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Downstream (Paperback)
David L O'Hara, Matthew T Dickerson; Foreword by Nick Lyons
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R520
R427
Discovery Miles 4 270
Save R93 (18%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Downstream (Hardcover)
David L O'Hara, Matthew T Dickerson; Foreword by Nick Lyons
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R905
R734
Discovery Miles 7 340
Save R171 (19%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Many readers drawn into the heroic tales of J. R. R. Tolkien's
imaginary world of Middle-earth have given little conscious thought
to the importance of the land itself in his stories or to the vital
roles played by the flora and fauna of that land. As a result, The
Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion are rarely
considered to be works of environmental literature or mentioned
together with such authors as John Muir, Rachel Carson, or Aldo
Leopold. Tolkien's works do not express an activist agenda;
instead, his environmentalism is expressed in the form of literary
fiction. Nonetheless, Tolkien's vision of nature is as passionate
and has had as profound an influence on his readers as that of many
contemporary environmental writers. The burgeoning field of
agrarianism provides new insights into Tolkien's view of the
natural world and environmental responsibility. In Ents, Elves, and
Eriador, Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans show how Tolkien
anticipated some of the tenets of modern environmentalism in the
imagined world of Middle-earth and the races with which it is
peopled. The philosophical foundations that define Tolkien's
environmentalism, as well as the practical outworking of these
philosophies, are found throughout his work. Agrarianism is evident
in the pastoral lifestyle and sustainable agriculture of the
Hobbits, as they harmoniously cultivate the land for food and
goods. The Elves practice aesthetic, sustainable horticulture as
they shape their forest environs into an elaborate garden. To
complete Tolkien's vision, the Ents of Fangorn Forest represent
what Dickerson and Evans label feraculture, which seeks to preserve
wilderness in its natural form. Unlike the Entwives, who are
described as cultivating food in tame gardens, the Ents risk
eventual extinction for their beliefs. These ecological
philosophies reflect an aspect of Christian stewardship rooted in
Tolkien's Catholic faith. Dickerson and Evans define it as
"stewardship of the kind modeled by Gandalf," a stewardship that
nurtures the land rather than exploiting its life-sustaining
capacities to the point of exhaustion. Gandalfian stewardship is at
odds with the forces of greed exemplified by Sauron and Saruman,
who, with their lust for power, ruin the land they inhabit, serving
as a dire warning of what comes to pass when stewardly care is
corrupted or ignored. Dickerson and Evans examine Tolkien's major
works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays, comparing his
writing to that of the most important naturalists of the past
century. A vital contribution to environmental literature and an
essential addition to Tolkien scholarship, Ents, Elves, and Eriador
offers both Tolkien fans and environmentalists an understanding of
Middle-earth that has profound implications for environmental
stewardship in the present and the future of our own world.
Many readers drawn into the heroic tales of J. R. R. Tolkien's
imaginary world of Middle-earth have given little conscious thought
to the importance of the land itself in his stories or to the vital
roles played by the flora and fauna of that land. As a result, The
Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion are rarely
considered to be works of environmental literature or mentioned
together with such authors as John Muir, Rachel Carson, or Aldo
Leopold. Tolkien's works do not express an activist agenda;
instead, his environmentalism is expressed in the form of literary
fiction. Nonetheless, Tolkien's vision of nature is as passionate
and has had as profound an influence on his readers as that of many
contemporary environmental writers. The burgeoning field of
agrarianism provides new insights into Tolkien's view of the
natural world and environmental responsibility. In Ents, Elves, and
Eriador, Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans show how Tolkien
anticipated some of the tenets of modern environmentalism in the
imagined world of Middle-earth and the races with which it is
peopled. The philosophical foundations that define Tolkien's
environmentalism, as well as the practical outworking of these
philosophies, are found throughout his work. Agrarianism is evident
in the pastoral lifestyle and sustainable agriculture of the
Hobbits, as they harmoniously cultivate the land for food and
goods. The Elves practice aesthetic, sustainable horticulture as
they shape their forest environs into an elaborate garden. To
complete Tolkien's vision, the Ents of Fangorn Forest represent
what Dickerson and Evans label feraculture, which seeks to preserve
wilderness in its natural form. Unlike the Entwives, who are
described as cultivating food in tame gardens, the Ents risk
eventual extinction for their beliefs. These ecological
philosophies reflect an aspect of Christian stewardship rooted in
Tolkien's Catholic faith. Dickerson and Evans define it as
"stewardship of the kind modeled by Gandalf," a stewardship that
nurtures the land rather than exploiting its life-sustaining
capacities to the point of exhaustion. Gandalfian stewardship is at
odds with the forces of greed exemplified by Sauron and Saruman,
who, with their lust for power, ruin the land they inhabit, serving
as a dire warning of what comes to pass when stewardly care is
corrupted or ignored. Dickerson and Evans examine Tolkien's major
works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays, comparing his
writing to that of the most important naturalists of the past
century. A vital contribution to environmental literature and an
essential addition to Tolkien scholarship, Ents, Elves, and Eriador
offers both Tolkien fans and environmentalists an understanding of
Middle-earth that has profound implications for environmental
stewardship in the present and the future of our own world.
The remarkable breadth of C. S. Lewis's (1898--1963) work is
nearly as legendary as the fantastical tales he so inventively
crafted. A variety of themes emerge in his literary output, which
spans the genres of nonfiction, fantasy, science fiction, and
children's literature, but much of the scholarship examining his
work focuses on religion or philosophy. Overshadowed are Lewis's
views on nature and his concern for environmental stewardship,
which are present in most of his work. In Narnia and the Fields of
Arbol: The Environmental Vision of C. S. Lewis, authors Matthew
Dickerson and David O'Hara illuminate this important yet overlooked
aspect of the author's visionary work. Dickerson and O'Hara go
beyond traditional theological discussions of Lewis's writing to
investigate themes of sustainability, stewardship of natural
resources, and humanity's relationship to wilderness. The authors
examine the environmental and ecological underpinnings of Lewis's
work by exploring his best-known works of fantasy, including the
seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia and the three novels
collectively referred to as the Space Trilogy. Taken together,
these works reveal Lewis's enduring environmental concerns, and
Dickerson and O'Hara offer a new understanding of his pioneering
style of fiction. An avid outdoorsman, Lewis deftly combined an
active imagination with a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Narnia and the Fields of Arbol, the first book-length work on the
subject, explores the marriage of Lewis's environmental passion
with his skill as a novelist and finds the author's legacy to have
as much in common with the agrarian environmentalism of Wendell
Berry as it does with the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien. In an era of
increasing concern about deforestation, climate change, and other
environmental issues, Lewis's work remains as pertinent as ever.
The widespread adaption of his work in film lends credence to the
author's staying power as an influential voice in both fantastical
fiction and environmental literature. With Narnia and the Fields of
Arbol, Dickerson and O'Hara have written a timely work of
scholarship that offers a fresh perspective on one of the most
celebrated authors in literary history.
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