Today J.R.R. Tolkien turns 131! My buddy and pro-Tolkien nerd Nick Polk joined me to share a toast to Tolkien and reflect on a passage we selected as we enter a new year. After the toast, you will hear our special Tolkien Heads session from Theology Beer Camp, which was a bunch of fun.

Nick Polk is the production editor for Mallorn, the academic journal of The Tolkien Society. His most recent research includes his essay entitled â€œMiddle-earth in South Park: The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers as Parody.â€ Other than Tolkien, his other loves include his wife Kelly, coffee, and punk. Nothing sounds better than starting the day reading a Tolkien book with a cup of coffee and ending it in a moshpit with loved ones.

Experiencing God: an Open Online Class

Kick off the new year with a nerdy good time. The next Homebrewed class will be a robust exploration of how the tools of science, philosophy, and theology help us discern meaning from divine encounters. Weâ€™ll discuss God-experiences as mediated through faith communities, the mind, nature, the Bible, psychedelics, and more. And weâ€™ll do all this with an eye towards the future, exploring the possibilities for how a lived-theology could express itself in the world. Check it out here.

Hereâ€™s the trailer for Experiencing God (the online class) Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community.

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