Before Tolkien 2: Richard Wagner’s RHINE GOLD – Ron Dart
Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" is a cycle of four operas that tell the story of the hero Siegfried and a magic ring.
These four operas are The Rhine Gold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods. Borrowing from German and Norse tales, poems, sagas, and mythology, Wagner's main source was a German poem called "The Song of the Nibelungs" (circa 1200 AD).
Wagner's opera is certainly a precursor and had an influence on Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." In this series, Ron Dart walks through the archetypal significance of the opera's themes and characters, beginning here with the first two scenes of the first opera, "The Rhine Gold."
Previously, Ron's offered this brief reflection to the whole work:
Human Rights and Religious Faith – Rowan Williams
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is unquestionably a landmark in the history of moral consciousness, one of the factors that has consistently given hope and purpose to political life throughout the globe since it first saw the light of day in 1948. It has...
Erasmus: Peace Theologian and Humanist Par Excellence – Ron Dart
Erasmus: Sacred Rites and Rituals – Ron Dart
Erasmus and Church Unity – Ron Dart
Thinking Outside the Box about Retribution — Henk Smidstra
We are probably all familiar with the phrase, “thinking outside the box.” As the phrase suggests, to solve a problem we must get outside the box, our frame of thought, and its inherent assumptions and rules in order to analyse and solve problems within the box. It’s...
Layering the Rich Man and Lazarus – by Brad Jersak
Throughout the ‘hell debates’ of recent years, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) has repeatedly begged our attention, especially in Q&A times following the documentary, Hellbound? The dialogue has urged me towards a sharper focus on the...
The Onion: a Parable – Brian Zahnd
THE ONION “Once upon a time there was a woman, and she was wicked as wicked could be, and she died. And not one good deed was left behind her. The devils took her and threw her into the lake of fire. And her guardian angel stood thinking: what good deed of hers can I...
Erasmus and the Fathers – Ron Dart
This is Water (abridged speech) – David Foster Wallace
For the full text of the speech: http://www.businessinsider.com/david-foster-wallace-graduation-speech-2013-5
Belong (Antidote for Gnosticism) – Brian Zahnd
Belong(Antidote for Gnosticism) Let Christ inform all of lifeDon’t be a religious clichéBe a real human beingBelong to the human raceBelong to the woodsBelong to the cityGo for long walksLearn to appreciate artTake up the violinCultivate culinary skillsRead War and...