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A discussion on beauty in art and culture and its place in the Catholic faith.
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![[Audio Fixed] “Seeing is both good and perilous”: Information and Action in The Lord of the Rings](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/3970785/Untitled_design_300x300.jpg){kind=logo}
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Apologies for re-releasing this old episode, there was a technical issue which needed to be resolved. New episode of Risking Enchantment coming soon. Thank you for your patience!
“You may learn something, and whether what you see be fair or evil, that may be profitable, and yet it may not. Seeing is both good and perilous.”
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
In this episode of Risking Enchantment we’re discussing one of our favourite topics: The Lord of the Rings. We’re taking a look at the way Tolkien’s characters are often forced to make decisions and take action with very limited information. We also explore Tolkien’s theme of the tendency to despair that can be caused by receiving too much information, especially through magical means, a theme with great relevance today especially when drawn in comparison to technology and the transmission of news online. We look at the way that Tolkien’s interest in this element of his story impacts his writing approach, crafting the books in their leapfrogging narrative style, as well as the possible origins of this interest in his work as a signal’s officer in World War 1.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works Referenced
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings (dir. Peter Jackson) Appendices Bonus Material
“JRR Tolkien, World War One Signals Officer” by Elizabeth Bruton
The Road to Middle Earth by Tom Shippey
Dracula by Bram Stoker
What we’re Enjoying at the Moment
Phoebe: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Rachel: Winters in the World by Eleanor Parker
Both: Living (2022, dir Oliver Hermanus)
Saturday Apr 01, 2023
Saturday Apr 01, 2023
“Do not fear death, but rather the unlived life. You don't have to live forever. You just have to live.” - Tuck Everlasting
In this episode, Rachel and Phoebe explore a variety of stories that explore the desire for immortality, and the challenge of embracing the reality of death. Beginning from perhaps a surprising starting point, the teen fantasy film Tuck Everlasting, we move into the depictions of the temptations to grasp eternal life in J.R.R. Tolkien’s work and in C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew. We draw out the parallels to the conceptions of unfallen Man in the Bible. We also discuss how we need to embrace the time that is given us, not to grasp on to our youth but to look forward to the future, both in this life and the next.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works Mentioned
Tuck Everlasting (2002)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Tolkien’s Modern Reading by Holly Ordway
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Humphrey Carpenter
About Time (2013)
‘"The Gift of Death": Tolkien's Philosophy of Mortality’ by Grant C. Sterling
Groundhog Day and the Meaning of Time, Born of Wonder podcast
What we’re Enjoying at the Moment
Phoebe: Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes by Mollie Panter-Downes
The Thing about Austen podcast
Rachel: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
‘Out of the east came the Magi bearing gifts,
hastening in their journey to the Christ child;
but now Irish scholars arrive from western lands,
bringing their precious gifts of learning’.
- Sedulius Scottus
As we’re approaching the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re turning our focus to the patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick and St Brigid. Greg Daly joins us to discuss the modern conceptions and celebrations of these saints: who they were as historical figures, who they weren’t as pagan deities, and how to approach their many miracle stories from our current perspective. We delve into the incredible achievements and faith of early Christian Ireland, and highlight the issues around the current trend of erasing faith from the celebration of Irish saints and Irish history in general.
Wishing our listeners a very happy St. Patrick’s Day.
“Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!”
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Greg Daly
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Follow Greg on social media: @GregDalyIC, @thirstygargoyle
http://thethirstygargoyle.blogspot.com/
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Find out more about Leaven Magazine at https://leavenmagazine.ie/
Works Mentioned:
A History of the Irish Church 400-700 AD
The Life of St. Brigid of Kildare by Cogitosus
“Distant glimmerings of Irish light”, Leaven by Fr Conor McDonough
“An unlikely saviour: Without folklore and folk traditions, Catholicism in Ireland might not have survived centuries of persecution and oppression”, Leaven by Francis Young
Ireland's Golden Age: 'The work of angelic, not human, skill’
“The New Paganism” by Hilaire Belloc
Heretics by G.K. Chesterton
What we’re enjoying at the moment:
Greg: Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV series)
Rachel: Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Friday Feb 24, 2023
“[H]ope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”
- The Shawshank Redemption
In this episode of Risking Enchantment, Rachel and Phoebe discuss one of the most highly acclaimed and best beloved films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. Released in 1994, it slowly grew to prominence, now dominating the top rank on lists of best movies. What draws audiences to this story of Andy Dufrense, a quiet man sent to prison for the murder of his wife and her lover? We explore the film’s themes of hope and the building up of a rich inner life, as well as its masterful storytelling and even the biblical influences to be found in its symbolism.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works Referenced
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Bishop Barron: Andy Dufrense as a Christ figure
The Hidden Meaning of the Shawshank Redemption
Shawshank's Hollowed-Out Bible
On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien
Spe salvi by Pope Benedict XVI
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment
Phoebe: Calamity Jane
Rachel: To Catch a Thief / The Stella Cinema, Dublin
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Friday Feb 10, 2023
“[T]he Middle Ages…was in some ways immeasurably more humane and creative than its modern successors. It was happy to see human life as fully part of the natural world, shaped by the cycles of the sun and moon and the seasons; it was able to articulate a belief that material considerations, convenience, and economic productivity are not the highest goods, and not the only standards by which life should be lived.” - Eleanor Parker, A Clerk of Oxford
For this first episode of 2023, I’m delighted to be joined by Eleanor Parker, author of Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year. Eleanor teaches Old and Middle English literature at Brasenose College, Oxford as well as being columnist for History Today and many other publications. She is known online, especially on Twitter for her blog A Clerk of Oxford.
In our discussion, we delve into the experience of the seasons in Anglo-Saxon England, how they perceived the natural world around them through poetry and literature, and how they integrated the seasons with their faith through the liturgical year. We also speak about our modern experience of the seasons, what has changed, and what has remained the same for over a thousand years, and what we can learn from the Anglo-Saxons about living the year well.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Eleanor Parker
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow Eleanor on Twitter: @ClerkofOxford
Click the links below to buy her books
Read her blog, Clerk of Oxford
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works referenced:
Winters in the World: A Journey through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker
Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England by Eleanor Parker
‘A Clerk of Oxford’ blog - Eleanor Parker
Easter in Old English Poetic Imagination - Risking Enchantment
“'This doubtful day of feast or fast': Good Friday and the Annunciation”, A Clerk of Oxford, Eleanor Parker
“The sad loss of our common rituals”, Unherd, Eleanor Parker
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C.S. Lewis
The Menologium
Maxims II
The Wanderer
Things We're Enjoying at the Moment
Eleanor: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (audiobook)
Rachel: Collected Longer Poems by W.H. Auden
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
"All these things happen on Christmas Eve, they are all told of on Christmas Eve. For ghost stories to be told on any other evening than the evening of the twenty-fourth of December would be impossible in English society as at present regulated. Therefore, in introducing the sad but authentic ghost stories that follow hereafter, I feel that it is unnecessary to inform the student of Anglo-Saxon literature that the date on which they were told and on which the incidents took place was—Christmas Eve." - Jerome K. Jerome
In our Christmas episode of Risking Enchantment, Rachel and Phoebe discuss the history of Christmas ghost stories, their popularity in the Victorian era and the impact of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. We also look at the ghostly elements that can be drawn out of the nativity story and how spooky stories can actually help us enter into the spirit of the season.
We hope you enjoy the episode and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and blessings for the new year ahead.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works referenced:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Lamp magazine - Christmas Ghost Story Competitions
After-Supper Ghost Stories by Jerome K. Jerome
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" Ghost Stories by M.R. James
The Mezzotint (TV Movie 2021)
"How Fear Departed the Long Gallery", Ghost Stories by E.F. Benson
The Goblin Who Stole a Sexton by Charles Dickens
For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden
"Into the Dark With God: A Christmas Meditation on the Incarnation, for a Troubled World" by Hans Urs Von Balthasar
The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton
"The History of Christmas Ghost Stories" by Francis Young
Winters in the World by Eleanor Parker
The Snowman (1982)
Shadows by George MacDonald
Things We're Enjoying at the Moment
Phoebe: The Story Story Podcast
Rachel: Little Women (1994) and Dickens Audiobooks
Saturday Nov 19, 2022
Saturday Nov 19, 2022
"A story that was a metaphor for American capitalism in the tale of a great king with three sons: the oldest was given his passion and aggressiveness, the second his sweet nature and child-like qualities, and the third his intelligence, cunning, and coldness. Suddenly I saw the story as one of succession and power."
- Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Notebook
In this episodes, I’m delighted to be joined by Katie Marquette, host of the Born of Wonder podcast. We’re discussing one of our favourite films, The Godfather. We explore the film’s themes of power, the desire for justice, and the complexity of family loyalty. We discuss the film’s artistic achievement and how it utilizes its Catholic backdrop to powerful effect.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Katie Marquette
Listen to Katie’s podcast: Born of Wonder
Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow Katie on social media: @bornofwonder
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Rachel was also recently a guest on the Born of Wonder podcast. To listen to that episode, click here: Falling in Love with Words: Nora Ephron and You’ve Got Mail with Rachel Sherlock
Works Referenced:
The Godfather, Part 1
The Godfather, Part 2
“At 50 years, 'The Godfather' still impacts how Hollywood depicts gangs, violence”, National Catholic Report
“The Godfather’s two endings: Lighting a candle and the wrong side of the door”, Decent Films
“Cycle of Sin: Christian Themes in The Godfather”, Critics at Large
The Godfather: How Michael Corleone Evolves
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment:
Katie: The Autumn Season
Rachel: Castle Howard: Into the Woods - A Fairytale Christmas
Laysongs by Chris Thile
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
“The Unknown is at turns gothic and autumnal, grim and threatening or comforting and even silly, with seasons of harvest and hearth giving way to snow and silence.”
- Martin Cahill
In this episode of Risking Enchantment I'm joined by professional animator Robyn Conroy to discuss the little known gem of autumnal animation that is Cartoon Network's 2014 Over the Garden Wall.
The story centres on two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in strange woods, adrift in time, in a place called The Unknown. With the help of Beatrice, an impatient bluebird they travel through this mysterious place encountering strange and eerie situations in search of a way home. Throughout their journey, they outwit a series of minor antagonists, yet The Beast— an unidentifiable, manipulative monster — consistently looms in the brothers’ shadows, waiting for their moment of weakness.
In the episode we discuss our love for the show and it's grounding in the virtues of hope and self-sacrifice, as well as the rich tapestry of literary and artistic allusions which form a backdrop to the story. In particular we look at how the series draws on Dante's Inferno, and how show creator Patrick McHale embraces nostalgia and Americana in order to create a uniquely American fairy tale for the modern age.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Robyn Conroy
Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow Robyn on Instagram: @robynconroyart
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Robyn's previous episodes on Risking Enchantment include:
- Stranger Things in Stranger Times: Nostalgia in the Digital Age
- The Prince of Egypt: An Epic in Animation
- Cartoon Saloon: Celtic and Christian Coexistence
Works Referenced:
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
“Over the Garden Wall Deep Dive: Background & Cultural Context” by Bella Trucco
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Over the Garden Wall is Dante's Inferno (Symbolism Analysis) by Trey the Explainer
Is Over The Garden Wall About Having Faith? by PBS Digital Studios
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment
Robyn: Midnights by Taylor Swift
Rachel: The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
“There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored." - Flannery O'Connor
For this episode of the podcast we're doubling up the Sherlocks as Rachel is joined by her brother Michael to discuss the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. In this episode we place the film in the tradition of the Southern Gothic genre and talk about the influence of Flannery O'Connor on the film's story and storytelling technique. We delve into O'Connor's use of violence and grace, and analyze the role of God in our yearning for both justice and mercy.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Michael Sherlock
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works Referenced:
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor
'How Three Billboards went from film fest darling to awards-season controversy' by Alissa Wilkinson
'Beyond Grief and Anger: A Review of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”' by Fr. Damien Ference
"Three Billboards, Flannery O’Connor, and Hope" by Philip Bunn
The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor
The Habit of Being by Flannery O'Connor
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment
Michael: Breaking Bad
Rachel: Machine Gun Kelly, Mainstream Sellout Tour
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams. He began to say to himself: ‘Perhaps I shall cross the River myself one day.’ To which the other half of his mind always replied: ‘Not yet.’”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
In this episode of the podcast Rachel and Phoebe discuss their love of autumn, the glory of its natural splendour and the joy to be found in the rituals of decoration homes and drawing in from the elements. But within this discussion is an exploration of the seeming boom in the commercialisation and content packaging of the season, seen across social media and even high street shops. Among the points discussed are René Girard’s theory of mimetic desire, how social media draws us into both inspiration and envy, and how to find a balanced way to embrace the season.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson
Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Works Referenced
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
WOF 348: The Power of Mimetic Desire w/ Luke Burgis, The Word on Fire Podcast
Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis
The Sorrows of Autumn - Born of Wonder Podcast
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montegomery
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Humphrey Carpenter
Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montegomery
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Thomas Wingfold, Curate by George MacDonald
The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes
‘October’ by Edward Thomas
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment
Rachel: See How They Run (2022)
Phoebe: A Tangled Web by Lucy Maud Montegomery