About

This episode represents the final section of my conversation with Josh Everett, professor of British literature at Central Texas College, and Edwin Crozier, preacher and co-host of the Text Talk podcast. If you have not checked out the first two installments, please do so. Here we discuss the literary legacy J.R.R. Tolkien has left for us, and the legacy of faith we inherit from those who came before and leave to those who come up afterward. “Generic fantasy” is a term boardgamers often use to describe the sort of quasi-human creatures that have become ubiquitous in our lifetime. We have seen enough dwarves, goblins, elves, sorcerers and halflings to fill a game library — and that is exactly what many have done. Others scoff at “generic fantasy,” saying it’s all the same, hopelessly derivative and cliché. But it wasn’t cliché in Tolkien’s day. He made it cliché by doing it so well and inspiring thousands of copycats. We inherit a legacy from earlier generations of Christians, and we leave one for the generations to come. How important is it to respect what we have received, and what measures can we take to leave something valuable behind? Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  Key words: Tolkien, hobbits, Lord of the Rings, Lewis, C.S. Lewis, Narnia, fantasy, generic fantasy, legacy, copycats, cliche, Reformation, Frodo, Bilbo, Faramir, Samwise Gamgee,