The Man, the Myth, the Art of JRR Tolkien | Speech by Sadie Woodley
52m
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Before there was a book club, there was this talk.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Sadie Woodley's first public lecture — on the life, works, and Catholic faith of J.R.R. Tolkien — is where the Great Catholic Book Club began. It was delivered at a small gathering in Iowa City, and we think it still holds up beautifully.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Sadie came to Tolkien seriously at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where dedicated coursework under formative professors shaped not just how she reads Tolkien, but how she reads everything. That depth shows here. This isn't a fan's appreciation of hobbits and wizards — it's a careful, unhurried exploration of how a deeply Catholic imagination gave rise to one of the most spiritually rich bodies of fiction in the English language.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Tolkien believed that human beings are sub-creators — that when we make stories, we participate in something God himself does. His own stories bear that out. They are full of hope, courage, and a tenderness for the human condition that never tips into sentimentality. His characters show us what we are capable of. His world insists that goodness is not naïve — it is, in the end, triumphant. Whenever Sadie needs to reaffirm her affection for mankind, she returns to The Lord of the Rings.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This is where it all started. We're glad you're here.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Great Catholic Book Club is an online community for people who want to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through good literature and art, read through the lens of the Catholic faith. We believe that beauty is a path to God, and that "the glory of God is man fully alive."</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]">🌐 greatcatholicbookclub.com 📚 Current Reading List: greatcatholicbookclub.com/books ✝️ Join the Club: greatcatholicbookclub.com/join</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Gloria in excelsis Deo.</p>
