Shows
Trinity Church of Portland - SermonsEucatastrophe In this sermon from John 17:1–5, Paul Hoffman invites us into the climactic moment of Jesus’ farewell discourse—the prayer that stands on the edge of the cross.Drawing on J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of eucatastrophe—the sudden, joyful turn in a story—Paul shows how what appears to be tragedy in the eyes of the disciples is, in fact, the triumph of God’s redemptive plan. As Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and prays for glory, we see that the cross is not a defeat but a victory, not chaos but sovereign purpo...
2026-01-2545 min
The Stand-Up TheologianThe End of the Upside Down and Schrödinger’s Eucatastrophe w/ Caleb WoodbridgeTwo culture vultures pick over the plentiful remains of Stranger Things. I talked to Caleb Woodbridge who is an imaginative disciple, freelance writer and editor, fan of sf/fantasy, children's & YA literature, Doctor Who, Tolkien & C S Lewis. He writes and podcasts at Bigger Inside.We talk about Stranger Things but also JK Rowling; CS Lewis; Narnia; Harry Potter; Hunger Games, Video Games, Massive Effect, Baldur’s Gate – and why James doesn’t play video games and has a rant about American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Also we mention Indiana Jones, Stephen King, the cost of victory. And wha...
2026-01-1948 min
Exploring Tolkien153. The Christmas Eucatastrophe (and is The Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie?)We turn our attention from The Hobbit to a long-hidden Tolkien gem: his 1936 Christmas poem, “Noel.” We take a look at the history of the poem’s rediscovery, its deep-rooted Tolkien-esque imagery, and why its message of hope stands uniquely in Tolkien’s literary career.
We discuss:
The surprising 2013 rediscovery of “Noel” and how Tolkien scholars tracked it down through forgotten school annuals and convent archives.
The poem’s Nordic and Middle-earth flavor in the early stanzas—and the “eucatastrophic” shift when a child is born.
Song and music as markers of Tolkien’s poetic voice, the emphasis on Mary’s s...
2025-12-2300 min
Shire ReckoningThe Hobbit 17: EucatastropheThis week, the Battle of Five Armies in Chapters 15 and 16 of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Is gold peculiarly evil in Tolkien's world? Does Thoring really value the Arkenstone above all things? Where and when does eucatastrophe intervene? The video version of this session is available by clicking here; the slides are available for download by clicking here.Show Notes:Shire Reckoning Production ScheduleMorgoth's Ring (Christopher Tolkien)The History of the Hobbit (John D. Rateliff)The Annotated Hobbit (Douglas A. Anderson)Shire Reckoning is a Next Word production. For bonus episodes and to...
2025-12-1159 min
Outside OurselvesTony Stark and the Infinity Saga: Eucatastrophe and SacrificeIn this episode of Outside Ourselves Summer Break, 1517 executive director, Scott Keith, joins Kelsi to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and specifically, the character arc of Tony Stark or Iron Man over the course of the Avengers: Infinity Saga series. Scott explains how J.R.R. Tolkien's term, eucatastrophe, is at play in the series. The two conclude that the hero's journey works as long as the hero emulated is Christ himself, and also discuss how we all long for a hero who doesn't lecture us, but saves us. Show Notes:Support 15171517 PodcastsTh...
2025-07-1541 min
BSLC Antioch SermonsEucatastrophe!This sermon unpacks the concept of "eucatastrophe," a sudden, good catastrophe, as a lens to understand God's redemptive work. Drawing from J.R.R. Tolkien's idea, it illustrates how even in the darkest moments, God brings about unexpected deliverance. The message centers on the biblical narrative of the demon-possessed man, showcasing Jesus's sovereign power to confront and overcome evil, transforming utter despair into divine restoration. It highlights Christ as the ultimate eucatastrophe, who by His life, death, and resurrection, has decisively conquered sin and death, making all things right. The sermon extends this gospel truth, calling believers to embrace...
2025-06-2217 min
How To Love Lit PodcastThe Hobbit || JRR Tolkien || Episode 4 || Battles - Victories - And Eucatastrophe!The Hobbit || JRR Tolkien || Episode 4 || Battles - Victories - And Eucatastrophe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-06-1442 min
The Signum SceneThesis Theater: Kimberly McKinney, "Ecology, Eucatastrophe, and Estel"This recording from May 7, 2025.
Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Kimberly McKinney on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 10am ET.
J. R. R. Tolkien’s tales about Middle-earth were designed to provide a conceivable mythological history for the existing world. Due to this intentional connection, his secondary, fictional world reflects many familiar primary world experiences in both physical and metaphysical aspects. As a reader and writer of fairy-stories, Tolkien desired to present life as simultaneously touched by grief and joy, thus creating his concept of the eucatastrophe. As someone who loved nature and especially plants, Tolkien infused Mi...
2025-05-1455 min
Lore of the Rings | Explore JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and More | For all fans of Middle-earthThe Ultimate Story of Hope | JRR Tolkien’s “Eucatastrophe” and the Resurrection of Christ (209)Eucatastrophe, a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien, encapsulates the sudden, unexpected joy that breaks through moments of despair. Drawing from Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories", this episode delves into how eucatastrophe shapes his works, from The Silmarillion to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Through key moments of unexpected hope in Tolkien’s stories—like the eagles’ arrival at the Battle of the Five Armies and the destruction of the One Ring—listeners will explore how Tolkien’s concept mirrors the ultimate eucatastrophe in Christian theology: the Resurrection of Christ. The episode highlights how Tolkien’s deep Chris...
2025-04-1718 min
Booked All NightEscapism & Eucatastrophe: Booked All Night & Lore of the Rings talk On Fairy StoriesSend us Fan Mail! Join us for a special mission into the enchanting world of J.R.R. Tolkien as we explore his essay ON FAIRY STORIES. Jess and Maggie are joined this week by Aaron from the Lore of the Rings podcast (RingsPodcast.com) and our very own Producer Rob from right here at Booked All Night. (Also one of his cats....)We'll reminisce about our experiences with Tolkien's works, dissecting the lore, world-building, and emotional connections that kept us coming back for more. We talk about the importance of consistency in fantasy worlds...
2025-03-2556 min
The Fandom Portals PodcastThe Nice Guys, Does the Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe Pairing Work? Exploring Eucatastrophe and Neo-Noir in ComedyIn this episode, we explore "The Nice Guys," a cleverly crafted film that intertwines humor with unexpected twists, making it a rewatchable masterpiece. We tackle the intriguing concept of eucatastrophe within "The Nice Guys," revealing how unexpected twists and comedic flair illuminate Shane Black's mastery of the genre. We break down the film's seamless integration of 1970s aesthetics and themes, reflecting on the gritty yet glamorous world it creates. The dynamic duo of Gosling and Crowe is put to the test.As we wrap up, the conversation turns to character depth and dialogue—a testament to the fil...
2025-01-2159 min
Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration DallasAdvent 1 - Eucatastrophe and the Gospel of Trauma and RenewalIn this sermon, The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of Dallas, explores how human trauma and divine purpose intersect, using Christ’s Passion as the ultimate example of transformation. Through Advent’s themes of waiting and hope, believers are called to endure trials, trusting in God’s grace to transform wounds into sources of renewal. This divine “eucatastrophe” redefines life and faith.
Sermon preached by The Rt. Rev. George Sumner on The First Sunday of Advent. We invite you to view the full service HERE. Learn more about our community by visiting www.transfiguration.net.
2024-12-0213 min
Grace Upon GraceOn Tolkien, Storytelling, and the Eucatastrophe of Grace with Sam SchuldheiszIn this episode, I am joined by pastor and writer Sam Schuldheisz who accompanies me on a short excursion to Middle Earth to chat about the ubiquity of storytelling, especially as it relates to the greatest story of all — namely, the gospel. Along with Tolkien and Lewis, we also talk about the theology of Inklings and the eucatastrophe of God’s grace.Sam pastors Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, Washington, where he lives with his wife and two children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.Resources“The Inklings: Apostles and Apolog...
2024-07-311h 09Ministry MindedOn Tolkien, Storytelling, and the Eucatastrophe of Grace with Sam SchuldheiszIn this episode, I am joined by pastor and writer Sam Schuldheisz who accompanies me on a short excursion to Middle Earth to chat about the ubiquity of storytelling, especially as it relates to the greatest story of all — namely, the gospel. Along with Tolkien and Lewis, we also talk about the theology of Inklings and the eucatastrophe of God’s grace.Sam pastors Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, Washington, where he lives with his wife and two children. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram.Resources“The Inklings: Apostles and Apolog...
2024-07-311h 09
A “Lord of the Rings” Spiritual Retreat w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts PodcastLORT11 – Echoes of Eucatastrophe: Unveiling Spiritual Truths – A “Lord of the Rings” Spiritual Retreat with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Echoes of Eucatastrophe: Unveiling Spiritual Truths – A “Lord of the Rings” Spiritual Retreat with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
In the final episode of “A Lord of the Rings Spiritual Retreat,” Father Timothy Gallagher concludes his profound exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy-Stories.” Here, he emphasizes how fairy tales transcend age, captivating both children and adults with their enchanting narratives that delve into universal themes of joy, sorrow, and the perennial battle between good and evil.
Father Gallagher meticulously dissects Tolkien’s notion of ‘eucatastrophe,’ a term coined to describe a sudden, redemptive turn...
2024-01-0431 minA “Lord of the Rings” Spiritual Retreat w/ Fr. Timothy Gallagher - Discerning Hearts PodcastLORT10 – The Experience of Eucatastrophe – A “Lord of the Rings” Spiritual Retreat with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts
In this episode, Fr. Gallagher discusses “eucatastrophe.” J. R. R. Tolkien defined this term in his lecture “On Fairy-Stories,” as a “good catastrophe, the sudden joyous ‘turn’…it is a sudden and miraculous grace…a fleeting glimpse of Joy” (On Fairy-Stories 153) Going further, it is a moment experienced in the Gospel, referencing the greatest moment of eucatastrophe in human history: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (On Fairy-Stories 156). When understood through the mechanism of eucatastrophe “The Lord of the Rings” becomes a “fundamentally religious and Catholic work” (Letter 142).
Father Gallagher’s reflections extend to the joy of heaven as imagined in lit...
2024-01-0226 min
2414Cinderella: Between the Lines (Opening Night, November 10)Join Cinderella and Prince Topher as they go behind the scenes and between the lines to talk about the upcoming St. Luke's production of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's Cinderella (2013 Broadway Version). Listen as we dive deeper into the story that we all know and love. Watch the show before it's too late! Get your tickets here: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/77309Show times: Friday Nov. 10 ~ 7pm Saturday Nov. 11 ~ 2pm & 7pm Sunday Nov. 12 ~ 2pm Friday Nov. 17 ~ 7pm Saturday Nov. 18 ~ 2pm & 7pm Sunday Nov. 19 ~ 2pmLocation: 515 S 312th St, Federal Way, WA 98003Eucatastrophe: "The Gospels c...
2023-11-0455 min
Exploring TolkienHappily Ever After isn’t Enough - On Fairy Stories, Part 6We’re wrapping up Tolkien’s seminal essay this week looking at Consolation–and with that–Tolkien’s well-known term, Eucatastrophe. With so much depth, this essay isn’t easy to consume, and we really hope reading it with us helped you come to understand why Tolkien wrote it and why he believes Fairy Stories are so important!
This week we look at:
Why Consolation/Eucatastrophe is required
What is Lord of the Ring’s chief eucatastrophe?
Is eucatastrophe deus ex machina?
Why Eucatastrophe is glimpse of Truth (with a capital T!)
How George RR Martin drags us into...
2023-08-2955 min
The Jimmy Olsen Radio NetworkEucatastropheEucatastrophe [yoo-kə-TAS-trə-fee]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: British English, 1940s
1. A sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story.
Examples of eucatastrophe in a sentence
"The destruction of the Death Star is one of the most universally recognizable eucatastrophes in cinematic history."
"The traffic jam provided a eucatastrophe for our team, as it gave us 20 minutes to finish the presentation before the clients arrived."
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2023-05-0901 min
Choses à Savoir ARTQu’est-ce qu’une “eucatastrophe” dans une œuvre de fiction ?Il y a des concepts dans les arts dont les restent méconnus du grand public mais que l’on retrouve assez fréquemment, que ce soit à la télévision au cinéma ou même au théâtre. Cela concerne notre mot du jour, qui est né en 1939, donc finalement assez tard dans l’histoire des arts, nous parlons de l’eucatastrophe. Un terme étonnant, mais qui vous allez voir n’est pas si difficile à cerner. L’eucatastrophe, c’est un néologisme forgé par J. R. R. Tolkien, le célèbre père des romans Le Hobbit et Le Seigneur des annea...
2022-12-1502 min
Podcast Archives - Matthew ClarkOnly the Lover Sings: Amy Baik Lee, "The Sound of Eucatastrophe"
The Sound of Eucatastrophe
by Amy Baik Lee | One Thousand Words
https://www.matthewclark.net/mcwordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTW_S4-E17-OTLS_Amy-Lee.mp3
Amy Baik Lee writes from a desk looking out on a cottage garden, usually surrounded by children’s drawings, teacups, and stacks of patient books. She is a writer and managing editor for Cultivating magazine, a contributing writer for The Rabbit Room, and co-director of the Anselm Arts Guild. Much of Amy’s writing stems from wonder at the redemptive love of Christ and the piercing, reorienting grace of His joy. Ever...
2022-07-1819 minOne Thousand Words - Stories On The WayOnly the Lover Sings: Amy Baik Lee, "The Sound of Eucatastrophe"
The Sound of Eucatastrophe
by Amy Baik Lee | One Thousand Words
https://www.matthewclark.net/mcwordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/OTW_S4-E17-OTLS_Amy-Lee.mp3
Amy Baik Lee writes from a desk looking out on a cottage garden, usually surrounded by children’s drawings, teacups, and stacks of patient books. She is a writer and managing editor for Cultivating magazine, a contributing writer for The Rabbit Room, and co-director of the Anselm Arts Guild. Much of Amy’s writing stems from wonder at the redemptive love of Christ and the piercing, reorienting grace of His joy. Ever...
2022-07-1819 min
Born of WonderBONUS Episode! Tolkien’s ”Eucatastrophe”Bonus episode ! New Year's resolutions, getting outside and exploring Tolkien's concept of Eucatastrophe, ‘the sudden joyous turn, the mark of all fairy tales.’ We discuss Eucatastrophe in the context of other literary devices including perapatea, anagnorisis, and deux ex machina. Eucatastrophe is unique in the belief - the insistence - on a fundamentally just, ‘true,’ universe. We also explore Shakespeare’s beautiful play, “The Winter’s Tale,” and how the last scene (Queen Hermione coming back to life) epitomizes a ‘Eucatastrophic’ moment.
www.bornofwonder.com
@bornofwonder on instagram
https://www.bornofwonder.com/home/eucatastrophe-tolkiens-joyous-turn
Audio from "On Fairy Stories" Podcast (2020)
...
2022-01-1133 min
Classical Et CeteraThe Great Catastrophe of the Christmas Story - Tolkien‘s Eucatastrophe | The Goon SquadWhat do The Lord of the Rings, Winnie the Pooh, and the Christmas Story share in their narrative framework? Eucatastrophe. A term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien in his article, "On Fairy-Stories," eucatastrophe finds its place as a literary trope throughout literary history. But how does it fit with the Christmas story? And how can we see the coming of the Christ child as the most remarkable example of eucatastrophe in history? Buckle up for a new episode of Classical Et Cetera as the Goon Squad (Dan Sheffler, Jon Christianson, Mitchell Holley) dives into the Great Catastrophe of...
2021-12-2440 min
SOLA NetworkThe Eucatastrophe Of Human History: An Advent Reflection“The hopes and fears of all the years met in the birth of our Christ. Here is the dawn of the eternal day and of joy, joy beyond the walls of the earth.”
Watch the video on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/xXQfI8VdaWE
Read the article:
https://sola.network/article/the-eucatastrophe-of-human-history-an-advent-reflection/
Email us your questions or conversation topics:
podcast@sola.network
Faith Chang lives in NY with her husband Jeff and their four kids...
2021-12-2306 min
Avalon MentorsThe Return of the King and the EucatastropheThis episode is a discussion of Tolkien's third book in the Lord of the Rings series, “The Return of the King.”
The episode introduces Tolkien’s concept of The EUCATASTROPHE as an embracing of suffering. We also discuss the nature of kingship especially as it involves this embracing of suffering & the confrontation with nothingness.
How is The One Ring an escape from suffering?
How might mythology offer us a response to the temptation of the Ring of Power?
And why was Tolkien so adamantly opposed to C.S.Lewis’ statement that myths ar...
2021-09-131h 37
The Legend-Makers“Spring Has Arrived; Let Me Not Despair”: Lord of the Rings, Eucatastrophe, and Really Good Wigs | THE LEGEND-MAKERSWhat is Eucatastrophe? Who does Phil want to be when she grows up? What does Spring have to do with Frodo and the Gang? And is the classic arrival of the Eagles just a convenient plot hole, or does it carry a greater significance also reflected in our daily lives? These questions and more will be explored on this first and very special episode!
Feel free to comment with any thoughts, questions, or suggestions below; we are always eager to learn and improve.
REFERENCES
Framework for these Discussions:
Lakoff, G...
2021-06-121h 23
The Tolkien Lore PodcastOn Fairy Stories: EucatastropheIn my previous video about Tolkien's lecture/essay, "On Fairy Stories" (here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMG5HhKK50), I focused on the theme of sub-creation. Here, I want to discuss another concept, "eucatastrophe," which is a word Tolkien coined to describe it. Here's the video where I discussed the them of sub-creation in the Silmarillion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOpbrkRe3Q
2021-05-2121 min
Abra a Porta PodcastEucatastropheSejam muito bem vindos a mais um episódio do nosso podcast!
Hoje o texto é "Eucatastrophe" do Osvaldo Santos na voz dele mesmo.
Lembrando que todos os nossos episódios já estão em formato de texto e você pode conferir através deste link: https://linktr.ee/BlogAbraaporta
Esperamos que gostem! Ouçam e compartilhem! Equipe Abra a Porta
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2021-05-0508 min
RSG KunsEucatastropheDie kunstenaar, Hannalie Taute, gesels oor haar solo-uitstalling, Eucatastrophe, by die Deepest Darkest Galery in Kaapstad.
2021-05-0408 min
All of the AboveBONUS TRACK - EucatastropheOur resident bibliophiles, Bryce and Sarah, discuss eucatastrophe (or "good catastrophe"), its use in literature and beyond, and its impact on the Christian life. *May contain spoilers to books you should have already read*
2021-05-0428 min
Kenilworth Union ChurchCabinet of Colloquial Curiosities, VII Eucatastrophe: When Death is Winning 04/04/2021Cabinet of Colloquial Curiosities, VII Eucatastrophe: When Death is Winning 04/04/2021 by Kenilworth Union Church
2021-04-0816 min
Edgington EPCThe Eucatastrophe of Easter (Easter 2021)The Eucatastrophe of Easter (Easter 2021) by Edgington EPC
2021-04-0428 min
10CBF: A Podcast for Blended FamiliesS1-E16 (Bonus Episode) 'Eucatastrophe and the Gospel'This episode is different because it is actually a talk that I gave at my high school for our Midweek (chapel) program recently. In this episode you'll hear an explanation of what 'eucatastrophe' is as well as a few stories that illustrate the concept. Finally you'll hear how the Gospel is the great eucatastrophe of history as well as some encouragement from the book of Romans. I hope that you enjoy it and find it both challenging and encouraging! I also hope that you will reflect on your own life's journey and seek to recognize the eucatastrophic moments in...
2021-02-0726 min
The EucatastropheDoubtDave and Joel discuss the doubt that can creep up on (or consume) a Christian. Dave considers how doubt can mean the unravelling of a person’s entire world. What are the sources of the Christian’s doubt? They discuss epistemic individualism, hyperstimulation and the loss of the sublime, and ego-driven clergy. Each of these point to the failure to cultivate a culture – and character – that gives Christianity its intelligibility. It’s fun-times easy-summer listening from the Eucatastrophe.
2021-01-0656 minThe EucatastropheFratelli TuttiJoel and Dave discuss Pope Francis’s encyclical, ‘Fratelli Tutti’. Francis turns over a bunch of tables – selfish egoistic consumption, financial speculation, nationalism, war, the death penalty, ‘parallel monologues’ of digital culture, despotism that robs traditions, mockery of the good, and the privileging of property. In their place, Francis argues for fraternity amongst all people. It’s Christian populism, for social ends. Needless to say, Joel and Dave quite like it and thank the Pope for listening to the Eucatastrophe.
2020-12-3042 minThe Eucatastrophe2020Dave and Joel ponder 2020. Increasing consumption, watering-down industrial relations protections, rising poverty, and diminishing concern for the most vulnerable. What does it really mean to ‘build back better’ (shudder)? Doing so may mean infusing politics with a religious sense of personhood, love, or fraternity. But the pandemic has also pointed to another question: whether the paramount good of religious community, or the Church, is incomprehensible in an economy-driven society. Part dramatic-sigh, part-unwarranted hopefulness.
2020-12-2339 min
Daily ReadDAY 16 - Advent 2020Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NIV)
Read by: Javelin Lewis
Our family lights candles each Sunday evening at the dinner table during Advent. So far we’ve lit one for hope, one for peace, and now one for Joy. But this is more than glee, good tidings or happiness. It's what comes in that breaking point when all hope seems lost…. But then out of darkness comes a glorious light. Advent calls us to remember the moment when Joy ended Israel’s long night of waiting for the Messiah—the incarnation. And it calls us to anticipate when he will come...
2020-12-1412 minThe EucatastropheThe Needs of the SoulDave and Joel discuss Simone Weil’s brilliant work of political philosophy, ‘The Need for Roots’. They look at the first chapter, ‘The Needs of the Soul’, where Weil paints a picture of the ways in which a just political order provides spiritual nourishment for its subjects. How is beauty related to justice? What is the relationship between rights and obligations? Should authors be sent to the gulag for factual errors? It’s a pedant’s paradise in Simone’s republic!
2020-10-2142 minThe EucatastrophePost-Liberal Religious Liberty: Part 2Dave poses the hard questions in part 2 on Joel’s book, ‘Post-Liberal Religious Liberty: Forming Communities of Charity’. What does the ‘spiritualising of subjectivity’ mean? What is ‘the ecclesiological account’ of religious liberty? What’s with this Augustine love-fest? Joel contrasts his account and liberal pluralist arguments offered by other Christian authors. He argues that religious liberty must be grounded not in secular neutrality, but in the political community’s commitment to religion, integral to the common good. Dave wonders whether this involves swimming pools.
2020-10-1450 minThe EucatastrophePost-Liberal Religious Liberty: Part 1Dave interrogates Joel about his recent book, ‘Post-Liberal Religious Liberty: Forming Communities of Charity’ (Cambridge University Press, 2020), which offers an answer to the question: why does religious liberty matter? In part 1 of a two-part descent into Joel’s brain, the claim that religious liberty protects the quest for true religion is discussed, along with the (perhaps dominant) liberal egalitarian account of religious liberty, which sees political authority as supporting ethical individualism or individual authenticity. Joel suggests that this account while purporting to be secular, is in fact shaped by theological claims. Dave finally gets to talk about the Supreme Court...
2020-10-0738 minThe EucatastropheNarcissism in the ChurchDave and Joel discuss narcissism as a dominant force within the Church and wider society. Narcissism is characterised by an obsession with one’s public persona, coupled with a radical lack of empathy. Within the narcissist lies, not an intense love of self, but an emptiness that demands constant recognition from others in order to be filled. How might current Church practices be fertile ground for the image-obsessed? How might liberal forms of community rob individuals of space necessary for the cultivation of genuine interiority? Are we living in a culture of narcissism?
2020-09-3048 minThe EucatastropheThe Church and the Student’s VocationDave and Joel discuss life as a student and how the church can fail to support it. In the Australian context, where theology and the pursuits of the university have largely been separated, universities have become easy for Christians to instrumentalise. They are places unrelated to the church’s ends, and so simply places where bodies happen to be. Against this, Dave and Joel consider what it means to take seriously the student's vocation. It may involve swords.
2020-08-1231 minThe EucatastropheTheology and the UniversityJoel and Dave discuss why theology is central to the purpose of the university. John Henry Newman argues pursuing knowledge demands theology – it ‘enters into every order’, he writes. Spit-balling on this theme, Joel and Dave consider how theological claims are always present in the university, even when theology is consciously excluded. Why then is Jerusalem integral to Athens? And why is Athens integral to Jerusalem? Will Dave ever be absolved of his Calvinist sins? Short answer: no.
2020-08-0534 minThe EucatastropheThe Idea of a UniversityDave and Joel mull over what the university is for. The Australian Government has insisted funding for universities should be aligned with ‘job ready graduates’. In the nineteenth century, John Henry Newman railed against such ‘utility’. For him, the university exists to cultivate knowledge. Dave and Joel discuss the problems with subordinating the university to the demands of state and market, but also whether knowledge as Newman discussed it is too narrow or even solipsistic. It’s the usual defence of cultural Marxism that has become Dave’s gift to the world.
2020-07-3034 min
2020-07-2221 min
The Petty Prophet PodcastEp. #76 - Game Of Thrones, The Last Of Us, And The EucatastropheThis week, I talk about Tolkien's essay On Fairy Stories, and why some of today's relentlessly dark entertainment fails to measure up. Is escapism a fool's errand?The bleakness of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us Part 2The jail cell of materialismThe eucatastropheThe fairy tale that is actually real Article Link: "In The Age of Trump, Escapist Entertainment Has Become An Impossibility"
2020-07-2118 minThe EucatastropheStar Wars: A LamentJoel and Dave lament the decline of Star Wars into the mess that was ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Why has Star Wars been a fixture in our lives? How did JJ Abrams crush our hopes and dreams? After discussing the power of enchantment and mythic story-telling, Joel and Dave rant about the film’s failings. They then raise two fundamental (metaphysical!) concerns. First, how we desire a narrator behind stories and life. Second, how we look for endings to give meaning to the story, our actions, and our experiences. It’s just two stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, nerf herders … who now cry in...
2020-06-0345 minThe EucatastropheC.S. Lewis and The Inner RingDave and Joel discuss C.S. Lewis’ famous paper, ‘The Inner Ring’. Lewis warns against the desire to be part of the invisible clique. In itself, this ‘inner ring’ may not be evil, but Lewis argues that its allure can easily lead to a sense of purposelessness. All relationships and work become merely instrumental to climbing the social hierarchy; hypocrisy and the absence of conviction become the norm. How can Lewis’ insights shed light on our current workplace cultures, economic structures, and church life? Is meaningful work possible in a society that has no sense of teleology? Is Dave trying to te...
2020-05-2746 minThe EucatastropheWilliam Cavanaugh and the StateJoel and Dave discuss William Cavanaugh’s article, ‘“Killing for the Telephone Company”: Why the Nation-State is Not the Keeper of the Common Good’. Cavanaugh is critical of attempts to baptise the State as the site of Christian politics. The State, he argues, is birthed in violence, self-interest, and the accumulation of power. In its pretension to unity and in its killing power, it is a parody of the body of Christ. It cannot guard or guarantee the common good, which requires creating alternative spaces. Dave is enamoured with this argument. Joel is too, but he raises some critical questions. Is...
2020-05-2149 minThe EucatastropheCOVID-19 and ResurrectionFor this, the last in the COVID-19 Trilogy ™, Joel and Dave think out loud about how the Easter narrative can shape and challenge our political response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. What does it mean to worship a crucified and resurrected Messiah at a time when some claim sacrificing the vulnerable few is needed so that the economy might live? How do we declare the primacy of peace, abundance, and life in an age that elevates survival of the fittest and resource scarcity? What unexpected signs of grace might spring from this dark time? Prepare to get eucatastrophised!
2020-05-0637 minThe EucatastropheOnline Church and Covid-19Dave and Joel discuss doing church in a pandemic. Churches can, in their very physical presence, resist the drift towards non-places – places that cultivate weak ties and treat persons as fungible. Buildings and bodies matter. But now we are all forced online. Church has become a Zoom meeting. Ministers are online personalities. Frenetic activity is the norm. What problems does this pose? What pathologies of church life does this potentially heighten? Dramatic sighs abound in this episode. We really just want some Eucharistic.
2020-04-2939 minThe EucatastropheCovid-19 and Total Depravity?Joel and Dave consider the question on everyone’s minds during this pandemic: is toilet paper hoarding evidence for total depravity? The Australian Prime Minister called such hoarding ‘unAustralian’. Joel and Dave discuss how our understanding of the person may be connected to our understanding of society, and consequently the role of political authority. Market economies have been naturalised as the clash or coordination of selfish individuals fearful of scarcity. This at least echoes the pessimism of viewing human nature as un-graced and entirely consumed by the fall. Put simply, hoarding toilet paper as a rational consumer might be somethin...
2020-04-2234 min
Further UpThe Psalms - IISome years ago, author and apologist Ravi Zacharias described modern times as perhaps the bleakest in world history. His words ring a bit truer today, don’t they? Think about this. If the history of humanity can be viewed as a narrative, then what kind of story do we find ourselves living? If it is a tragedy, as some would have us believe, then the only thing we have to look forward to is an endless cycle of meaninglessness. Others describe this life as one long journey in which the destination holds no importance; what ma...
2020-04-1803 min
GraceValley ChurchEucatastrophe - Kevin DeVriesWe are happy to have Kevin DeVries with us, with his message Eucatastrophe
2020-03-2234 minThe EucatastropheA Hidden LifeDave and Joel discuss Terrance Malick's A Hidden Life, a film recounting Franz Jägerstätter's journey towards martyrdom as he refuses to swear loyalty to Hitler. What can this film teach us about the nature of Christian witness during a time of dehumanising and demonic oppression? How can nature itself provide the spiritual resources necessary to resist a wicked juridical order? Join us as Dave gets all German Romantic on us and Joel yearns for the next Marvel movie.
2020-03-1134 minThe EucatastropheThe Not-So-Good PlaceDave and Joel rant about the television show ‘The Good Place’. What does this show say about our culture? In a word: decadent. Gripped by a desire for meaning and transcendence, we (like ‘The Good Place’ characters) settle instead for a life of perpetual consumption followed by boredom and then annihilation. Dave and Joel discuss how the show reflects a failure of moral imagination, and how it consequently reinforces a society in which persons are trapped by what Max Weber called ‘new gods’ – capitalism and bureaucracy – while convincing themselves this is freedom. Madness. It's a real maranatha-moment. Spoilers aplenty, plus men shoutin
2020-03-0436 minThe EucatastropheCulture WarsJoel and Dave discuss the paradigm of ‘culture wars’. Left v right, conservative v progressive – are these the battlelines of our times? In the 1990s, James Davison Hunter thought that these groups were locked in an interminable conflict, appealing to fundamentally different claims and sources of moral authority. However, Joel and Dave consider how culture warriors may present a unity-ticket. Legalistic, using rights as the shared discourse, and understanding politics as advocacy, culture warriors often seem like liberalism’s diabolical twins. It’s the first episode of Season 2! Smugness for life!
2020-02-2632 minThe EucatastropheGetting to Know Dave & JoelDave and Joel cap off the year by getting uncomfortably confessional. Answers are given to penetrating questions like, ‘Is there a correct way to pack a dishwasher and how does this relate to pursuing a career in legal scholarship?’ ‘What’s Dave’s favourite flavour of self-sabotage?’ ‘How easy would it be to find out exactly what Joel’s salary is?’ ‘Could this be even less popular than the Avengers episode?’ Join us for the episode that absolutely no one asked for … it’s the Eucatastrophe holiday extravaganza!
2019-12-1841 minThe EucatastropheAdvent when the world’s on fireIs the despair apocalypse upon us? Dave and Joel talk about how things seem pretty dark. In Sydney, state-wide bushfires have turned the city into a scene from Blade Runner 2049. Our politics seems to be locked into the same old paradigms. Our churches and religious communities often appear silent or, worse, the empire that strikes back. Do we see signs of renewal or life? What is the role of hope in a world on fire? Merry Christmas!
2019-12-1137 min
Praedicare: Catholic Homily PodcastEucatastrophe and the Stump of JesseHow can JRR Tolkien’s concept of Eucatastrophe help us to understand Isaiah’s prophecy of a shoot sprouting from the stump of Jesse? Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year A 12/8/2019
2019-12-0811 minThe EucatastropheThe JokerBonus episode! Dave and Joel ramble about The Joker, directed by Todd Phillips. Why was this a potentially good film wrapped in a strikingly average film? Was this Joker the equivalent of an evangelical sermon - all explanation, no mystery? Can you have the Joker without the Batman? What was all the controversy about? These are the questions that keep us up at night and keep us rambling. At least until The Rise of Skywalker.
2019-11-2728 minThe EucatastropheThe Church that DisagreesJoel and Dave think out loud about what it means to be the Church when we keep on disagreeing with each other. Schism is tragic, but unity is difficult. This is perhaps nowhere more apparent than Church conversations on sexuality. What does it mean to disagree well, or is the response to disagreement a seemingly voluntaristic ‘please leave’? Finishing this trilogy of episodes, Joel and Dave continue to discuss how disagreement may possibly take place within the shared recognition that we are each engaged in a conversation over goods integral to our common life and common faith. That would also...
2019-11-2035 minThe EucatastropheFriends with Bad OpinionsDave and Joel discuss whether you can be friends with someone who has awful opinions. Dave expends too much energy raging against something he heard on daytime television. According to Ellen DeGeneres, George W. Bush is simply another person whose opinion she disagrees with, but who nonetheless is kind and virtuous. When do someone’s political actions go beyond the realm of ‘opinion’ to something much more serious? What does friendship with a political leader look like? Why is it so hard for members of liberal democracies to imagine a truly evil act emerging from their own political system? All th...
2019-11-1337 minThe EucatastropheDoes Pluralism Defeat the Common Good?Is it wrong to seek the good or virtuous society in the face of evident pluralism? In some classical Christian thought, the king was tasked with cultivating virtue, including love of God. Joel and Dave discuss contemporary Christian voices who challenge this. For liberal thinkers like Nicholas Wolterstorff, Christians cannot seek to define the common good for society in this way; doing so would exclude or coerce non-Christians. In Wolterstorff’s terms, Christians must support the ‘mechanical state’, a neutral body-protecting ‘the excellence of freedom’. Joel and Dave raise their problems with this view, and challenge the argument that pluralism a...
2019-11-0636 minThe EucatastropheConsumerismDave and Joel discuss a monstrous multi-headed hydra: consumerism. How difficult it is for the rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Many Christians think greed is the problem. But what if money is? What if it runs hand in hand with a consumerism that promotes freedom as an end in itself, and accumulation and competition as the fundamental way we relate to each other? And then, what should we do? In sum: Dave gets worked-up about the affluent bourgeoisie.
2019-10-1637 minThe EucatastropheFaithful PresenceJoel and Dave discuss a potential alternative to Christians adopting the tactics of special interest groups, madly scrambling for power in the competitive world of politics. They reflect on James Davison Hunter’s proposal for ‘faithful presence’. Hunter argues that Christians must form persons and communities in different spheres of life that foster peace or embody the character of God. But can ‘faithful presence’ be cultivated in the absence of a political vision? Hunter’s account of politics (and its dangers or limits) is arguably governed by the sociologist’s obsession with power, something that Christians might challenge. Constantinianism is mentioned...
2019-10-0932 minThe EucatastropheTo Change the WorldJoel and Dave consider what is needed to create cultural change. They discuss James Davison Hunter’s claim that Christians are all too individualistic, pietistic, and worldview-istic. And his argument for networks of elites at the centre of cultural institutions. Is this Christian theorising of change or business card exchanges at popular NYC churches? Dave’s class-sense is tingling.
2019-10-0235 minThe EucatastropheLiturgical CrimesThis week Joel and Dave go all 'why, church? why?' and discuss many of their pet peeves about how churches can order their worship. From pastors trying to out do the creeds, to 40 minute explain-athons, they've got complaints about everything!
2019-09-1133 minThe EucatastropheDisability and DignityJoel and Dave discuss how disability poses a challenge to a liberal understanding of dignity grounded in personal autonomy. How can a Christian personalist perspective provide resources for understanding disability and human flourishing? What does it mean to view people with intellectual disabilities as a gift to the Christian community? All this and more on our 20th episode extravaganza!
2019-09-0437 minThe EucatastropheThe Individual v. The PersonJoel and Dave discuss what it means to be a person. Liberal thought tends to understand the dignity of the individual as arising from a capacity for ethical freedom. This poses difficulties – not simply for how we understand the ends of the individual, but how we understand those who do not fit the autonomy mould. In contrast, Joel and Dave raise Christian personalism. Within this tradition of reflection, the person is understood fundamentally as a creative gift, uniquely needed for the building of a communion oriented to God. That has radical implications: for our churches, for labour practices, for un...
2019-08-2834 minThe EucatastropheLoneliness and the Search for SelfDave and Joel are taking the week off. Never fear! As a substitute enjoy a recording of Dave's recent public lecture 'Loneliness and the Search for Self' where he talks loneliness, totalitarianism, social media, and the redemptive power of art.
2019-08-141h 19The EucatastropheBullshitDave introduces Harry Frankfurt's influential essay 'On Bullshit'. Frankfurt describes a new form of discourse that disentangles itself from traditional categories of truth and falsehood. What happens to politics, academia, and religion when language becomes a game? Can concern for social justice or the souls of others justify meaningless or manipulative discourse? How will Dave handle Natalie Portman becoming Thor? Answers abound!
2019-08-0733 min
Sure Foundation Lutheran ChurchWhat a Eucatastrophe!In a letter to his son, author J.R.R. Tolkien coined a term that in his mind described what makes a story great - eucatastrophe! A good catastrophe. He defined his word as a happy turn in a story that brings one to tears of joy. Tolkien compared the euphoria of eucatastrophe to the joyous relief of an out-of-joint limb suddenly snapped back into place. Join me to experience the euphoria of the eucatastrophes God is causing in our stories!
2019-08-0526 minSure Foundation Lutheran ChurchWhat a Eucatastrophe!In a letter to his son, author J.R.R. Tolkien coined a term that in his mind described what makes a story great - eucatastrophe! A good catastrophe. He defined his word as a happy turn in a story that brings one to tears of joy. Tolkien compared the euphoria of eucatastrophe to the joyous relief of an out-of-joint limb suddenly snapped back into place. Join me to experience the euphoria of the eucatastrophes God is causing in our stories!
2019-08-0526 minSure Foundation Lutheran ChurchWhat a Eucatastrophe!In a letter to his son, author J.R.R. Tolkien coined a term that in his mind described what makes a story great - eucatastrophe! A good catastrophe. He defined his word as a happy turn in a story that brings one to tears of joy. Tolkien compared the euphoria of eucatastrophe to the joyous relief of an out-of-joint limb suddenly snapped back into place. Join me to experience the euphoria of the eucatastrophes God is causing in our stories!
2019-08-0526 minThe EucatastropheFolau and Religious LibertyJoel and Dave discuss religious liberty and the on-going case of Israel Folau, a now former Wallabies rugby player with a not so good meme-game. They consider several problematic arguments circulating: the claim that contract is foundational; an emphasis on brand management; and a focus on religious liberty as moral autonomy. Call it a syllabus of errors all round. Call it the closest Dave will ever get to talking rugby.
2019-07-3134 minThe EucatastropheFleabag and Augustinian DesireJoel and Dave talk about love, the popular show Fleabag, and Augustine’s Confessions. They discuss how our desires can both be directed towards something good but at the same time destructively disoriented, how desire needs grace – so we can experience each other as a subject of fathomless depths who is loved by God – and how desire may consequently move us towards God. What does a sex-mad 30-something in London have to say to us? Quite a bit. And this podcast? That youth groups can be messed up.
2019-07-1733 minThe EucatastropheCultural Marxism Part 2Dave and Joel discuss how talk of ‘cultural Marxism’ can distract us from a much more needed examination of liberalism. Rather than radical cultural Marxists, we have different ‘sides’ within an intra-liberal debate. Market freedoms or expressive individualism – the state facilitating forms of autonomy. Dave and Joel get worked up about what this says about the nature of freedom and society, and how the Church, participating in this tradition, is stripped of its moral vocabulary. It’s your weekly rant (or, for some, ‘illicit pleasure’).
2019-07-1035 minThe EucatastropheCultural Marxism Part 1Dave and Joel discuss the concept of 'cultural Marxism' and the role that it plays in strands of contemporary conservative discourse. Does the term 'cultural Marxism' actually point to anything? How might supposed 'cultural Marxists' help the Church criticise contemporary social imaginaries? Can we all please stop using this term? Is Dave a Ninja Turtle? All this and more on the first Eucatastrophe two part special.
2019-07-0335 minThe EucatastropheIs Authenticity Redeemable?Joel and Dave discuss the modern quest for authenticity, a key idea in our time. ‘Authenticity’ is often wedded to theories of ethical individualism, or even pursuing commodities in the market. The person true to his own understanding of the divine or moral conviction; the sneakerhead cultivating an identity; the social media profile presenting an authentic me. Is authenticity the antithesis of searching for shared ends? Joel and Dave consider how authenticity, differently understood, is crucial to a life together. All part of Dave’s plot to bring more of the feels to the podcast.
2019-06-1933 minThe EucatastropheBrittle FundamentalismThis week Dave makes Joel uncomfortable by getting confessional, discussing his conversion to reformed Evangelical Christianity, and how it provided him with intellectual resources necessary to deal with a messy world. The power of Reformed theology, according to Dave, is its great explanatory power. Yet what happens when the intellectual system collapses as it does for so many? Dave and Joel discuss two possible responses to such a crisis: post-evangelicalism, and militant atheism, and how both operate on the same logic as the thing which they are seeking to reject.
2019-06-1236 minThe EucatastropheThe Benedict OptionJoel and Dave discuss 'The Benedict Option', Rod Dreher's book arguing that Christians, now alienated from a world they thought was their own, must form parallel communities. (AKA Hauerwas for reactionaries.) While sympathetic to the communal themes, they have some problems. Is Dreher's 'option' another project of liberalism? Why this option, singular? Can Christian attempts to build parallel communities ever be divorced from civil authority, or the common good? Will Dave escape the clutches of cultural marxism? Same bat-time. Same bat-channel.
2019-06-0634 minThe EucatastropheSacrifice ZonesJoel and Dave discuss what happens when the state withdraws from a place, creating a sacrifice zone of economic and environmental devastation. They ruminate on dark things: geographic places and economic spheres in which those deemed unworthy of full moral consideration must live. How is this central to the logic of the liberal state promoting infinite desire or freedom? Where does a response begin? Spoiler: St Paul helps.
2019-05-2234 minThe EucatastropheResisting Secular SpaceJoel and Dave discuss the fire of Notre Dame. What does the outpouring of grief over a Christian cathedral tell us about the longings of a post-secular age? They contrast this with the tendency to create 'non-places' in late-capitalist, cosmopolitan cities: spaces transitory, ahistorical, interchangeable, empty, and unjust. Unsurprisingly, they suggest that ecclesial spaces may offer an alternative to this dehumanising trend.
2019-05-1535 minThe EucatastropheAvengers: Endgame as EucatastropheDave and Joel offer an unapologetically pretentious and exuberant review of Avengers: Endgame. They discuss narrative delight; Christian humanist heroes; desire for enchantment; and the joy of the eucatastrophe – the denial of universal final defeat. Wordsworth, Tolstoy, and Homer are mentioned. Spoilers, both emotional and narrative, are constant.
2019-05-0833 minThe EucatastropheFirst Reformed, Hope & DespairDave and Joel discuss Paul Schrader's 'First Reformed' - what it says about a life of introspection, despair against a backdrop of cataclysmic climate change, the hope of natality, and the sense of alienation from one's own tradition. Spoilers abound.
2019-04-2432 minThe EucatastropheChristianity: it's a religionDave and Joel rail against a common line: "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion". Against talk of an individualised relationship, they discuss how Christian religion points to ethical formation for a common life. Religion is something - a practice, an orientation, a virtue - that shapes us personally and corporately, spiritually and politically. Cards are put on the table. Listeners will be alienated. Ministers will suggest "meeting up for coffee."
2019-04-1734 minThe EucatastropheRespecting Religion; Respecting IslamDave and Joel discuss what it means to respect a religion. In the wake of the Christchurch terror attack, there have been renewed calls to embrace our Islamic neighbours and reject anti-Islamic bigotry. While positive, much of this (and current) rhetoric does not address Islam on its own terms, instead reducing it to a form of identity. Dave and Joel discuss how respecting religion means recognising the nature of a community or tradition, and the claim that there is in fact a (good) religious end to be sought.
2019-04-1031 minThe EucatastropheThe Lonely SubjectDave and Joel discuss whether loneliness is ‘baked-into’ a liberal understanding of society and political authority. They then turn to Hannah Arendt’s thought that loneliness is a precursor to totalitarianism because it reflects a loss of ‘common sense’. This, they wildly suggest, is echoed in some churches. An emphasis on an unmediated and personal relationship can mean memory loss or loss of the grammar of a tradition.
2019-04-0332 minThe EucatastropheReligious Desire and Making Things StrangeDave and Joel discuss the religious desire for the transcendent, and how this can go in terrible and banal directions, as well as the theological task of making things in the world strange. JRR Tolkien’s essay ‘On Fairy Tales’ provides the jumping-off point. It also provides the name ‘eucatastrophe’. Convenient.
2019-03-2732 minThe EucatastropheWho are we, why this podcast.Joel and Dave lay some of their cards on the table, unpacking a few of the basic assumptions framing their conversations. They discuss how the primacy of the self-determining individual cuts across most political and religious thought and why they think that is a problem.
2019-03-1233 min
P&C's Talking Tolkien Book ClubHobbit Ch17: EucatastropheDear Friends,
The Battle of Five Armies commences! Patrick and Clifford discuss the lead up to it and the battle itself as well as hitting on one of Tolkien's big literary concepts: Eucatastrophe. Please and enjoy and send to a friend! Thank you for listening!
2019-02-281h 07
orkest de ereprijsBenjamin Blakenstein - EucatastropheBenjamin Blakenstein - Eucatastrophe by orkest de ereprijs
2018-02-1004 min
Calvary ChurchEucatastropheThis week we close out the book of Esther by seeing how faithful, audacious prayer can lead to the greatest reversal of our circumstances. God is faithful and he has a great eucatastrophe waiting for all of us.
2017-09-0334 min
Calvary ChurchEucatastropheThis week we close out the book of Esther by seeing how faithful, audacious prayer can lead to the greatest reversal of our circumstances. God is faithful and he has a great eucatastrophe waiting for all of us.
2017-09-0334 minCalvary ChurchEucatastropheThis week we close out the book of Esther by seeing how faithful, audacious prayer can lead to the greatest reversal of our circumstances. God is faithful and he has a great eucatastrophe waiting for all of us.
2017-09-0334 min