestones. We passed the 700-post threshold, had our 500,000th hit, were shared for the 10,000th time, and are nearing in on 7,000 followers. We had our seven biggest months this year, … Continue reading →