Secrets of Middle Earth StarQuest Media

SME049: Examining Tolkien’s Elves and Dwarves, Thomas Salerno, Mike Schramm, and Jeff Haecker discuss their mystical and earthly natures; portrayals in media; their rich backstory in “The Silmarillion;” symbolism in their relationship—elves reflect beauty; dwarves, greed; their history of conflict and cooperation, especially in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” where Gimli and Legolas’s friendship exemplifies their potential harmony.

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Links for this episode:



* Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

* You can watch The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

* Purchase J.R.R. Tolkien books and Blu-ray/DVDs at the Secrets of Middle Earth Store (Coming soon).

* Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.

* Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord

* Send your feedback or comments to middleearth@sqpn.com



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SME048: Explore the theological and philosophical themes concerning good, evil, and power, as reflected in the One Ring’s symbolism. Thomas Salerno, Jeff Haecker, and Mike Schramm discuss the influences of Tolkien’s work on modern fantasy, highlighting the Ring’s evolution from a plot tool to a symbol of power and corruption, paralleled in modern takes on sin and redemption. The Ring’s symbolic narrative rooted in Judeo-Christian themes signifies a timeless struggle between power’s allure and the redemption found in its renunciation, showcasing Tolkien’s enduring impact on the genre and moral discourse.

Get all new episodes automatically and for free:

Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and subscribe on YouTube.



Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Middle Earth. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:



* Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

* You can watch The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

* Purchase J.R.R. Tolkien books and Blu-ray/DVDs at the Secrets of Middle Earth Store (Coming soon).

* Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.

* Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord

* Send your feedback or comments to middleearth@sqpn.com



Want to Sponsor A Show?

Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

SME047: One of the first film versions of Tolkien’s work, Rankin Bass’s animated The Hobbit continues to delight. Thomas Salerno, Thomas Sanjurjo, and Jeff Haecker discuss the virtues of the adaptation and the differences from its more famous brethren.

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Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Middle Earth. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:



* The Hobbit (1977) on Amazon Prime

* The Science of Middle Earth, by Henry Gee





* Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

* You can watch The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

* Purchase J.R.R. Tolkien books and Blu-ray/DVDs at the Secrets of Middle Earth Store (Coming soon).

* Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.

* Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord

* Send your feedback or comments to middleearth@sqpn.com



Want to Sponsor A Show?

Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

I need to ask for your help, but first I want to thank you for listening to StarQuest and supporting our mission of exploring the intersection of faith and pop culture.

Over the past five years–since 2018–StarQuest has grown by leaps and bounds, more than at any time in our previous 12 years. With more than a dozen programs and hundreds of thousands of listeners and viewers each month, we are able to bring the Gospel to the world in a unique and entertaining way.

This summer, we marked the 5th anniversary of our most popular show, Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World, whose success is emblematic of StarQuest’s own growth. The show has grown beyond its beginnings as an audio podcast to include a video version that adds so much more to the experience of the program. This is because we’ve been able to hire the talented video editors at Oasis Studio 7, John and Jessica Beyer, a young couple whose talents have been placed at the service of the Gospel. Your donations make that possible.

We want to bring video to even more of our shows to reach the growing YouTube audience and to bring video to other platforms like Spotify and Rumble. We have plans for even more shows covering areas like sacred art, history, and books, as well as more entertainment franchises whose themes resonate with the truth, goodness, and beauty found in Revelation.

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Your support at this time is crucial. This is because, over time, non-profits like StarQuest need to have new and existing donors step up to provide support that used to be provided by donors who have died or encountered difficulties. That’s why it’s very important that we hear from you.

God bless you, and please go to SQPN.com/give today.

SME046: Not all Middle-Earth movies are big-budget Hollywood productions. Thomas Salerno, Kaitlyn Facista, and Jeff Haecker review the fan-made LOTR film “Born of Hope” and discuss the bittersweet tale of Aragorn’s parents Arathorn and Gilraen.

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Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and subscribe on YouTube.



Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Middle Earth. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:



* First Reactions to “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”

* Born of Hope Info Booklet (PDF)

* Ainulindalë

* The Hunt for Gollum

* Born of Hope (YouTube)





* Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

* You can watch The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

* Purchase J.R.R. Tolkien books and Blu-ray/DVDs at the Secrets of Middle Earth Store (Coming soon).

* Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.

* Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord

* Send your feedback or comments to middleearth@sqpn.com



Want to Sponsor A Show?

Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

SME045: Smeagol or Gollum? Thomas Salerno, Thomas Sanjurjo, Jeff Haecker, and Kaitlyn Facista do a deep dive on the character of this Ringbearer, his motivations and roles in various, the latest video game featuring Gollum, and the controversial opinion: Is Gollum the hero of LOTR?

Get all new episodes automatically and for free:

Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and subscribe on YouTube.



Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Middle Earth. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:



* Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

* You can watch The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.

* Purchase J.R.R. Tolkien books and Blu-ray/DVDs at the Secrets of Middle Earth Store (Coming soon).

* Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.

* Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord

* Send your feedback or comments to middleearth@sqpn.com



Want to Sponsor A Show?

Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.