Tolkien, Fantasy, and the Arts | Part One

In this latest two-part Venn Presents series, Sam Bloore and Andrew Shamy take a deeper dive into the life and imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. This series builds on Andrew Shamy’s Conversation Evening and article from 2020, titled “There and Back Again: How Reading Tolkien Can Restore the World to Us.” In his talk and article, Andrew helped us see how Tolkien’s imagination and the genre of fantasy literature offers recovery of meaning in the world, an escape or flight to reality, and consolation in the midst of our deep longings for beauty, goodness, courage, and hope.

Now, in this conversation, Sam and Andrew continue further into the life of Tolkien, exploring the events, relationships, and deep Christian faith that shaped so much of his writing. We’ve released both episodes together so you can enjoy the full conversation during this Summer break (for those in the Southern Hemisphere).