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Deacon to present lecture series on `The Lord of the Rings
Mary E. Manley
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A free lecture on the strong Christian link in "The Lord of the Rings" classic book trilogy and
blockbuster movie series is set 7 p.m. Nov. 20 on the Auraria campus.
It is the first of a three-talk series, "Christian Culture and `The Lord of the Rings,'"
presented by Deacon Kevin Augustyn, a seminarian of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. The lectures
are sponsored by the Christian Life Movement.
In the first lecture Deacon Augustyn will discuss "Sanctifying Myth and the History
of Middle-Earth" in Room 320B of the Tivoli Student Union, 900 Auraria Parkway.
Upcoming talks include "Heroism and Evil in `The Lord of the Rings'" on Jan. 22, and
"`The Lord of the Rings' and Peter Jackson's Films: Comparison and Analysis" on Jan. 29.
"The Christian Life Movement asked me to do the campus talks after having heard about
my desire to do a `Lord of the Rings' series," Deacon Augustyn said. "I have a great love of
J.R.R. Tolkien's works and see their great value as an expression of Christian culture.
"The books are not allegories or explicit in their Christian character, yet possess a
Christian world-view which can be found in every page in various themes and images," he said. "I often
find people who love the books and are unconsciously drawn by the Christian truths they express yet
have no idea Tolkien was a Catholic who thought his Catholicism was the most influential element of
his books."
Tolkien was a contemporary of fellow noted author C.S. Lewis and was instrumental in his
close friend's Christian conversion from atheism.
Deacon Augustyn, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy
and theology from Ohio's Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1999. That same year he entered
the Denver seminary where he is studying to obtain his master of divinity and S.T.B degrees. Ordained
a transitional deacon in March, he will become an archdiocesan priest in May 2004.
Susana Nieto is the Denver campus ministry coordinator for the Christian Life
Movement. Five months ago the Peruvian native moved with her community of consecrated laywomen to the
St. Elizabeth of Hungary friary on the Auraria campus. Her community, the Marian Community
of Reconciliation, is part of the Christian Life Movement family, a 30-year-old ecclesial
movement started in Lima, Peru. It boasts 30,000 members throughout the world.
Nieto said her community is planning numerous evangelistic activities for college
students and those working downtown. The lecture series is the start of monthly talks to occur at the Tivoli.
"We believe through different appealing talks, movies and so forth, American young
adults will be opened to receive the Good News and in this way we can spread the Gospel from
different symbolisms and Christian meanings that varying topics can have," Nieto said. "Through our
activities we would like to respond to people's deepest questions and help build (the) `culture of life
and love,'" that Pope John Paul II has called for.
Besides the lecture series, the Christian Life Movement also hosts special devotions
and meals on the Auraria campus, including: Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament,
5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays; the rosary at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays (daily Mass follows at
ACnoon); and lunch and topical sharing in the Open Dining Room in the friary every Thursday after
noon Mass.
For more information on the lecture series and other Catholic activities on the Auraria
campus, call 303-629-5100 or e-mail: denverclm@clmusa.org online or visit www.clmusa.org
online. Parking information is available on the Web site.
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