The Tolkien Road

A podcast about Middle-earth and all things Tolkien.

0202 – Abiding the Long Defeat feat. Conor Sweeney

“I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’ – though it contains (and in a legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.” – Tolkien, 1956

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A discussion of Tolkien’s idea of the long defeat with Conor Sweeney, author of Abiding the Long Defeat: How to Evangelize Like a Hobbit in a Disenchanted Age. Conor and John talked for a good bit about all kinds of Tolkienian topics, including mythology, enchantment, and modernity. 

Conor really has a lot of great stuff to say about how Tolkien’s outlook can help us find HOPE and SPIRITUAL LIGHT in an age that seems to be entrenched in DARKNESS and DESPAIR

Most of all, it’s about that strange Tolkienian concept: THE LONG DEFEAT, and how it really points to a DEEP AND ABIDING HOPE.

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One Response

  1. Thank you so much. This is so timely. In a broken world, it is good to be reminded of where our strength lies.

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