Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More

Season finale! Join us as we discuss the last chapter of Dr. Austin Freeman's fantastic Tolkien Dogmatics: Theology through Mythology with the Maker of Middle-earth. We look at all of J.R.R. Tolkien's thoughts on death and the afterlife. We look at how the the different races of Men and Elves view the concept of death within his works, purgatory as seen through Leaf by Niggle, and what the nature of heaven and hell are. We also go on many, many tangents, as per usual! Be sure to also catch our big announcement in this episode for a very special upcoming episode of the podcast!  Follow us on Twitter, and give us book suggestions for Season 6!

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In this episode, we talk about Matt Walsh's What Is A Woman?, the early 2000's children's show 3-2-1 Penguins, and a whole lot of other things that tangentially relate to our main topic! We break down exactly how J.R.R. Tolkien presented the Christian life throughout his writings, discussing the everyday practices of grace, mercy, repentance, humility, and prayer; the concept of Christian ethics; and even Tolkien's political beliefs! We look at all these concepts through the characters of The Lord of the Rings, other writings such as Leaf by Niggle, and even Tolkien's own life. Additionally, give us book recommendations for Season 6 by tweeting at us! @UlmtdOpinions

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What's the central point of all of Catholicism? The fact that you're a sinner, of course! Join as we dive into Tolkien's thoughts on the Catholic Church, the Virgin Mary, Protestantism, and the sacraments! As per usual, we also go on many tangents, including on the loss of creative beauty over time, whether or not we believe in relics, and the issue of Mother Teresa!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Want to learn how to mess with Calvinists? Need some movie recommendations? We've got both of those things covered in this episode of Unlimited Opinions! Join us as we look at how Tolkien's ideas of Christ and salvation are apparent in his writings. We look at the incarnation as seen through the Wizards; the roles of Christ as seen through Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn; the harrowing of Hell; and much more! All the while, we discuss whether or not it's appropriate to discuss these parallels, considering the fact that Tolkien never intentionally included an allegory for Christ in his writings.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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In this episode, we accidentally try out a new format in which one of us reads the wrong chapter! Join us as we look at depictions of Satan and other demons in Tolkien's writings, primarily through the lens of Morgoth and Sauron. We discuss how Satan fell, the temptations of the modern world, spiritual warfare, and much more! As always, we go on plenty of tangents, such as talks about letters to the editor of a local newspaper and boxes of way too many books!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Wow, the modern world really sucks! Join us as we explore this idea and more as we talk about how evil is represented through J.R.R. Tolkien's works. We look at how it can occasionally be good to hate, the three enemies of the soul, temptation, Satan, atheism, and so much more. There are nearly infinite ways to discuss evil as shown through Sauron, Morgoth, Saruman, Wormtongue, Gollum, Lotho Sackville-Baggins, etc., so join us as we attempt to scratch the surface of Tolkien's ideas of evil!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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We mock the Israelites, but we all definitely still worship golden calves to this day! Join us as we discuss how J.R.R. Tolkien portrays the Fall of Adam and Original Sin throughout his writings! We look in-depth at the topics of the Fall of Satan, inherited sin, the corruption of the material world, and much more, all through then lens of humanity's turn away from Eru and towards Sauron and Morgoth in Tolkien's works!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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In this episode, we find out that we're much more like Jesus than we originally thought, because we are very judgmental! Join us as we discuss the theology of angels as described through J.R.R. Tolkien's Ainur. We look at the spiritual nature of angels, the hierarchy of divine powers, how angels communicate, and much more! We also talk about National Record Store Day, whether or not Jesus mocked people, and whether people should be called "Doctor" if they're not an MD. You should be like Austin  Freeman and follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Death, gender, and society! What do these three major topics have in common? Humanity! In this episode, we break down Tolkien's philosophies on the importance of life and death, how the soul and the body interact, gender differences between men and women, society itself, language, and much more! We also find a way to work in Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan, and as per usual, many other tangents into this episode! Join us for our varied discussion on some of the most important topics in today's world through the lens of J.R.R. Tolkien.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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In this episode, we talk about what is arguably the most interesting of J.R.R. Tolkien's philosophies: Creation! We break down how God created the real world and how this is portrayed in the Ainulindalë, how God's omniscience relates to humanity's free will, and the greatest philosophy of Tolkien: sub-Creation. This one idea points to Tolkien's theory of the purpose of Creation, the reason for existence, and what beauty is. We also complain about modern art and mention the dreaded c-word!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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