The Plunge with Derek Holser
The Plunge is a serial podcast, hosted by Derek Holser, and anchored by conversations about Theology, Philosophy, and Culture. The Plunge is a forum for producing extended conversations with a variety of guests that invite the listener to explore stories and their creators, thinkers and their ideas, artists and athletes, and their unique aesthetics. The Plunge endeavors to dive into deep waters safely and freely, by welcoming thinkers from various areas of human expression. Each topic will be presented with a variety of guest conversationalists, over a period of 8-12 weeks and each series is intended to be accessible and enjoyable for the curious and the studious. Welcome to the Plunge: Let’s Dive In!
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Episodes
Friday Nov 14, 2025
Friday Nov 14, 2025
Welcome to Episode Nine of Tolkien's Greatest Characters.
Joining me for today's fabulous conversation on the shieldmaiden of Rohan, the ever-inspiring Éowyn, is Holly Ordway. Among the many riveting aspects of this discussion, Holly provides meaningful insight about Tolkien's deft nuance in character development and his accurate yet noble portrayal of the human condition. We also discuss Éowyn's heroic moments (seen and unseen) and Éowyn's love for Aragorn and ultimately, her love for Faramir.
Holly Ordway is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is a subject editor for the Journal of Inklings Studies.
Holly is the author of the award-winning Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages, and her book Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography was released in 2023, the year that marked the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death.
Check out that book here: https://tinyurl.com/eh4d6wy3
To learn more about Holly: https://hollyordway.com/
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Welcome to Episode Eight in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters Series.
Today's episode features Eugene Terekhin. Eugene is a philologist, philosopher, translator, as well as the author of Elven Hidden Gems and the Works of the Inklings, The Music of Illuvatar in the Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield.
Check out Eugene's Substack: https://substack.com/@eugeneterekhin
Eugene and I discuss Treebeard and the life of the Ents, fascinating creatures and symbols in the work of Tolkien's sub-creation of Middle-earth. As always, Eugene displays his winsome wit and well-earned wisdom. I know you're going to love this conversation; feel free to forward it to friends!
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486
Friday Oct 31, 2025
Friday Oct 31, 2025
Welcome to our Halloween interlude, as we take a one-episode hiatus from our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. I was recently in Nashville and took the opportunity to record with the incomparable Jordan Daniel Wood.
In this episode, Jordan and I discuss George MacDonald's essay "The Imagination: Its Function and Culture," explore the meaning and magic of wearing masks, and the nature of identity and reality — and, as always, we add a dash of hope and a bit of Maximus.
Jordan Daniel Wood is Assistant Professor of Theology at Belmont University. He holds an M.A. from St. Louis University and a Ph.D. from Boston College, both in Historical Theology. His interests range from Greek patristic theology to modern philosophy, especially Idealism. He is married to Alexis, a registered nurse, with whom he has four wonderful daughters.
Jordan is the author of the much-acclaimed The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor, available here: https://tinyurl.com/3k8xshj5
Jordan also posts regularly on his Substack, "Words in Flesh"
https://jordandanielwood.substack.com/
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser Substack: https://substack.com/@derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Welcome to Episode Seven in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. Today's conversation is enlightening and uplifting, a discussion of the whimsical and winsome Tom Bombadil.
Joining me today is Brian Zahnd. Brian is the founding pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is the author of twelve books; most recently the forthcoming "Unseen Existences: Of Heaven, Earth, and the Divine Mystery in All Things".
https://substack.com/@brianzahnd
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486
Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
Welcome to Episode Six in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters Series. Today's conversation is an inspired yearning for the true nobility within it us all. Today's conversation features the king-to-be, Aragorn.
Today's guest is Robert Hulett. Robert is a former student of mine and a long-time friend. He and his wife Jessica have three children and re in the throes of the typical myteries and meanderings of young parents.
Robert is a writer, an astute judge of cultural dynamics, and is a passionate defender of the pursuit of a godly life. He seeks to emulate Aragorn and believes that the example held out for us all in the character of the king-to-be provides humanity with a glimpse of our potential.
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OIRH7724MLSI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1LykaLPN_bJOY9iKTBBd4w.OQhIet5VaMC5HXCQlUnEDu0SVNhOnRyROyBhz6sKHqY&dib_tag=se&keywords=tambika+shield+wisdom&qid=1760676103&sprefix=tambika+%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-1
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Welcome to Episode Five in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters Series. Today's conversation is a wide-ranging one, featuring the hobbit prince, Pippin.
Today's guest is Bradley J. Birzer. Brad is the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Professor of History, Hillsdale College. He loves his family, his college, western civilization, American history, the American west, biography, photography, and progressive rock music.
In addition to Pippin, Bradley and I discuss American history, western civilization, heroic deeds, and the marvel of Tolkien's universe.
Brad publishes at Substack: https://substack.com/@bradleyjbirzer
He is the author of two Tolkien-related books:
J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth
https://tinyurl.com/4wu6crmy
Tolkien and the Inklings: Men of the West
https://tinyurl.com/dsatzyy4
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tambika-Shield-Wisdom-Lightglider-Origins/dp/1645075486
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Friday Oct 03, 2025
Friday Oct 03, 2025
Welcome to Episode Four of Tolkien's Greatest Characters.
This week's episode is an insightful presentation of The Sea Bell, or Frodo's Dreame, the poem by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Today's guest is Bret van den Brink. Bret is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his MA. He earned his BA, with Honors, at Trinity Western, Vancouver. Bret is a poet & lover of poetry from Spenser to Stevens.
To learn more and read some of Bret's writings: https://linktr.ee/bretv
Follow Bret on X: https://x.com/BretVDB
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y
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Friday Sep 26, 2025
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Welcome to Episode Three of Tolkien's Greatest Characters.
This week's episode is a lively conversation about Bilbo Baggins, the meaning and nature of place, and the opportunity for everyone to determine where their story ends. We touch on the Shire, the Ring, and Bilbo's journey There and Back Again!
Today's guest is Thalia Toha. Thalia is an architectural historian, geographer, and preservationist. She believes that everyone should be able to choose how their story ends, regardless of where they're placed in life. Her interest in studying hidden ways in which places impact people's story arcs led her from Princeton University to restoring 15,000 square foot town halls, to advising the development of food halls, to serving as a geography exhibit designer in Lafayette Museum.
Thalia's insights have been featured on Architectural Digest, SELF magazine, and Homes & Gardens. When she's not busy with her interdisciplinary work, you can find her writing about the philosophy of places on:
https://storyarks.substack.com/about
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Welcome to Episode Two of Tolkien's Greatest Characters. This week's episode is an inspiring discussion of Frodo Baggins, the humble hobbit thrust into a quest for the ages.
Joining me is Dr. Andrew Snyder, a professor of philosophy and theology, author of the forthcoming book Divine Honour in the Lord of the Rings, host of the Mythic Mind Podcast, and leader of the Mythic Mind Fellowship, a Christian humanitites-based community.
Andrew enjoys discussing the wisdom found in stories from ancient myths to contemporary pop culture. He resides in Williamsburg, VA, with his wife and three children.
https://www.youtube.com/@andrewnsnyderhttps://mythicmind.substack.com
📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Welcome to Episode One of our mega-series entitled Tolkien's Greatest Characters. Each week for the next sixteen weeks, we will host a conversation exploring the virtues, flaws, symbolism, and story development advanced by a unique character from the J.R.R. Tolkien Universe.
This week's episode is a lively conversation about The Narrator. Is the voice of the storyteller of The Lord of the Rings the voice of Tolkien? How does the Narrator advance the story, reveal aspects of Tolkien's worldview, and more.
Dr. Sørina Higgins is an editor, author, English teacher, and writing consultant. Her scholarly interests inclue British & Irish modernism and magic, religion & literature, the Inklings, and Arthuriana. Dr. Higgins is currently writing a series of lectures on the Inklings for one of The Great Courses from The Teaching Company.
Sørina has received a Clyde S. Kilby Research Grant from the Marion E. Wade Center for her forthcoming book The Oddest Inkling: An Introduction to Charles Williams, due out in 2026 from Apocryphile Press. She previously wrte and recorded C.S. Lewis: Writer, Scholar, Seeker, an Audible Original from The Teaching Company, and edited an academic essay collection entitled The Inklings and King Arthur. She is also the author of the blog The Oddest Inkling, devoted to the study of Charles Williams' works.
https://theoddestinkling.wordpress.com
https://wyrdhoard.com
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📲 Connect with Derek Holser:
🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser
📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y