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At the end of his academic career at Oxford University, J.R.R. Tolkien gave his “Valedictory Address,” an analysis of the decline of humane letters, the specious distinction between “lang” and “lit” that has grown up in the academy, and a stirring expression of hope in the future of philological study even amidst unfavorable conditions. Colin Chan Redemer, a professor at Saint Mary’s College of California and Vice President of the Davenant Institute, joins Jonathan and Ryan to discuss Tolkien’s vision for the liberal arts and what proponents of Great Books education have to learn from him.

Tolkien’s Valedictory Address (free): http://faculty.smu.edu/bwheeler/tolkien/online_reader/oxfordaddress.pdf

Tolkien’s Valedictory Address in essay collection The Monsters and the Critics: https://amzn.to/3pAg8vs

Ad Fontes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ad-fontes-podcast/id1557560666

Davenant Hall: https://davenantinstitute.org/davenant-hall

New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/

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Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com