The Plunge with Derek Holser

The Great & Terrible Afterlife: A Conversation w/Karen Scheffler on Lewis's The Great Divorce

Welcome to Episode 5 in our 9-part series on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce. Thank you for joining us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
 
Today's conversation features Karen Scheffler, who is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Half a lifetime ago, she moved to Vermont where she and her husband raised two boys. Karen has been a teacher, an artist, a wildflower, and a business owner. She's the person who stands in the back of the room, taking it all in. 
 
In her words, Karen is "an insignificant human intensely interested in becoming that shining light about which she's heard rumors - less and less terrified about what it means, mainly because of all the stars she's been meeting along the way.
 
Karen and I discuss the Secret Garden and the Sacred Heart, the horrors of Lewis's portrayal of the great and terrible afterlife, and the power of un-masking ourselves and becoming who God made us to be.

The Curious Case of Clive's Archangelic Letter: A Great Divorce Conversation w/Brenton Dickieson (Episode IV)

Welcome to Episode 4 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
 
 
 
 
Today's conversation features Brenton Dickieson, a father, husband, friend, university lecturer, and freelance writer. Brenton lives in the nearly magical land of Prince Edward Island with his superstar kindergarten teacher wife, Kerry, and their son, Nicolas, a singer-songwriter.
 
 
You can follow Brenton on X, @BrentonDana.
 
 
 
 
Brenton and I discuss the curious case of the Archangelic Letter, Lewis's approach in a number of stories, the legacy of The Great Divorce and the cultural implications of the transition in the West from the Baby Boomers to the Millenials (with a brief interlude for the perpetually overlooked Gen X).
 
 
 
 
To learn more about the "Archangelic Letter", please check out these articles:
 
 
 
https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2024/10/02/the-other-side-of-screwtape-c-s-lewiss-archangel-fragment-an-archival-publication-by-brenton-dickieson-and-charlie-starr/
 
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cslewisjournal/vol13/iss1/2/
 
 
 
 
 
As the author of more than 1,100 articles, blog posts, and reviews, Brenton has worked as a freelance author, columnist, and policy writer for Canadian magazines and the government of Prince Edward Island. As a theologian of literature, Brenton writes the popular website, A Pilgrim in Narnia, which explores the intersections of faith, fantasy, and fiction. With more than 1.1 million website hits and a yearly readership now exceeding 200,000, more than 8,000 social media followers, and significant networks within the scholarly and readerly worlds of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings, Brenton has a powerful platform for considering the literary, spiritual, and theological interest of some of our most famous world-builders, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, and others. In becoming the Founding Producer and Host of the SSHRC-funded “MaudCast: The Podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute” in 2020, Brenton has increased his networks of popular and scholarly readers who like to talk about the books they love. Brenton is a popular guest speaker for theological and literary societies and a sought-after essayist.
 
 
 
 
https://apilgriminnarnia.com/about
 

Courage, Dear Heart: A Conversation w/Monika Hilder on Lewis's Great Divorce (Episode III)

Welcome to Episode 3 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
 
 
 
Today's conversation features Monika B. Hilder, an author, professor and speaker who specializes in Fantasy and Children's Literature, with a particular focus on the writings of C.S. Lewis and other Inklings-related writers.
 
 
 
Monika and I discuss the importance of listening to Aslan, of trusting God, the dangers of hell and the interaction between Lewis and his afterlife guide, George MacDonald. Monika's newest fiction book is ⁠Letters to Annie: A Grandmother’s Dreams of Fairy Tale Princesses, Princes, & Happily Ever After ⁠(2022). She has published fiction, poetry, drama, articles, and a three-volume study of C.S. Lewis and gender: ⁠The Feminine Ethos in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia⁠ (2012), ⁠The Gender Dance: Ironic Subversion in C.S. Lewis’s Cosmic Trilogy⁠ (2013), and ⁠Surprised by the Feminine: A Rereading of C.S. Lewis and Gender⁠ (2013).
 
 
 
She is co-editor of ⁠The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada ⁠(2020). Monika has also published on George MacDonald, Madeleine L’Engle, and L. M. Montgomery. She has a passion for educating the moral imagination through literature and writes about spirituality, gender metaphor, ethics, fairy tale, suffering and consolation, joy, imagery of Heaven, and celebrating one’s gifts.
 
 
 
She has written children’s picture books and an inspirational book for creative artists. Monika has appeared on CBC Radio and has spoken at conferences across Canada, in the United States, England, Scotland, and Romania. She is Professor of English at Trinity Western University and co-founder and co-director of the Inklings Institute of Canada.
 
 
 
And as the first Canadian-born member of her family, Monika explores the meaning(s) of homeland, the plight of the refugee, and identity—in short, the importance of story.             
 
 
Discover more from Monika at https://monikahilder.com/

Father and Son: A Conversation on Lewis's Great Divorce (Episode 2)

Welcom to Episode 2 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." We will explore and I hope you enjoy, the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
Today's conversation features a father and son duo, David and Turner Burnett. We discuss the lasting solidity of heaven, the work of becoming our true selves, and learn a bit about a man named Emmanuel Swedenborg. We hope you'll enjoy our splendid romp through the realm of Lewis's Great Divorce - welcome to the Plunge!
David Burnett is an attorney, investor and avid fly fisherman. He and his wife Tricia have four children and recently celebrated the birth of their first grandchild. David holds an M.Th. from Fuller Theological Seminary and has spent most of his adult life actively supporting the work of International Justice Mission, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to partnering with local justice systems around the world to build safe communities, where all are protected from violence and slavery.
Turner Burnett is a husband, father, writer, music artist and amateur pie-maker. He spends most of his time day-dreaming about seeing artists partner with God to create meaningful beauty that draws people into the Kingdom of Heaven. A Seattle native, Turner currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works at Sony Music in artist development. His favorite color is blue!
Thanksgiving special: Kentucky Derby Pie!
https://www.thespruceeats.com/kentucky-derby-chocolate-walnut-pie-recipe-101352

C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce" Introductory Episode: All Aboard to Grey Town

This is the introductory episode of our nine-episode series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce."
 
We will explore and I hope you enjoy, the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
 
Our guests include notable scholars, theologians and friends. In no particular order, they are as follows: Monika Hilder, Brenton Dickieson, Stephen Dunning, David Burnett, Turner Burnett, Elizabeth Hardy, Jess Lederman, Karen Scheffler, and Joel Wentz.
 
This episode includes a reading of the preface, written by C.S. Lewis. It also containst excerpts from many of the conversations, although we have not yet recorded with Elizabeth Hardy or Joel Wentz. I have no doubt their conversation will be as dazzling as all the others. Welcome to the Plunge: All Aboard for Grey Town!
 
 
There is no other day. All days are present now. This moment contains all moments...
 
Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains...
 
Everything becomes more and more itself. Here is joy that cannot be shaken. Our light can swallow up your darkness; but your darkness cannot now infect our light...

The End of Evil: A LILTH Conversation w/Chris Green and Jordan Daniel Wood

Happy Halloween 2024!
 
Welcome to The End of Evil, the Finale of our 8-part series entitled LILITH: George MacDonald's Tale of Life Through Death.
 
This is the conclusion of our 8-part series on the theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.
This episode features a conversation with Bishop Chris Green and Theologian Jordan Daniel Wood.
Chris is a Bishop in the Continuing Anglican Movement and is Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University. He is the author of numerous books, most recently The Fire and The Cloud, A Biblical Christology. His podcast and various essays can be found on his Substack, Speakeasy Theology.
Dr. Jordan Daniel Wood is assistant professor of theology at Belmont University in Nashville. Jordan is the author of The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor (https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Mystery-Christ-Incarnation-Confessor/dp/0268203474) His essays can be found on his Substack, Words in Flesh. He comments frequently on faith, philosophy and the scripture on Twitter/X. Follow him @JordanW41069857 https://twitter.com/JordanW41069857
“Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly. This has been always the instinct of Christendom, and especially the instinct of Christian art. Seriousness is not a virtue. It would be a heresy, but a much more sensible heresy, to say that seriousness is a vice. It is really a natural trend or lapse into taking one's self gravely, because it is the easiest thing to do.  For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity."
G.K. Chesterton
 

Jesus Is The Multiverse: A LILITH Conversation w/Jordan Daniel Wood

In Christ himself, eternity and time are one, which means that He himself becomes the bridge from one moment to all other moments. So now all moments on the timeline open up to all other ones in a way that, as a timeline, wouldn't be possible. It's barely conceivable.In essence, Jesus is the Multiverse.
This is Part 7 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.
This episode features a conversation with theologian Jordan Daniel Wood, author of The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor.
(https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Mystery-Christ-Incarnation-Confessor/dp/0268203474)
Dr. Jordan Daniel Wood is assistant professor of theology at Belmont University. His essays can be found on his substack, Words in Flesh. He comments frequently on faith, philosophy and the scripture on Twitter/X. Follow him @JordanW41069857
https://twitter.com/JordanW41069857
He is currently at work on a volume of Maximus’s letters, many translated for the first time in English.
In this episode we discuss the nature of self-delusion, the nothingness of evil, and the work of God in time, and through time, to redeem and restore all time for all eternity.

A LILITH Conversation with Jordan Daniel Wood: Reality & Theosis

This is Part 6 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through with Lilith, George MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.
 
 
This episode features a conversation with theologian Jordan Daniel Wood, author of The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor.https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Mystery-Christ-Incarnation-Confessor/dp/0268203474
 
 
In this episode we discuss the nature of reality, dualistic thinking, metamorphosis and theosis and how George MacDonald illuminates the deepest and truest realities of existence through the journey of Mr. Vane with his intrepid guide, Mr. Raven.
 
 
Dr. Jordan Daniel Wood is assistant professor of theology at Belmont University. His essays can be found on his Substack https://jordandanielwood.substack.com/
 
 
He is active on Twitter/X. Follow him at
https://twitter.com/JordanW41069857
 
 
He is currently at work on a volume of Maximus's letters, many to be translated for the first time in English.

LILITH: The Child Against the Vampire of Fundamentalism - A Conversation with John de Jong

This is Part 5 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.
 
This episode features a conversation with John de Jong, author of The Theology of George MacDonald: The Child Against the Vampire of Fundamentalism. (Available on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/wmp27hpc)
 
John de Jong is from Cambridge, England where he is involved in the Anglican community. After a degree in physics and a career in audio engineering, John studied philosophy and religious studies at the Open University - alongside his church work as a music director - before gaining a PhD in theology and literature from King’s College London. His research focused on George MacDonald.
 
A parallel career as a guitarist, songwriter and lyricist fuels an ongoing interest in the relationship between Christianity and the arts. This is reflected in two recent recordings in collaboration with Czech composer Daniel Kyzlink, one a work written for symphony orchestra and rock and jazz musicians, the latest a more intimate recording of John’s guitar-based songs. John’s lyrics and academic work, like the writing of George MacDonald, challenge conventional Christian ideas about what it means to be a follower of Jesus – especially in a twenty-first century more interested in the person of Jesus than the religion founded in his name.
 
John's music can be found here: https://johndejong.bandcamp.com/album/good

LILIITH: George MacDonald's Tale of Life Through Death, Part IV

This is Part IV of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.
This episode features a conversation with Thomas Cannariato and Turner Burnett.
Thomas is a writer, a musician, an academic, and much more; a jack of all trades and a master of one. Originally from Long Island, Thomas currently lives in
Northern California, where he cooks all his favorite Italian meals out of desperation for good food. He is on a pilgrimage to discover the Father’s heart and reveal the heart of the Father to his family first and his community second. Thomas excels at long-distance relationships and deep conversations. Thomas is loved by his wife and three sons and feels most at home over a good meal with friends or family. If you ask nicely and are willing to have a deep conversation, he will make you a pour-over with the skills he garnered from his years living in Portland, OR.
Turner Burnett is a husband, father, writer, music artist and amateur pie-maker. He spends most of his time day-dreaming about seeing artists partner with God to create meaningful beauty that draws people into the Kingdom of Heaven. A Seattle native, Turner currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works at Sony Music in artist development. His favorite color is blue!