The Plunge with Derek Holser

Welcome to episode six in our twelve part series on Owen Barfield: The First and Last Inkling.     Today's episode features Owen A. Barfield, the only grandchild of Owen Barfield and the Trustee of the Owen Barfield Literary Estate. https://www.owenbarfield.org/      Our conversation covers Barfield's life experiences, his abiding friendship with Cecil Harwood and C.S. Lewis, his marriage to Maud...

Welcome to Episode Five in our Twelve Episode series on Owen Barfield: The First & Last Inkling     Today's episode features Michael Di Fuccia, director of the Cultura Fellowship at the Martin Institute (Westmont University) and Research Fellow for the Centre of Theology and Philosophy, Nottingham, UK.      Michael is certified as a spiritual director through the Anglican diocese of New Englan...

Welcome to Episode Four in our Twelve Episode series on Owen Barfield: The First & Last Inkling      In today's episode, Michael Di Fuccia, Director of the Cultura Fellowship at the Martin Institute (Westmont University) and Research Fellow for the Centre of Theology and Philosophy, Nottingham, UK.     Michael is certified as a spiritual director through the Anglican diocese of New England. He...

Welcome to Episode Three in our 12-week series: Owen Barfield: The First & Last Inkling     In today's episode, Eugene Terekhin, a philologist, philosopher, translator, and author of Eleven Hidden Gems in the Works of the Inklings: The Music of Iluvatar in the Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield as well as Forty-Four Mystical Insights into the Books J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lew...

Welcome to Episode Two in our 12-week series:   Owen Barfield: The First & Last Inkling     In today's episode, Max Leyf Treinin, a certified Rolfer and Professor of Philosophy from Anchorage, Alaska, joins me and provides tremendous insight into the work of Owen Barfield, his connection to Rudolf Steiner, the evolution of human consciousness, language, and our need for reintegration of the wh...

Welcome to our newest series. Owen Barfield: The First & Last Inkling.     This episode provides a brief introduction to Barfield's life and work. In the weeks to come, we will host thoughtful conversations with 10 different guests, each providing a unique perspective on Barfield's philosophy, spirituality, and the imagination.     We will discuss the influence of Rudolf Steiner on Barfield, t...

Today's episode is a special bonus! Joining me is my good friend and co-author of Bryce and the Lost Pearl, the first book in the Lightglider Origins series, a seven-book Middle Grade fantasy fiction series published by New Growth Press.   In this episode, Zach and I discuss the work of cultivating a faithful imagination in the next generation, and the importance of story in technology, faith and...

Welcome to the 9th and Final Episode in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, The Great Divorce. Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.   Today's conversation features Jess Lederman. In this episode, Jess and I discuss how he came to faith in Jesus Christ, ho...

Welcome to the 9th and Final Episode in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, The Great Divorce. Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.   Today's conversation features Jess Lederman. In this episode, Jess and I discuss how he came to faith in Jesus Christ, ho...

Welcome to Episode 8 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel The Great Divorce.    Today's conversation features Joel Wentz. In this episode, Joel and I discuss the miracle of the redemption of disordered desires, why The Great Divorce is a great book for a neighborhood book club, the proper terror of A Wrinkle in Time, and possible reasons for the manner in which Lewis portrayed George MacDonald...

Welcome to Episode 7 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel The Great Divorce. Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Today's conversation features Elizabeth Baird Hardy. Elizabeth is Instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community C...

Welcome to Episode 6 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."     Today's conversation features Stephen Dunning. Stephen received his PhD in literature from the university of Cambridge, which...

Merry Christmas from the Plunge! We interrupt our regularly scheduled series to bring you a special Christmas edition of The Plunge. Today's episode features a reading of that beloved Christmas tale of love and generosity - O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.     The Gift of the Magi was first published in the New York Sunday World in December 1905, and was later included in his 1906 short story coll...

Welcome to Episode 5 in our 9-part series on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce. Thank you for joining us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.   Today's conversation features Karen Scheffler, who is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Half a lifetime ago, she moved to Vermont w...

Welcome to Episode 4 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."         Today's conversation features Brenton Dickieson, a father, husband, friend, university lecturer, and freelance writer. Bre...

Welcome to Episode 3 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." Join us as we explore the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."       Today's conversation features Monika B. Hilder, an author, professor and speaker who specializes in Fantasy and Children's L...

Welcom to Episode 2 of 9 in our series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce." We will explore and I hope you enjoy, the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." Today's conversation features a father and son duo, David and Turner Burnett. We discuss the lasting solidity of he...

This is the introductory episode of our nine-episode series on C.S. Lewis's novel, "The Great Divorce."   We will explore and I hope you enjoy, the ideas presented by Lewis in this fantastic tale, a dream vision, written in response (according to Lewis) to William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."   Our guests include notable scholars, theologians and friends. In no particular order, they...

Happy Halloween 2024!   Welcome to The End of Evil, the Finale of our 8-part series entitled LILITH: George MacDonald's Tale of Life Through Death.   This is the conclusion of our 8-part series on the theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted. This episode features a conversation with Bishop Chris Green and Theologian Jordan Daniel Wood. Chris is a Bisho...

In Christ himself, eternity and time are one, which means that He himself becomes the bridge from one moment to all other moments. So now all moments on the timeline open up to all other ones in a way that, as a timeline, wouldn't be possible. It's barely conceivable. In essence, Jesus is the Multiverse. This is Part 7 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture throug...

This is Part 6 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through with Lilith, George MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.     This episode features a conversation with theologian Jordan Daniel Wood, author of The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor. https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Mystery-Christ-Incarnation-Confessor/dp/0268203474...

This is Part 5 of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted.   This episode features a conversation with John de Jong, author of The Theology of George MacDonald: The Child Against the Vampire of Fundamentalism. (Available on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/wmp27hpc)   John de Jong is from Cambridge, England where he i...

This is Part IV of the 8-part series exploring the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted. This episode features a conversation with Thomas Cannariato and Turner Burnett. Thomas is a writer, a musician, an academic, and much more; a jack of all trades and a master of one. Originally from Long Island, Thomas currently lives in Northern Californ...

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published This is Part III of the latest series from The Plunge, hosted by Derek Holser. This 8-part series will be published weekly and includes exploration of the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted. This episode features a conversation with Ron Dart, University of the Fraser...

This is Part II of the latest series from The Plunge, hosted by Derek Holser. This 8-part series will be published weekly and includes exploration of the themes, theology, history and culture through which MacDonald's final great novel was crafted. This episode features a conversation with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, noted MacDonald scholar who lives on a farm in the Ottawa Valley, Canada. https://ww...