(Materials: Hard or digital copy of The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and a notebook
Calling all ye star-gazers, power-wielders, tower builders, dig-deepers, loyal companions, and lovers of good tilled earth. Inspired by contemplative spiritual practice across a broad spectrum of mystical traditions, this course supports a personal inquiry into how the archetypes and dramas alive in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth play out across our own interior landscapes. Students can expect to employ a wide-range of tools from the thinking, feeling, and doing Contemplative’s toolbox, including close-reading, meditating, writing, discourse, visual art practice, meditation, and integration. The process is developed to inform and sharpen our own discernment as we learn to carry out the tasks appointed to us in our lifetimes. Curiosity and courage are required as well as familiar with Tolkien’s book, The Lord of the Rings, whether that means you’ve been picking it up every September since high school or you binge listen to it for the first time the month before class commences.
