Catholic Lessons From Tolkein
Girlfriends (A Podcast for Catholic Women)
Danielle Bean
4.9 • 810 Ratings
🗓️ 11 February 2025
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
First of all, as requested in the intro to this week’s show, give me your fiction reading recommendations! Leave them here in the comments or email me…thank you!
Graham McAleer sits down with us this week to discuss his book Tolkien, Philosopher of War, and explore the philosophical underpinnings of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, particularly in relation to war, beauty, and the human experience. McAleer delves into Tolkien's enduring legacy, the significance of his Catholic worldview, and the complex interplay between beauty and darkness in his narratives. The discussion also touches on the misconceptions of Tolkien's work as mere escapism, emphasizing its deeper philosophical and strategic elements.
Read more Graham McAleer on Amazon
Takeaways
* Tolkien's works are deeply rooted in his Catholic worldview.
* Beauty in Tolkien's works often contrasts with darkness and defeat.
* Tolkien's childhood experiences shaped his worldview and writings.
* The concept of escapism in Tolkien's work is a misconception.
* Tolkien's letters provide insight into his thoughts and philosophy.
* The strategic use of land in Tolkien's narratives reflects real-world war dynamics.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Girlfriends, episode number 458, Catholic Lessons from Tolkien with Graham McAleer. |
| 0:11.5 | Hello and welcome to girlfriends. I'm Danielle Bean. I'm a wife and a mom, and I'm on a |
| 0:16.6 | mission to help you know your worth as a woman so you can find peace, balance, and joy in daily living. |
| 0:22.1 | This week we're talking about Tolkien with Graham McAleer. |
| 0:24.7 | Can't wait to share this with you. |
| 0:25.9 | Let's go. |
| 0:32.9 | Hey, girlfriend. |
| 0:34.1 | This is maybe the nerdiest episode of girlfriends that you're ever going to hear, |
| 0:38.5 | but it's tapping into my homeschooler side, and I love it. I had this great conversation about |
| 0:44.8 | Catholic lessons from Tolkien with Professor Graham McAleur. I'm going to share that with you in |
| 0:50.7 | just a moment. But, you know, taking on this topic about J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of |
| 0:56.5 | the Rings trilogy and the Simmerillion and all of these things really is turning my mind toward |
| 1:03.5 | the importance of fiction in our lives. Do you read fiction? Do you enjoy fiction? I've been |
| 1:10.1 | making an effort to read more fiction in my life. |
| 1:13.6 | And I got to tell you, it's really a beautiful thing. It's a way to have a little bit of beauty in every day. |
| 1:19.9 | So I'm definitely not spending hours reading books. I don't have that kind of time. But for years, all my reading time was kind of taken up |
| 1:30.6 | with nonfiction. And as much as I really enjoy a good nonfiction or, you know, like a self-help book |
| 1:37.7 | of any kind, really I think I was missing the beauty of the art form that is fiction. And my conversation with |
| 1:46.0 | Graham McAleur really opened my eyes to that. So I want to start out this episode before we |
| 1:50.8 | share that conversation, just asking you the question, what are you reading? What are you |
| 1:56.0 | reading these days? Because I love to get recommendations from people who share my values, people who know the kind of |
| 2:04.2 | reading that a mom in my state in life might enjoy because I've been reading, so I've been |
... |
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