Adam L. Brackin

Elizabeth Martin

Junius Johnson

Jesse W. Baker

Donald W. Catchings, Jr.

Clark Weidner

C.M. Alvarez

Melissa Cain Travis

Alex Markos

Azalea Dabill

Carey Green

George Scondras

Christine Norvell

Ted W. Wright

Tracey Leary

 Jacqueline Wilson

Dragons: History, Myths, and Legends Greedy, wicked, vengeful, powerful. Dragons occupy a powerful position in cultural imaginations across the world and across the years. From C.S. Lewis's boy who almost deserved to be named Eustace Clarence Scrubb to the Hydra of Greek mythology, these creatures Contributors: "Dragonish Thoughts in Our Hearts: Dragons as Mirrors of the Human": Junius Johnson on Our Internal Tension "Desolation": Donald Catchings on Joining the Fight and "Violence of Fire," a short story on a coming conflict. Excerpt from The Chaos Spiral: Adam Brackin on Dragons in the Bible "Wangerin and Wyrm": Christine Norvell on a Great and Cosmic Evil "A Tale of Two Dragons: Reflections on Corruption, Conviction, Grace, and Sacrament": Melissa Cain Travis on a Restoration of Humanity "The Cardinal": Jacqueline Wilson with a poem on a Loss of Humanity "Grathugar": George Scondras with a short story on a Glory-Seeking Knight "St George and the Dragon: Inspiration and Identity": W.H.G. Kingston on the Heroic Knight "Lewis’s Dragons and Materialism: A Reflection on Eustace Scrubb and Other Dragons": Clark Weidner on the Need for Imagination "Hercules and the Hydra": Alex Markos on a Christian Retelling "Dragons, Snakes and Demons: A Medieval and Biblical Bestiary for Modern Minds": Ted W. Wright on Dragons of History. "Job and His Dragon": Carla Alvarez on the Problem of Evil "The Forbidden Fountain": A short story by Azalea Dabill on a Dragon’s Poison "Nella Sua Voluntade": Elizabeth Martin on Challenging Dragonish Archetypes "Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant: The Dragon of False Memory": Tracey Leary on Reconciliation An Excerpt from Dragonslayer: Beginnings: Carey Green on Courage "The Dragon’s Demise: Experiencing Apocalypse": Jesse W. Baker on the Relevance of Revelation .Cover Art Our cover illustration was created by Chilean artist, apologist, and physician Virginia de la Lastra. Summer 2022 Volume 5, Issue 2 2r0 pages

The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Dragons

An Unexpected Journal: Dragons

Sharon Jones

Annie Crawford

Seth Myers

Annie Nardone

Theresa Pihl

Zak Schmoll

Jason Monroe 

Megan Joy Rials

Charlotte B. Thomason

John P. Tuttle

Jesse Childress

Clayton R. Conder	

Mary Lou Cornish

Joe Ricke

Celebrating the Living Witness of People and Places of the Christian Faith Saints and sanctuaries are critical parts of the Christian experience. We learn from those who have gone before or walk alongside us. When the mission becomes exhausting, we search for havens where we can recover and find the encouragement we need to continue. This issue seeks to celebrate the Christian journey; it considers many people who have traveled in ways we can learn from and the places that supported them as they carried on. Contributors "Prelude"" Sharon Jones on a Moment of Brightness "Saints, Suffering, and Sanctuaries from Around the World: Japan, Korea, and China"" Seth Myers on Christian Heroes in Asia "Cathedral Cosmos: A Glance Heavenward into the Medieval Model": Jason Monroe on Avoiding Chronological Snobbery "From Jokers to Fools: The Fire of Notre Dame as a Call to Holiness": Megan Joy Rials on Modernity, Architecture, and Hope "Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo": Donald Catchings on Experiencing Sanctuary "The Holy Dead: Saints as Sanctuaries": Joe Ricke on Physicality and Spirituality "Sestina for Miracle-Seekers" Mary Lou Cornish on Overcoming False Piety "Shelter in the Vine: An Unexpected Sanctuary": Charlotte Thomason on a Spiritual Haven "Sanctuaries for the Suffering: Trauma and Imagination in Apologetics": Jesse Childress on Psychological Elements That Influence Worldviews "Fire and Water: Three Kwansabas": Theresa Pihl on Memories of Ugandan Martyrs "Adventure & Faith: Lessons from the Life of St. Brendan the Navigator and Bilbo Baggins": Ted Wright on Voyages and Ventures "Rest and Reemergence: Rivendell As a Sanctuary": Zak Schmoll on Healing and Pressing on "Unforsaken: Fantasy, Providence, and the Silence of God": Clayton R. Conder on Finding Clarity through the Strange "Ode to Francis": John Tuttle on a Saint to Study "But It’s Not Fair": Annie Nardone on Lessons from Boethius "The Offering of St. Ignatius": Annie Crawford on Enduring Pain for God’s Glory "The Kingdom of Kings and Queens: A Parable": Jesse Baker on a Transformational Encounter "The Voyage of the Titan": Zak Schmoll on Wanting Something Better Cover Art Our cover illustration was created by Chilean artist, apologist, and physician Virginia de la Lastra. The stained glass panel illustrates the beginning of the Great Struggle with the Fall and the saints which led the charge when the tide began to turn in the Great Reversal: Joseph, Mary, and John the Baptist. Spring 2022 Volume 5, Issue 1 270 pages

Celebrating the Living Witness of People and Places of the Christian Faith

An Unexpected Journal: Saints and Sanctuaries

Jacqueline Wilson

Tim McGuire

Karise Gililland

Ted Wright

Jasmin Biggs

Sojourna Howfree

Kimberly Hyland

Erica Milecki McMillan

Brian Melton

Rebekah Valerius

Mystery: Detecting Truth in the Darkness A good mystery brings the reader into the mind of the detective: searching for clues, questioning suspects, and coming to conclusions. We like to play along, hoping to crack the case before the ultimate reveal. In a way, it feels like our real lives as we try to piece together the parts of our existence and discover what they mean. That is why mysteries are the perfect playground for the cultural apologist who seeks to explain what the facts about our world actually mean. Contributors “The Gospel of Murder” by Annie Nardone on Human Darkness “Serial, Healing and the Silence of God: The Hunger for Order and Truth in a Postmodern Mystery” by Erica Milecki McMillan on Seeking Truth “Light for the Seekers” by Sojourner Howfree on the Inquisitive Mind “An Elementary History of Deduction” by Seth Myers on the History of the Genre “The Secret of Father Brown” by G.K. Chesterton on Detective Methodology “The Inheritance of Hiram Percy Maxim” by Brian Melton on Consequences “Rationalism, Meaning, & Love: Sherlock’s Ethos as a Key to Unlock All Mysteries” by Jasmin Biggs on the Pursuit of Truth “What Mean These Stones? Archaeology, Poetry & Mystery” by Ted W. Wright on Excavating Humanity “Gizem Dagl” by Karise Gilliland on the Mountain of Mystery “Agatha Christie and Worshiping False Gods” by Jacqueline Wilson on Self-Examination “God as Revealer of Mysteries and Fountain of Love” by Jesse W. Baker on Divine Revelation “The Mystery of Our History: How Knowledge of the Church Fathers Can Strengthen the Church” by Kimberly Hyland on the Importance of the Past “The Mystery of Love” by Donald Catchings on Defining Love “Time Warping With God” by Tim Mcguire on Dreaming “Mystery and Meaning in the Multiverse: Everything Everywhere All at Once” by Seth Myers on Searching Through the Chaos “Book Review: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith” by Rebekah Valerius on a Wise Lady Detective Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 2023 240 pages Cover illustration by Virginia de la Lastra

Detecting Truth in the Darkness

An Unexpected Journal: Mystery

Louis Markos

Jason M. Smith

Douglas LeBlanc

Cherish Nelson

Riz Cresini

Joshua S. Fullman

Iris Zamora

Celebrating the Ancients From before the time of Christ, pagan philosophers and storytellers have been influencing thought and shaping culture. In this issue dedicated to the ancient philosophers that formed the foundation of Western culture, we examine the way Christian thought was influenced by and engaged with those early writers and how the Jewish Messiah fulfilled the best hopes raised by what C.S. Lewis referred to as the "good dreams of the pagans." Contributors C.M. Alvarez: "The Power of the Storyteller: Jesus and Aesop" on the ancient tales that changed the world. Jesse W. Baker: "Listening to the Past" on the value of the Ancients. Donald W. Catchings, Jr.: "The Chain-Breaker in Plato's Allegory" on escaping the cave, and an excerpt from the novelette, Strength in Weakness, a retelling of Theseus. Annie Crawford: "Wisdom Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us: Pagan Dreams of the King of Kings" on Christian virtues and philosopher-kings. Riz Crescini: "The Imaginative Strategy of Boethius" on the apologetic power of the imagination. Joshua S. Fullman: "A Galatian Marriage / Nasoni" on pagan morals and aesthetics. Karise Gililland: "Sede Vacante" on the Fall of Man. Douglas LeBlanc: "Vengeance is Mine, Saith Everyone" on societal and personal judgment. Alex Markos: "The Return of the Kings: Comparing the Homecoming of Odysseus and the Two Comings of Christ" on the tension between love and wrath, and "Persephone" on Christian re-imagination. Louis Markos: "In Defense of Hospitality and Storytelling" on the rules of xenia. Seth Myers: "Till They Have Faces: Lewis's Psyche Meets the Modern Helen of Troy and Circe" on different perspectives on ancient stories. Cherish Nelson: "The Nicomachean Ethics and the Enemy Within" on horror, power, and self-control. Annie Nardone: "Oh Brother: A Bluegrass Odyssey" on ancient morality, values, and spirituality. Zak Schmoll: "Pius Samwise: Roman Heroism in The Lord of the Rings" on Virgil and Tolkien's chief heroes. Jason M. Smith: "Worth Reading: The Ancients" with a list of suggestions on where to begin to read the ancient philosophers, and a review of After Humanity by Michael Ward. Ted Wright: "Drinking from the Well of the Past: A Reflection on the Role of History in Literature & Philosophy for the Modern World" on the function of history. Iris Zamora: "Ancients of Old," a poem celebrating the thinkers of days gone by. Fall 2021 Volume 4, Issue 3 280 pages Cover illustration by Virginia De La Lastra

Reflections on Ancient Philosophy, Culture, and Influences

An Unexpected Journal: The Ancients

Michael Ward

Joseph Pearce

Donald T. Williams

Holly Ordway

Virginia de la Lastra

Ryan Grube

Josiah Peterson

Jamie Danielle Portwood

Jared Zimmerer

Planting the Seeds of Imagination Holly Ordway has established herself as one of the preeminent voices in the field of cultural apologetics. Her ability to engage with the imagination is clearly demonstrated through her own scholarly work, most recently the paradigm-shifting Tolkien's Modern Reading, but her influence was critical in the founding of An Unexpected Journal as well. This collection of essays, poetry, and stories demonstrates her wide-ranging impact that is truly bearing a fruitful harvest. Contributors "Maps," My Map by Jesse W. Baker on the importance of poetry. "Contrary Winds: Tolkien's Priority of Faith and Family" by Donald W. Catchings, Jr. on Tolkien's personal values, and "The Call" on the teacher's call. A review of Tolkien's Modern Reading by Annie Crawford "Drawing the Drawing Out of Me" by Virginia de la Lastra on a pleasant surprise. "Ordway's Myth-Busting Research: Tolkien's Modern Reading (A Review)" by Ryan Grube on a paradigm shift. "Poetry as Prayer, Imagination the Spark to Worship and Service: Ordway's Review of Gerard Manley Hopkins in Word on Fire's Ignatian Collection" by Seth Myers on contemplation, poetry, and missionizing. "A Passage to Something Better" by Annie Nardone on Tolkien's approach to virtue. An interview with Holly Ordway "Middle-earth and the Middle Ages" by Joseph Pearceon the influence of Beowulf. "Dr. Ordway's Visual Guide to Paragraph Structure" by Josiah Peterson on creating meaning. "Lost and Found" by Theresa Pihl on changing perspective; "Learning Writing at Writespace" by Jamie Danielle Portwood on the importance of community. "Gandalf: The Prophetic Mentor" by Zak Schmoll on the Defeat of Sauron. "A Case of Mistaken Identity" by Jason M. Smith on our great misconception. "Peak Middle-earth: Why Mount Doom is not the Climax of The Lord of the Rings" by Michael Ward "Echo and Narcissus" by Clark Weidner on the goodness of reality. "Some Real Magic: Taliessin Lectureth in the School of the Poets" and "The Challenge of 'The Republic'" by Donald T. Williams on poetic imagination. "Unveiling Reality Through the Imagination" by Jared Zimmerer on a strategy to fight meaninglessness. Cover Illustration by Virginia de la Lastra Advent 2021, Volume 4, Issue 4 270 pages

Celebrating the Difference a Teacher Can Make

An Unexpected Journal: The Imaginative Harvest of Holly Ordway

Jesse W. Baker

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