Podcasts about bag end

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here! Winter Burrow has everything Maggie loves in a game: beautiful art, meaningful story, gut-wrenching characters, talking animals, fun mechanics, and a dash of whimsy. Sometimes a game just hits. Topics include the unavoidable Stardew Valley comparisons, the value of a smaller scope, intentionality in game design, and the chance to furnish your very own Bag End. LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com

Frodo, the Hobbit, was tasked with destroying the ring of power in the fiery lava of Mount Doom. Frodo and his faithful friend, Sam, traveled approximately 1800 miles from Bag End in the Shire to Mount Doom in Mordor. They traveled through forests, caves, swamps, and mountains. This is the equivalent of walking from New York City to San Antonio, Texas. Their journey took exactly 6 months and 2 days.This was a journey of faith. Frodo and Sam had to believe the words of Elrond of the Elves and the council of Gandalf the Grey that they would survive to destroy the ring on Mount Doom.Abram, the son of Terah, was called by God to leave his homeland in Ur and move with his family to Haran. Moses writes, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, who was the wife of his son Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there" (Genesis 11:31). The distance from Ur to Haran was approximately 600 miles. This journey likely took several months.Later, Abram left his father in Haran and traveled to Canaan. The distance from Haran to Shechem in Canaan was about 450 miles. This would have taken several weeks to travel. Remember, Abram was a spry 75 years old when he left Haran. Abram traveled approximately 1050 miles. That's like traveling to Dallas or Chicago from Casper. This was a journey of faith for Abram.Each of you is on a journey of faith. It's always interesting to learn the reason you moved to Casper. For some, it was family or education or the energy industry or other employment opportunities. You know from experience how difficult life can be in Casper. There are booms and busts with the energy industry. One of the major exports from Casper is its youth. I've been told it gets cold and snowy here. I've experienced the wind.When we moved here, Shelley and I didn't know anything about Casper or Wyoming. We had only driven through a portion of Wyoming once. Driving to Casper, we saw the windsock and high wind warning signs on 258. The first thing Shelley said to me when we arrived at the parsonage was, "Where did you move me to?!"All of us, at one time or another, moved out here on a journey of faith.It isn't only a journey of faith with our physical location, but it's also a spiritual journey of faith from the baptismal font to the grave.It took a lot of faith for Frodo to leave the safety, peace, and quiet of the Shire. Especially because he would encounter Nazgul, orcs, Urak-hai, a cave troll, Belrog, Gollum, and Shelob the spider. Frodo is stabbed by the Witch-king, choked by Gollum, and injected with spider-poison from Shelob. All while being watched by the giant flaming eye of Sauron.Moses writes, "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Get out of your country and away from your relatives and from your father's house and go to the land that I will show you'" (Genesis 12:1). It took a lot of faith for Abram to leave the safety, peace, and quiet of living near his father, Terah, in Ur. We're used to moving out of our parents' home at 18. Then possibly moving hundreds of miles away. That didn't happen back then. You stayed in communal life with your family.Plus, when Abram moves from Haran, he doesn't know where he's going. God hasn't told him the destination yet. The Lord said to Abram, "Go to the land that I will show you." Wherever it was going to be, Abram hadn't been there yet.The key to faith isn't the person believing. The key to faith is the object in which the person believes. Abram believed in God's rock-solid promises. What were those promises?The Lord said, "I will make you a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). Remember, Abram is 75, Sarai is 65, and Sarai is barren when God's makes this promise. Abram would have many descendants -- physical and spiritual. Abram has lots of physical descendants as children of Isaac -- the Jews -- and Ishmael -- the Arabs. (They don't seem to be getting along right now.) Though, we Christians are not physically descended from Abram, it's more important that we are his spiritual descendants. St. Paul explained, "For this reason, the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham's descendants -- not only to the one who is a descendant by law, but also to the one who has the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations'" (Romans 4:16-17).The Lord said, "I will bless you" (Genesis 12:2). God would be with Abram and his descendants. When God blesses us, there's nothing else we need. We don't need luck or chance or fate. Which is good, since none of those things exist. Only God's divine will and providence exist.The Lord said, I will make your name great" (Genesis 12:2). Several generations earlier, the people at Babel built the city and tower for the purpose of, "let's make a name for ourselves" (Genesis 11:4). God humbled and scattered them. God takes a humble man like Abram and makes his name so great that we still remember and thank God for him roughly 4100 years later.The Lord said, "You will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). This blessing comes through Abram's greatest descendant -- Jesus. The Savior blesses the whole world with forgiveness and peace.The Lord said, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse anyone who dishonors you" (Genesis 12:3). As we heard last Sunday, Satan's offspring will continue to be hostile to Eve's believing offspring. But God is always on the side of his people.The Lord said, "All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you" (Genesis 12:3). Again, this is a promise of blessing through Abram's great descendant, Jesus Christ.Moses writes, "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to travel to the land of Canaan. Eventually they arrived in the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land until he came to the Oak of Moreh at the place called Shechem. The Canaanites were in the land at that time" (Genesis 12:4-6). Abram is going to be living among heathens and pagans. His descendants would eventually have to dispossess the Canaanites of their land."The Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'I will give this land to your descendants.' Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent there, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and proclaimed the name of the Lord" (Genesis 12:7-8). At this critical moment for Abram, the Lord appeared to him to reaffirm and clarify his promise and to bolster Abram's faith. He made it clear that Abram was not to try to take immediate possession of the land. It was only for Abram's descendants that the land of Canaan would become a new homeland. Each new promise of God nourished and exercised Abram's faith.In land of unbelievers, Abram built an altar. Wherever he went, Abram seemed to build an altar to the Lord. This altar was something the unbelievers would see when they passed by it. Abram built a second altar 25 miles away in Bethel. There he "proclaimed the name of the Lord." He was not ashamed to be light in a land of spiritual darkness of false religion and pagan gods. Abram's worship announced the true God into the culture of the heathen Canaanites.It takes a lot of faith to live out West. You're probably a long distance from much of your family. The work and weather out here can be difficult. Like Abram, you may feel alone in your Lutheran faith. There aren't a lot of Lutherans in Wyoming ... especially WELS Lutherans. Abram was surrounded by unbelievers in Canaan. When you're at work or school or your neighborhood, you may be surrounded by unbelievers. And they act like it!What do you do when the culture and community put pressure on your faith? You can be tempted to question and doubt God. To cower and remain quiet about your Lutheran Christian faith. To imagine that you're alone so far away from your fellow WELS Lutherans.When those temptations come along, go back to the promises God made to Abram. Because most of them are promises also involve you. Our spiritual lineage goes all the way back to Abram! Pause and reflect on that for a moment. A few select people on this earth may be able to trace their lineage back through a dozen generations. We can trace our spiritual lineage through an unbroken line all the way back to Abram! How many generations is that? We'll likely never know, but far more than a dozen.Far more comforting than the unbroken line is the providence of our God, who saw to it that the spiritual line remained unbroken so that you -- you, specifically -- would hear the gospel and be brought to faith. You needed to hear the gospel, so God arranged history so that you would! He made sure that the gospel message could travel an unbroken path from Abram to you!The key to faith isn't the person believing. The key to faith is the object in which the person believes. By God's grace, the Holy Spirit began your journey of faith when your parents brought you to the baptismal font as an infant. Or that journey of faith began when you were older and the Holy Spirit converted your heart through hearing and believing God's promises. That journey of faith has led you to worship here at Lord of Lords. A Lutheran church built by your spiritual parents -- some who are still here. Abram built an altar to proclaim the name of the Lord among the heathen people of Canaan. This altar, the church, and the three crosses outside all proclaim the Lord's name to the people who drive by or stop in. You are light in spiritual darkness.This altar is a reminder that when life takes an unfamiliar or uncomfortable direction, remember Abram's wise response. Call on the name of the Lord. Worship him for loving you. In all things God's providence works for the good of those who love him, whom he has called for his purpose. Wherever God leads, call on his name and worship him there.Sam and Frodo made a journey of faith to destroy the ring of power on Mount Doom. Abram and Sarai made a journey of faith by leaving their family and traveling to an unknown destination. That journey of faith included believing they would be parents of a great nation ... when they didn't have any children yet; believing in a Savior from sin ... when he hadn't been born yet; and building an altar to the Lord God ... among people who believed in a myriad of false gods.You are on a journey of faith. You won't have any orcs, cave trolls or giant spiders after you. At least, I hope not! But you will have the Devil and his demons tempting you. You'll have your sinful nature questioning and doubting God's promises. You'll have pagans and heathens attacking your Christian faith.When these things happen ... and they will, trust God's promises made to you and Abram. Trust that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of those promises. He is Abram's descendant and your Savior. He forgives your doubts. He answers your questions. His Holy Spirit brings you repeatedly before the Lord's altar. Here you are reminded of your Baptism, when God made your name great by putting his Triune name on you. Here you hear his Word to encourage, comfort, and sanctify you. Here you receive the Sacrament for courage in the face of the Devil and his offspring. Here you join with your Lutheran Christians to proclaim the name of the Lord in prayer, creed, song, and activity.This all takes place along your journey of faith. Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/a-journey-of-faith/

Welcome to an end of year mailbag special looking back over Redshirt Cinema Club's 2025.What a year it's been! David Lynch, The Matrix, Jurassic Park, 1991, Indiana Jones, [Alien Earth I guess], John CarpeNNter - we have been on a cinematic tour and you have kept us company on the way. Now we go through the best of your emails and take a moment to reflect before breaking up for the Christmas period. Yes this would normally be a bonus episode, and yes we've made it available to everyone on purpose. And yes we don't really understand very much about Australia, sorry about that. Star Wars continues with The Return of The Jedi on Monday 29th December. Join the Redshirt Cinema Club! Support us at patreon.com/redshirtcinemaclub to receive two bonus episodes every month as well as our newsletter, The Civilian Observer.You can also follow us at x.com/redshirtcinema, and get in touch at redshirtcinemaclub@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A warm welcome to Season 2 Episode 13 of your Middle Earth Sleep Saga! If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations

In this episode, we wrap up The Hobbit with “The Last Stage” and reflect on Bilbo's road home, the petty (now less petty?) Rivendell elves, the unexpected return to Bag End, and how Tolkien so thoroughly captures the meaning of “home.” We also take an extended look at Tolkien’s 3 (THREE!) songs in this final chapter. Then, we examine why Tolkien might give so much attention to the aftermath and how Bilbo is changed forever (or maybe it’s just a bigger stronger Tookish side?). We also cover: The Hobbit doesn’t even use the word “Shire” Fixing our capitalization

Mad Baggins is at it again, and has gathered in Bag End a new cabal of adventurous spirits whom he has named the Conspirators of the Red Book. In an effort to gather notes for his book, he has asked these friends, under promise of payment and a bit of adventure, to help him confirm some important details about the history of the Shire and its people. Aaron as Drogo Baggins Elle as Primula Brandybuck Chris as Esmeralda Took David as Paladin Took II Dan as Rorimac Brandybuck Danna as Lobelia Bracegirdle

Join The Man of the West in welcoming Myla, a fellow collector of all things Tolkien, to the TTT to talk about our mutual obsession pastime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"For the longest time, Paul's Epistle to the Romans has been used to justify misogyny, homophobia, eternal conscious torment, and blind allegiance to the State. However, the truth is that the Apostle Paul never intended his letter to the Church in Rome to teach any of those things. That's why co-authors Keith Giles and Matthew J. Distefano have collaborated to correct these misunderstandings and illuminate the true meaning of Paul's theological masterpiece for today's Christian reader." In this engaging conversation, hosts Zack and Andy welcome Keith Giles and Matthew J. Distefano from Quoir Publishing to discuss their new book on Romans, "Reading Romans Right: Correcting Common Misreadings, Restoring Paul's Original Intent". They explore themes of faith, disagreement, and the importance of listener feedback in the podcasting world. The discussion delves into the misreadings of Romans, the nature of God's wrath, and the implications of eternal torment not being mentioned by Paul, challenging traditional interpretations and emphasizing the need for a more nuanced understanding of scripture. The conversation highlights the role of scholarship in making complex theological concepts accessible to a broader audience, ultimately aiming to foster a more compassionate and understanding approach to faith. In this conversation, the speakers delve into various theological perspectives, particularly focusing on the teachings of Paul and the interpretation of his letters. They explore the concept of God's wrath, the importance of understanding the historical context of scripture, and the role of women in the early church. The discussion also touches on the impact of video games on narrative engagement and how these experiences can parallel the exploration of faith and belief. Ultimately, the speakers aim to present a more nuanced understanding of Paul's message, emphasizing that it is rooted in good news rather than fear-based theology.Check out more from Keith and Matthew:https://quoir.com/Heretic Happy Hour PodcastWatch Keith debate "dr" James White HEREMatthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including The Wisdom of Hobbits, winner of the 17th annual National Indie Excellence Award for best philosophy book. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter. You can find his work at allsetfree.com.Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang's "Tell Me Everything." Keith and his wife currently reside in El Paso.  SUBSCRIBE & SHARE us this week!Contact Us: brosbiblesbeer@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave Us A VoicemailYouTubeSimpleCastSpotifyApple PodcastsFacebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠XInstaBros Bibles & Beer is: Jeff, Zack & Andy Find us wherever fine podcasts are distributed. Oh, and share us with a friend this week! Grace. Peace. Cheers!

Welcome to a mailbag special dedicated to your correspondence about The Lord Of The Rings. Our episodes on Peter Jackson's films have been far and away our most popular so far. It seems that you love them as much as we do, and this is the perfect time of the year to revisit Middle-earth. Anyway - if you've listened to the individual episodes on The Fellowship Of The Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return Of The King, you'll know that in each one we ran out of time to read and answer your mail. We're setting that right in this episode, with a full hour dedicated to your questions, comments, and theories. Next week the adventure continues with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Join the Redshirt Cinema Club! Support us at patreon.com/redshirtcinemaclub to receive two bonus episodes every month as well as our newsletter, The Civilian Observer.You can also follow us at x.com/redshirtcinema, and get in touch at redshirtcinemaclub@gmail.com. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chapter 5 - A Conspiracy UnmaskedSam was the only member of the party who had not been over the river before. He had a strange feeling as the slow gurgling stream slipped by: his old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front. He scratched his head, and for a moment had a passing wish that Mr. Frodo could have gone on living quietly at Bag End.Q1 - What do you think of the perspective changes?‘You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Q2 - What do you think of the Hobbits?When at last he had got to bed, Frodo could not sleep for some time. His legs ached. He was glad that he was riding in the morning. Eventually he fell into a vague dream, in which he seemed to be looking out of a high window over a dark sea of tangled trees. Down below among the roots there was the sound of creatures crawling and snuffling. He felt sure they would smell him out sooner or later. Then he heard a noise in the distance. At first he thought it was a great wind coming over the leaves of the forest. Then he knew that it was not leaves, but the sound of the Sea far-off; a sound he had never heard in waking life, though it had often troubled his dreams. Suddenly he found he was out in the open. There were no trees after all. He was on a dark heath, and there was a strange salt smell in the air. Looking up he saw before him a tall white tower, standing alone on a high ridge. A great desire came over him to climb the tower and see the Sea. He started to struggle up the ridge towards the tower: but suddenly a light came in the sky, and there was a noise of thunder.Q3 - Do you think this dream has any meaning?Chapter 6 - The Old ForestQ1 - Do you ever feel unease like the Hobbits did in the forest?Q2 - The Forest seems to be forcing them to be in a specific place…do think so?Q3 - What do you think of Tom Bombadil and his entrance?Time enough for questions around the supper table. You follow after me as quick as you are able!Q4 - Do you appreciate the focus on food in the books?Chapter 7 - In the House of Tom BombadilQ1 - Who is this lady with Tom?‘The trees and the grasses and all things growing or living in the land belong each to themselves. Tom Bombadil is the Master. No one has ever caught old Tom walking in the forest, wading in the water, leaping on the hill-tops under light and shadow. He has no fear. Tom Bombadil is master.'Q2 - Who is this guy?Q3 - Woud you feel at ease at Toms?Q4 - If you didn't know about Tom, would you trust him?Chapter 8 - Fog on the Barrow DownsOut of the east the biting wind was blowing. To his right there loomed against the westward stars a dark black shape. A great barrow stood there. ‘Where are you?' he cried again, both angry and afraid. ‘Here!' said a voice, deep and cold, that seemed to come out of the ground. ‘I am waiting for you!' ‘No!' said Frodo; but he did not run away. His knees gave, and he fell on the ground. Nothing happened, and there was no sound. Trembling he looked up, in time to see a tall dark figure like a shadow against the stars. It leaned over him. He thought there were two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale light that seemed to come from some remote distance. Then a grip stronger and colder than iron seized him. The icy touch froze his bones, and he remembered no more.Q1 - This is some creepy writing…At first Frodo felt as if he had indeed been turned into stone by the incantation. Then a wild thought of escape came to him. He wondered if he put on the Ring, whether the Barrow-wight would miss him, and he might find some way out. He thought of himself running free over the grass, grieving for Merry, and Sam, and Pippin, but free and alive himself. Gandalf would admit that there had been nothing else he could do.Q2 - What do you think of Frodo?Q3 - What was the creature that took them?

This week, Susan and Cort share their magical adventure touring the iconic filming locations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. From the lush, rolling hills of Matamata to stepping inside hobbit dwellings, it's a dream come true for every Tolkien fan. We're spilling all the details, like:[00:01:00] The early morning start and epic journey to Hobbiton

It's always been a daydream of mine to take a nap inside Bag End while listening to the sounds of Bilbo scribbling away in his journal and sifting through maps and papers. I imagine the echo of spring birds drifting into his study through an open window, complemented by the soothing crackle of a log fire and the gentle ticking of an old clock. I finally managed to turn this daydream into a nap sleep story. I really hope you enjoy this short rest in Bilbo's study! You could enjoy this story as a nap meditation during the day, or right before bed on an evening, whatever works for you. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations 

Send us a textIn this week's episode, we're heading to Middle Earth to celebrate the release of The Rings of Power season 2 with the wonderful Hobbits! How do these leather-footed creatures relate to English folklore? Why are Tolkien's creations so impactful on folklore? Find out this week!Support the Show.You can find us on -Myth Monsters Website: https://mythmonsters.co.ukSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RPGDjM...Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...Google Podcasts: ...

Rosie is the girl that keeps Sam up at night, so they get married; we are the podcast hosts that keep you up at night - all we ask from you is to subscribe. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as anniversaries become dark days for Frodo in the second of our three episodes on The Grey Havens. Frodo suggests Sam and Rosie move in to Bag End with him; Merry and Pippin cut a great dash in the Shire; Sam receives a large book and a mandate to complete it. We suggest a new small business opportunity for Merry and Pippin, wonder precisely how Widow Rumble is looking after the Gaffer, and speculate about Arwen's QR code. Also: no, you shouldn't name your child Frodito, no matter what Shawn suggests.

Book one-on-one story sessions hereRead this as an article, and share your thoughts hereLet's open with a poem.Now is the TimeNow is the time to rememberthat our green globe is the best-dressed in the balllit through with organic filamentsbombastic living miracles. Now is the time to turn off the engine and set down exhaustion into lakes that remain and bask foraninfiniteinstant.Now is the timeto bea miracletoo. Cosmology: It's a Heck of a WordIt is! It's up there with ontology and epistemology, the kind of word that opens us up to broad ways of thinking. It's an account or theory of the origin of the universe. Along with that view of its origin, cosmology implies principles and beings who govern our universe. In story terms, we can say that the cosmology of a story is the largest conceptual framework, in which are nested the smaller frameworks. It's the largest explanation, the largest context, like the shell of the story egg. Or perhaps a better analogy is that cosmology is the bedrock which influences the chemistry of all the layers of soil, up to and including the topsoil. You see, cosmology speaks of the background of the story, but it also infuses each part of the story. It gives the big why's and who's and how's of the story world, in which all smaller stories must take place. We live in stories.In popular scientific cosmology, we have the Big Bang and the theory of evolution. For those who live in that view, their daily lives are nested within that bigger picture. Most other cosmologies are more personal, in the sense that there are beings who were and are involved in creation. That could be gods, the spirits of planets, animals, creators who create with clay, and more. There is a great variety. For those who are within those cosmologies, their daily lives are nested within this larger context. Cosmology in HinduismHindusim is varied to say the least, but there are trends. The branch of Hinduism that I studied and practiced was Bhakti-yoga, or Gaudiya Vaisnavism. It holds a personal cosmology, with all creation originating from a divine being, or rather, two divine beings, masculine and feminine. After the initial creation, those divine beings had a hand in subsequent sub-creations. The big creation is where Divinity arranged the soup of matter into planets and stars. In the sub-creations, planets are populated with beings, and in further sub-creations, there are more beings, all within a universal governance with strata of gods, all the way to the top. There are variations of this cosmology, within India and the larger area around her. It is as though the conceptual egg is multidimensional, existing in various ways for different people, yet with a common essential form. I'm afraid that's the best metaphor I can think of now. I'm open to suggestions!What are the variants? Some speak of Vishnu as the supreme originating deity. Others speak of Shiva, or Shakti. Some forego personal origins and say that the universe came from a void, or from an all-pervasive energy. Early Buddhism entered the scene with a teaching of interdependent causality, which you might roughly say means, everything causes everything (though there are greater concentrations of causality).Jostling CosmologiesIf each of these cosmologies were a person, they'd often be bickering, and in fact the world is full of jostling cosmologies. If you hear two people making different claims about whether life came from matter or spirit, whether there was a big bang, whether creatures evolved from the ocean or were created in some other way, or perhaps both—you're witnessing jostling cosmologies. However, within a given story, we tend to find a single cosmology, a single world-view about the origin of things. From there comes the ontology of that world: what the story allows to be true. (Thanks to Sarah Kerr for that framing). In a given story, the cosmology may be spelled out or implied. It may be assumed to be the same as dominant modern world-views. In any case, there's always a cosmology. Let's use Lord of the Rings for an example, because the cosmology is spelled out clearly, at least if you get into the Silmarillion. Here it is: in the beginning there was one singer; from that singer came many singers. With their combined voices they created celestial harmonies. Then, one of those singers began to sing in disharmony; kicking off the troubles of creation, much as Lucifer did when he rebelled against the Judeo-Christian god. From there come Elves, Men, Dwarves, Hobbits. And in a particular place called the Shire, in Bag End, there's Bilbo!Cosmology is the biggest layer. Within that we have nested layers, and within all of that we have the actions of our characters, or, in our lives, ourselves. Worlds Within WorldsWithin the cosmology of a story, nested inside, lie other layers of explanation. We've been talking about big picture cosmology—the origin of the universe and such—but thought of any scale has its own cosmology. It's in pop culture. Every Spiderman comic doesn't go into the bigger picture in the Marvel universe, but it's there. Spiderman might be fighting a street thug, but Galactus is out there, him and other godlike beings who are part of the story's backdrop. Let's look at the Christian cosmology. In the beginning, there was God, who created the worlds, waters, and the rest of the support for life. He then created humankind and put them in the Garden of Eden. Aye, there's the rub. They disobeyed him, got kicked out of the garden, and we've had trouble ever since. Here's one version of scientific cosmology. There was nothing, then there was a big bang, which created a universe with lots of empty space, and some plasma: superheated matter. This plasma coalesced into stars, which brought light to the universe, which had been dark until then. When these stars grow old they implode then explode, spreading complex matter throughout the universe. This becomes planets, asteroids, you, me; within at least one of these planets, ours, this matter gave rise to the first stage of life; it's become more complex over time.Cosmology and ColonisationCosmologies are often used to justify conquest. For example, the theory of evolution was used to place Europeans at the top of an evolutionary hierarchy, a ladder from simple celled organisms to animals, then to ‘primitive people,' and finally to ‘civilized people.' The cosmology of modern capitalism borrows from the theory of evolution, emphasizing survival of the fittest over cooperation for the good of all. Religious world-views have also been used to justify conquest, usually with a justification that goes something like, ‘We are God's chosen people.'It should be said that categories like ‘religious' and ‘scientific' are so broad that they are useful only to an extent. Within scientific or religious groups, there are a many variations. These groups are patterns that make many people into large units, but there are overlaps between those units, and within each are individual people with diverse world-views. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of DO NOT BE HASTY, we'll begin exploring The Shadow of the Past (Book 2, Chapter 2 of Lord of the Rings), by finding out what Frodo is up to as the lone master of Bag-End, and what is going on in the wider world beyond the borders of the Shire!This section begins with the words: “The talk did not die down in nine or even ninety-nine days…” And ends with…“but they had no name.”Join us!EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Melkor27- KG- SaberSystems- Jeremy DWATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/S33lHaKKPUsWATCH AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/ad-free-video-of-105761847LISTEN AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/105824906FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:- take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)- listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everon- buy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ - buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Melkor27- KG- SaberSystems- Jeremy D- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Richard K- Paul D- Julia- Werty- Chris B- Tuor91- Carolyn S- Emiel K- Brian O (the 2nd)- Jonathan R- Matthew W- Daniel D- Harrison C- Seb M- Willbo Baggins- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O (the 1st)- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric BAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN JUNE OF 2024- Richard BW- Teresa C- James LThank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!!

We return to Bag End and Gandalf's chat with the disappearing Bilbo only to see the old hobbit do something no one has ever managed to do before.

"Good-bye now! Take care of yourself! Look out for me, especially at unlikely times! Good-bye!" - GANDALF In this episode of Do Not Be Hasty, we complete our journey through Lord of the Rings Book 1, Chapter 1, A Long Expected Party!After the commotion of the “day after” at Bag-End, Frodo is able to finally enjoy some peace and quiet - until Gandalf comes knocking…Join us!EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Melkor27- KG- SaberSystemsWATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/jSJ7DD5PQRYWATCH AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/102682332LISTEN AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/103554584FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:- take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)- listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everon- buy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ - buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Melkor27- KG- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Richard K- Paul D- Julia- Werty- Chris B- Tuor91- Carolyn S- Emiel K- Brian O (the 2nd)- Jonathan R- Matthew W- Daniel D- Harrison C- Seb M- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O (the 1st)- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric BAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN MAY OF 2024- Michael W- SaberSystems- Malcolm CThank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!!

Gandalf: "Go away and leave it behind. Stop possessing it. Give it to Frodo, and I will look after him."In this episode of Do Not Be Hasty, we continue through Lord of the Rings Book 1, Chapter 1, A Long Expected Party!Herein, Bilbo finally hits the road, and Frodo finds Gandalf waiting for him at Bag-End with an important assignment.Join us!EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Melkor27- KGWATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/hpiNgjvE3-4WATCH AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/102682332LISTEN AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/102682599FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:- take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)- listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everon- buy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ - buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Melkor27- KG- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Richard K- Paul D- Julia- Werty- Chris B- Tuor91- Carolyn S- Emiel K- Brian O (the 2nd)- Jonathan R- Matthew W- Daniel D- Harrison C- Seb M- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O (the 1st)- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric BAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN APRIL OF 2024- KG- Terry S- Katie P- Julia- Jonathan D- Ty MThank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!!

In this episode of Do Not Be Hasty, we continue through Lord of the Rings Book 1, Chapter 1, A Long Expected Party!As Bilbo sneaks back to Bag-End and prepares to leave the Shire once and for all, Gandalf confronts him about the Ring, and an ugly argument ensues.Join us!EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Melkor27- KGWATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/WwDsBVoIDBAWATCH AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/102290628LISTEN AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/102290842FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:- take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)- listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everon- buy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ - buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Melkor27- KG- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Richard K- Paul D- Julia- Werty- Chris B- Tuor91- Carolyn S- Emiel K- Brian O (the 2nd)- Jonathan R- Matthew W- Daniel D- Harrison C- Seb M- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O (the 1st)- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric BAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN APRIL OF 2024- KG- Terry S- Katie P- Julia- Jonathan D- Ty MThank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!!

This Quoircast episode is brought to you the book Letting Go(d) by Aaron Simnowitz. Published by Quoir and available now.In this episode we chat with Matthew DistefanoMatthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including the wildly popular Heretic! and From the Blood of Abel. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter.You can follow Matthew on:Facebook     Instagram     TikTok     YouTubeYou can find all things Matthew Distefano related on his websiteYou can purchase Mimetic Theory & Middle Earth on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous    Second Cup with Keith     The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest      Snarky Faith Podcast     Wild Olive     Deadly FaithJonathan_Foster     Sacred Thoughts     Holy Heretics     Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

The Road goes ever on, but it has to start somewhere. And shadowy fate lurks just around the corner.Today on Lore of the Rings we look at the first days of Frodo's journey after leaving Bag End. We continue our wandering of the third chapter, Three is Company, from JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.Support the show with a wafer of lembas or donating towards my wishlist: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Our Sponsors:* Check out Marvel Strike Force and use code MAXPOOL for a great freebies. Use this link to download: https://t.ly/uXdpWSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Road goes ever on, but it has to start somewhere. And shadowy fate lurks just around the corner.Today on Lore of the Rings we look at the first days of Frodo's journey after leaving Bag End. We continue our wandering of the third chapter, Three is Company, from JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.Support the show with a wafer of lembas or donating towards my wishlist: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Our Sponsors:* Check out Marvel Strike Force and use code MAXPOOL for a great freebies. Use this link to download: https://t.ly/uXdpWSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We uncover the intricate web of fate and chance that hangs over Frodo's departure from Bag End, as we dissect the near miss with evil that sets the stage for his perilous journey and the unseen forces that guide his path.I'm Aaron, your host and fellow Middle-earth wanderer, and today we begin our exploration of the third chapter of JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring: Three is Company.Support the show with a wafer of lembas or donating towards my wishlist: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Our Sponsors:* Check out Marvel Strike Force and use code MAXPOOL for a great freebies. Use this link to download: https://tinyurl.com/3hjwddttSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We uncover the intricate web of fate and chance that hangs over Frodo's departure from Bag End, as we dissect the near miss with evil that sets the stage for his perilous journey and the unseen forces that guide his path.I'm Aaron, your host and fellow Middle-earth wanderer, and today we begin our exploration of the third chapter of JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring: Three is Company.Support the show with a wafer of lembas or donating towards my wishlist: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Our Sponsors:* Check out Marvel Strike Force and use code MAXPOOL for a great freebies. Use this link to download: https://tinyurl.com/3hjwddttSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Link to Charity Fundraiser https://linktr.ee/lotradhome We take it easy this week. Becca and have have the craic. Chat a bit about Elf sexuality, who the mysterious travellers are in the Prancing Pony, and a charming little story about Rosie Cotton paying Sam and Frodo a visit the night before the leave Bag-End.

Welcome to Episode 367 of The Tolkien Road, or Episode 3 in the Do Not Be Hasty - reckoning!In this episode, we'll explore Gandalf's arrival at Bag End with fireworks in tow, and his subsequent discussion with Bilbo about his party, plans, and upcoming joke.Perhaps most importantly, we'll answer that important question: just HOW BIG were Gandalf's eyebrows???Join us!EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- John R- Melkor27- KGWATCH THE VIDEO » https://youtu.be/cH0TopUiL-sWATCH AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/100503865LISTEN AD-FREE » https://www.patreon.com/posts/lord-of-rings-pt-100504340FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE TOLKIEN ROAD:PATREON » SUPERFANS!TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMLINKS & MATHOMS:- take 10% OFF Tolkien Road merch at True Myths Press » https://truemythspress.com/discount/TENOFF (enter code TENOFF at checkout)- listen to TOLKIEN'S WORKS for FREE » https://www.audibletrial.com/everon- buy Tolkien's Requiem » https://tolkiensrequiem.com/ - buy Tolkien's Overture » https://tolkiensoverture.com/SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PATRONS:- John R- Kaitlyn of Tea with Tolkien- Melkor27- KG- Emilio P- Jonathan D- Richard K- Paul D- Julia- Werty- Chris B- Tuor91- Carolyn S- Emiel K- Brian O (the 2nd)- Jonathan R- Matthew W- Daniel D- Harrison C- Seb M- Ms. Anonymous- Andrew T- Redhawk- Shannon S- Brian O (the 1st)- Zeke F- James L- Chris L- Asya V- Ish of the Hammer- Teresa C- David of Pints with Jack- Eric BAS WELL AS THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR PATRON ANNIVERSARY IN MARCH OF 2024- Peter B- Paul D- Steven S- Jay Z- Bethany E- Daniel D- Kaitlyn of Tea With TolkienThank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!!

This Quoircast podcast episode is brought to you by There Once Were Orange Groves by David Giles. Published by Quoir and available nowIn this episode we chat with Keith Giles and Matthew DistefanoKeith Giles is a former pastor who left the pulpit to follow Jesus and start a house church where no one takes a salary and 100 percent of all offerings are given to help the poor in the community. He has been a published writer since 1989. He is the author of several books, including: "Jesus Unbound: Liberating the Word of God from the Bible" and "Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb." Keith is the co-host of the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast which has featured interviews with Bart Ehrman, John Fugelsang, Richard Rohr, Brad Jersak, Greg Boyd, and many others.Keith also teaches several online courses including "Square 1: From Deconstruction to Reconstruction" and other courses based on his many books.Matthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including the wildly popular Heretic! and From the Blood of Abel. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter.You can follow Kieth on:Facebook     Twitter     InstagramYou can find all things Keith Giles related on his websiteYou can follow Matthew on:Facebook     Instagram     TikTokYou can find all things Matthew Distefano related on his websiteYou can purchase Sitting In The Shade Of Another Tree on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTubeAlso check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous    Second Cup with Keith     The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest     The New Evangelicals     Snarky Faith Podcast     Wild Olive     Deadly FaithJonathan Foster     Sacred Thoughts     Holy Heretics     Reframing Our StoriesEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

The Babylon Bee Podcast is here to do a rundown of the world's strange and weird Christmas Traditions including spiders in your house, putting poop in your nativity scene, and dressing up like demons to drag children into hell! Kyle, Jarret, and Travis also talk about their what books, movies, and games they enjoyed and hated this year. Apparently Kyle read 50 books and walked from Bag End to Mordor. What a show off. This episode is sponsored by Alliance Defending Freedom. Become a champion for freedom at: http://joinADF.com/bee

Decades before Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy showed us just how cheeky Bilbo can be, the 1977 animated musical for television captured little Nick's imagination and gave him his first glimpse into the hobbit hole of Bag End. This week is an all-ages, all-Tolkien geek-out discussion on Gandalf, sleepy folk music and (you won't see this coming) He-Man and Orko! Grab a pipe, blow some smoke rings and listen along!

This Quoircast Podcast episode is brought to you by Safer Than The Known Way by Maria Francesca French published by Quoir. The book is available now on Amazon. In this episode we chat with Matthew Distefano Matthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including the wildly popular Heretic! and From the Blood of Abel. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter. You can connect with Matthew on: Facebook     Instagram     TikTok You can find all things Matthew Distefano related on his website You can purchase Matthew's new book The Wisdom Of Hobbits on Amazon.com You can connect with This Is Not Church on: Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTube Also check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church related Please like and follow our Quoircast Partners: Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous  Ideas Digest     The New Evangelicals     Snarky Faith Podcast     Wild Olive Each episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Farewell to Bag End.

This Quoircast podcast episode if brought to you by Keith Giles' latest book, Sola Mysterium: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything. Order your copy of this groundbreaking book today!In this conversation, Lola, Kyle, and Jason are joined by publisher, author, and podcaster Matthew J. Distefano to discuss finding inspiration among the hobbits of J.R.R. Tolkien's Shire. Matthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including the wildly popular Heretic! and From the Blood of Abel. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico. Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter. You can find his work at allsetfree.com.Be sure to check out Matt's brand-new book, The Wisdom of Hobbits, when it releases on March 14, 2023!Join the conversation on our Messy Conversations Facebook group.Don't miss our new compilation book, Parenting Deconstructed: Navigating Your Spiritual Evolution Without Leaving Your Family Behind, with chapters from some of your favorite heretics!Follow the crew:You can find Lola on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTokYou can find Kyle on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.You can find Jason on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (because he's way too old for TikTok).Be sure to check out our Youtube channel.Want to be a producer of the show and get exclusive access to videos, blog posts, and merch from the hosts of the show? Check out our Patreon page!Thanks for listening! Please leave us a rating or review on your platform of choice! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To prepare for this podcast, I have read the Hobbit more than 30 times (once every year), I have read the Lord of the Rings twice cover to cover, and the Silmarillion at least twice. I listened to the 13-hour BBC Radio adaptation and watched the Peter Jackson films, theatrical and extended, and all the DVD bonus extras. I also watched the ‘70s animated version and a couple of documentaries on the life of Tolkien, a People's Profile one on Youtube and a television documentary from 1996 narrated by Judi Dench... and of course, I lived as a child in Worcestershire, the inspiration for ‘the Shire' and the real life location of Bag-End in Dormston, which was a farm belonging to Tolkein's aunt where he stayed in 1923. It is about 15 minutes from Stratford-Upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born. All that, just for this podcast episode. I hope you enjoy it. Message me anytime on InstagramE-mail me at: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my videos at: https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSeveral subscribers have received their postcards and other little 'thank you's, randomly drawn from the list, and two have won extra special monthly prizes!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616Support the show

Matthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including the wildly popular Heretic! and From the Blood of Abel. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mental-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We're back talking foraging, harvest, preserving, energy and especially wood stoves. Hear what Mike has been up to on the farm and how the honey harvest has gone this year after the disastrous start.

We are thrilled to announce that our online store, AnUnexpectedJourney.shop. is now open! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting us. We have a lot of fun plans for the future so stay tuned. Become A Subscriber. Weeks pass, and Gandalf becomes impatient with Frodo's lack of preparation for leaving. Although Frodo has good reasons for his slowness—he doesn't want to create gossip—he is also feeling reluctant to leave the Shire. He is inclined to wait until his 50th birthday. Gandalf agrees to this, and advises Frodo to travel toward the Elven realm of Rivendell, ruled by Elrond. Frodo announces he is selling Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses, his unlikable cousins, and moving to Buckland—in a different part of the Shire. The townsfolk find this surprising, but chalk it up to his various eccentricities. One day, Gandalf announces he must leave and investigate something worrisome he has learned about, but tells Frodo he will be back for the birthday party. However, he does not show up, and Frodo decides to move forward with the plan without him. Frodo celebrates his birthday with his good friends, and then says good-bye to Bag End. Merry and another friend, Fredegar Bolger, go on ahead to get Frodo's new house ready. Later, walking along the road in a melancholy way, Frodo overhears a strange voice asking Sam's father, the Gaffer, about "Mr. Baggins." Soon after, Sam, Pippin, and Frodo set out. After a few days on the road, they hear another traveler coming up behind them. Frodo, feeling wary, decides they should hide and let the traveler go past. Once hidden, the four hobbits watch as a large black horse appears, carrying a figure clothed in a black robe and hood. Sniffing sounds come from inside the hood, and Frodo feels an urge to put on the Ring. He resists the urge, and the rider moves on. Sam reveals that this rider is the one that asked his father about Mr. Baggins. The hobbits decide to continue on, more cautiously. Later that evening, the black-cloaked rider overtakes them again, and Frodo once again feels the urge to put on the Ring. A company of Elves happens by, however, and the rider retreats. The leader of the company of Elves, Gildor Inglorion, recognizes Frodo, and allows the hobbits to travel with them after hearing about the Black Riders. The hobbits stay up late talking and eating with the Elves, and Gildor is uneasy about pursuing Black Riders, who he believes are servants of the Enemy, and that Gandalf did not show up when expected. He advises Frodo to leave for Rivendell without delay. The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash. Art by Jian Guo.

We are thrilled to announce that our online store, AnUnexpectedJourney.shop. is now open! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting us. We have a lot of fun plans for the future so stay tuned. Become A Subscriber. After the initial shock of Bilbo's disappearance wears off, life in Hobbiton generally returns to normal, and Frodolives for many years as a bachelor at Bag End. He often dines with Merry and Pippin, his good friends. As time passes, some people notice Frodo doesn't seem to show his age, an observation they had made about Bilbo, too. It is only as Frodo nears 50 that he begins to feel a bit restless. He starts wandering far from home, talking to travelers, and getting news of the world outside the Shire. Quite a bit of turmoil seems to be going on in the outside world—both Dwarves and Elves are on the move more than usual, and there are rumors of the "Enemy" and the "Land of Mordor." Then Gandalf unexpectedly returns, and reveals to Frodo that the magic ring he inherited from Bilbo is actually the One Ring crafted in secret by Sauron, the great Enemy in Mordor, to overpower all the other magic rings possessed by Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Gandalf tests the ring to be sure of this fact, and fiery words appear: "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." Gandalf then gives some of the One Ring's history, and says the ring must not be found by Sauron, who will use it to "cover all the lands in a second darkness." Frodo learns how the Ring came to him, beginning with Isildur, who cut it from Sauron's hand. Isildur was killed by Orcs in the Great River, Anduin, and the Ring lay at the bottom of the river for many years. The Ring then passed to Gollum, who murdered his friend to possess it. From Gollum, the Ring passed to Bilbo, and finally, to Frodo. As if this news were not dire enough, Gandalf also tells Frodo that Sauron had captured Gollum and now knows the name "Baggins" and the location "Shire." Frodo realizes the Ring must leave the Shire, and he must take it, secretly. Just as he resolves to do this, Gandalf catches Sam Gamgee, Frodo's gardener, eavesdropping. Well-intentioned Sam agrees to go with Frodo as punishment for listening in. The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash. Art by Jian Guo.

We are thrilled to announce that our online store, AnUnexpectedJourney.shop. is now open! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting us. We have a lot of fun plans for the future so stay tuned. Become A Subscriber. Eccentric hobbit Bilbo Baggins has announced his 111st birthday party will be a very special one, and the town of Hobbiton in the Shire is abuzz with the news. Bilbo is known to be generous and thought to have a secret cache of treasure from his previous adventures, and so the residents of Hobbiton believe the party will be quite grand. The September 22 birthday is shared by Bilbo's nephew Frodo, who came to live with Bilbo at Bag End after his parents' deaths, and their custom has been to share birthday celebrations. This year, Frodo will be turning 33—the "coming of age" for hobbits. In addition, rumor has it Gandalf the wizard will be setting off the fireworks for the celebration. There is much to anticipate, and the residents of Hobbiton watch supplies arrive at Bag End with growing excitement. Amidst the preparations, Gandalf and Bilbo have a private talk about Bilbo's plan to leave the Shire following the party. Gandalf encourages Bilbo to stick to the plan. On the day of the party, tents and pavilions populate a large field, and the guests arrive to presents (hobbits give others presents on their birthdays), abundant food, exciting entertainment, and flowing drink. Gandalf's fireworks are remarkable and magical. After supper, Bilbo gives a short speech, then suddenly places a magic golden ring on his finger and vanishes, to the surprise and consternation of all. Invisible, Bilbo walks back to Bag End, where Gandalf is waiting for him. Gandalf reminds Bilbo he promised to leave the magic ring with Frodo. Bilbo's ring allowed him to avoid his greedy and annoying relatives, the Sackville-Bagginses, who continue to pester Frodo in the present. Bilbo reluctantly leaves it behind as he departs on his journey. Gandalf makes sure the ring passes safely into Frodo's possession, but warns him to keep it secret and safe. Then Gandalf also leaves, and Frodo watches him walk down the road leading out of Hobbiton. The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash. Art by Jian Guo.The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash. Art by Jian Guo.

We are thrilled to announce that our online store, AnUnexpectedJourney.shop. is now open! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting us. We have a lot of fun plans for the future so stay tuned. Become A Subscriber. The final stop before Bilbo Baggins reaches home is Rivendell, where the elves greet him with a song to celebrate the dragon's death. Gandalf also tells Elrond of his activities when he left the hobbit and the dwarves to continue their quest alone. The wizard has traveled to the North to vanquish the evil Necromancer and restore normalcy to the region. Feeling rested, the hobbit continues recalling some of their adventures. Following Gandalf's advice, Bilbo recovers the buried gold from the trolls' storeroom. When the duo arrives at Bag End, they discover a crowd of hobbits rapidly auctioning off Bilbo's possessions, as he was assumed dead. The troll gold is used to buy back as many items as possible, but his silver spoons have disappeared. The hobbit burglar finds he is now treated with suspicion by most of the community except for some younger nieces and nephews on the Took side. Years later, as Bilbo is writing his memoirs, Gandalf and Balin stop to visit and report that peace and prosperity have been restored to the lands and people once oppressed and destroyed by Smaug. The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax. Art by Jian Guo.

Welcome to the final installment of this EPIC journey through Middle Earth. We have made it: 4 books, 6 movies, and countless hours dreaming about our own journey through Middle Earth. We are still deep in our Tolkien Era and it doesn't end here, tune into the end of the episode for a special announcement. We had so much fun talking about Gimley's comedic relief and the pinning for Aragorn (honestly, same). So buckle up and get ready for the final leg of the journey back to Bag End. Bookish Impulse Buys: The Bookish One (KEARSTEN10), The Unexpected Apothecary (LLAMA10 or KEARSTEN10), Hold It There (LLAMA10), Something Wilder, Lore Olympus Vol. 2 Click to listen to our Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers episodes here! This episode is sponsored by Audible by Amazon, click here to try Audible for free! We are taking the month of July off from the book club, but follow along as we finish out the series with Return of the King. Check our Instagram from a reading schedule! Please subscribe and leave us a 5 star review and follow along on Instagram and Tiktok @TheBookishBanterPodcast. If you want to check out our Patreon, click here for behind the scenes content and bonus episodes!!! Message us with any episode requests or if you just want to say hi! Follow Tatyana on Instagram @TheLiteratureLlama2.0 and Tiktok and follow Kearsten on Instagram @KearstenKeepsReading and Tiktok. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thebookishbanterpodcast/support

The time has come. Today Chase & Josh begin one of the most influential fantasy-fiction franchises of all time in The Lord of the Rings.  We are going to join the Hobbits on their big adventure and see it through to the very end!   We are going to tackle multiple chapters in each episode and will stop at the midway point and the end of each novel to compare it to the part 1 and part 2 extended edition of the films, so buckle up because this is going to be one wild journey.   Today we cover the first 5 chapters where we get to hear about an old Hobbit's birthday, the backstory of a specific ring, leaving Bag End, and black riders making an appearance. We're just starting off with this great franchise, so don't miss out!

“Well, I'm back… with the guys from Ringheads, finishing up the movie trilogy!” Slight paraphrase of Sam's closing words, we're sure Ronny Tolkien would approve. The ring's destroyed, the war is over, Frodo's back home at Bag End, but he ain't happy. He's busy editing and finishing Bilbo's written work, Christopher Tolkien style. We break down what happens to him and all the other characters after the story concludes, “end credits from Animal House” style. We also discuss the Grey Havens, and our boy Círdan (the Shipwright, not Círdan the Groundskeeper or Círdan the Deli Manager). And we talk about what comes next, for Middle-earth and Ringheads… something about grey rain curtains and silver glass. Thanks for joining us on the journey there and back again, look for us at the turn of the tide!

John Heitzenrater joins the podcast to begin with Fr. Andrew a chapter-by-chapter walk-through of Tolkien's seminal work, the novel that introduced most of us to Middle-earth – The Hobbit. In “An Unexpected Party,” we are introduced to Bag End, to Hobbits, to Bilbo Baggins, to Gandalf, to Dwarves, to the Quest for Erebor and… to Sauron(?!). Lay aside your walking-sticks and put on your swords, everyone, because it's time to go There and Back Again.

John Heitzenrater joins the podcast to begin with Fr. Andrew a chapter-by-chapter walk-through of Tolkien's seminal work, the novel that introduced most of us to Middle-earth – The Hobbit. In “An Unexpected Party,” we are introduced to Bag End, to Hobbits, to Bilbo Baggins, to Gandalf, to Dwarves, to the Quest for Erebor and… to Sauron(?!). Lay aside your walking-sticks and put on your swords, everyone, because it's time to go There and Back Again.

John Heitzenrater joins the podcast to begin with Fr. Andrew a chapter-by-chapter walk-through of Tolkien's seminal work, the novel that introduced most of us to Middle-earth – The Hobbit. In “An Unexpected Party,” we are introduced to Bag End, to Hobbits, to Bilbo Baggins, to Gandalf, to Dwarves, to the Quest for Erebor and… to Sauron(?!). Lay aside your walking-sticks and put on your swords, everyone, because it's time to go There and Back Again.

 I'm not a fan of the stereotype that assumes all farmers are barefooted, overall-wearing, pipe-smoking, straw-chewing, backwoods hillbillies. Rather, when I think of homesteading, I like to envision the intellectual agrarian standard. I think of George Washington of Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson of Monticello, and...don't laugh...Bilbo Baggins of Bag End. These men not only cultivated the soil of their gardens, but they cultivated the soil of their minds with devoted habits of reading and study. In addition to admiring the disciplines of the intellectual agrarian, I also admire the discipline of the educated homemaker who also balances her time in managing the home and studying how to better manage it. 

Please join ads and James as we discuss the Sun and the Moon. We saved several seats by the fire as we sit around Bag End and discuss heavenly bodies. Special thanks to beyond the guitar and Harry Murrell for the EXCELLENT intro and outro music!

Welcome to Bag End. Please enjoy the warmth of the

In this the 10th episode of The Green Door Podcast, we tackle chapter 6, Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor. May drops by with some of her goodies as we welcome everybody to Bag-End once again for a fireside chat. Who knew Melkor and Fëanor were so alike? You did? Well then come and join the conversation! Kettle is on the stove....