If you are interested in having me come to do a lecture for your conference, university, church, or group, please be in touch! My email address is hordway (at) wordonfire (dot) org.
I speak regularly on topics related to J.R.R. Tolkien and imaginative apologetics, in both the U.S. and internationally.
I live in Wisconsin, travel several times per year to Texas, and also do regular lecture trips to other parts of the U.S. and internationally. I also travel regularly to England and am available to speak to study abroad groups as well as to U.K. organizations.
See below for my speaking schedule – scroll down for upcoming events.
2020
Feb. 7: “Tolkien’s Modern Reading.” Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts (ITIA), University of St Andrews, Scotland
March 21: “Imaginative Apologetics: Learning from The Lord of the Rings.” HBU Apologetics Day, Houston, TX [POSTPONED]
March 26: “Imaginative Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Need It. Co-hosted by Texas A&M Ratio Christi and RED-C Catholic Radio. College Station, TX [POSTPONED]
March 27-28: Lenten Mission, St Francis Catholic Church, Orange, TX [POSTPONED]
June 9: The Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, Oxford, England. [POSTPONED]
November 14: 39th Annual Lewis/Tolkien Lecture: Dallas Lewis and Tolkien Society [via Zoom]
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2021
March 18, 2021: “Tolkien’s Modern Reading”. Newman Centre Catholic Mission, Toronto, Canada. [Online event]
April 16: “Imaginative Apologetics and the World of J.R.R. Tolkien.” Providence College Humanities Forum, Providence, RI.
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Previous years’ speaking engagements:
2019
January 29: “Tolkien’s Modern Sources: Dunsany, Shorthouse, and a Mythology for England.” Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, Oxford, England.
February 12: “Inside Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth.” The Sheen Center & Morgan Library and Museum, New York City, NY. Video of the event here.
February 23: HBU Apologetics Day conference, The Woodlands, TX.
March 7: Newman Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
March 8: Tyndale University College English Department, Toronto, Ontario.
March 19-20: C.S. Lewis and Friends Lectures, Memphis Theological Seminary, Memphis, TN.
March 20: “Tolkien’s Modern Sources”: Memphis C.S. Lewis Society, Memphis, TN.
March 27: Panel discussion: “The Current State of Lewis Studies.” Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX.
March 29-30: “Tolkien and the Function of Fantasy” & “Imagination and Meaning.” Weatherford College, Weatherford, TX.
April 13: Quaeritur, La Crosse, WI.
June 27: Regent University study abroad program, Oxford, England.
July 10: PSDA Church – C.S. Lewis study trip, Oxford, England.
Sept. 17: filming with Spirit Juice Studios, Chicago, IL.
October 10: “Lewis v. Tolkien: Battle of the Literary Masters” – Joint event with Michael Ward – Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center , Cuyahoga Community College, Highland Hills, OH. You can watch the video here.
October 11: Borromeo Seminary, OH.
October 30: Franciscan University Presents, Steubenville, OH.
December 12: Rivendell Collective, The Woodlands, TX.
2018
January 30: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Tolkien’s Influences from Children’s Literature and Popular Fiction.” The Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, Oxford, England.
February 8: morning: Chapel talk (for students); afternoon: “Imaginative Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Need It” (for teachers). Portsmouth Christian Academy, Dover, NH.
February 17/18: RCIA retreat at Blessed Sacrament Church; talk and Q&A with confirmation class, Roncalli Newman Center. La Crosse, Wi.
March 24: HBU Apologetics Day conference, The Woodlands, TX
April 12: Center for Christian Faith and Culture, Malone University, Canton, OH
April 13: “Tolkien and the Function of Fantasy”. C.S. Lewis Institute of Northeast Ohio & Youngstown State University – Community lecture, Youngstown, OH
April 14: “Imaginative Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Need It”. C.S. Lewis Institute of Northeast Ohio – Fellows Program, Youngstown, OH.
May 1: Sacred Heart Elementary School (teachers and parents), Cashton, WI.
June 27: Regent University, CS Lewis study abroad class, Oxford, England.
July 17: Auburn University study abroad program, Oxford, England.
July 27:-28: Plenary & breakout session, Steubenville Defending the Faith Conference, Steubenville, OH.
August 10: “Witnesses for Christ” conference. Diocese of La Crosse, WI.
September 21-22: Francis A. Schaeffer Institute Special Lectures, Covenant Theological Seminary, St.Louis, MO.
September 25: Wheaton College Tolkien Society, Wheaton, IL.
November 11: Roncalli Newman Center, La Crosse, WI.
November 19 (via Skype): Tolkien Seminar – Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
December 5 & 12: Advent devotional series, Blessed Sacrament Parish, La Crosse, WI.
2017
February 7: “Past Watchful Dragons: Imaginative Apologetics and Why We Need It” – Regina Angelorum Academy, Ardmore, PA.
February 21: St Joseph the Workman Cathedral Young Adult group.
April 4: “Not God’s Type: From Atheism to Catholicism” – Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY.
June 12: Blackfriars Hall Young Adult group.
June 28: Regent University – Oxford Study Abroad program.
July 25 & 27: “Imaginative Apologetics” sessions – C.S. Lewis “Oxbridge” Summer Institute, Oxford, England.
September 16: “The Effects of Friendship: The Influence of the Inklings on J.R.R. Tolkien.” Canadian Round Table, Cambridge, England.
September 23: “Tolkien’s Modern Sources: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages”. With Michael Ward, for “Influences on the Work of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” Madison, WI.
October 4: “From Atheist to Catholic: The Apologetics of Imagination” – Mount Saint Mary Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.
October 15: St Jerome’s Church, Oconomowoc, WI.
November 3: Ratio Christi, Sam Houston University, Houston, TX.
December 17: Writespace workshop: “Memoir 101”. Houston, TX.
2016:
January 19: “Tolkien’s Modern (!) Sources: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages” – the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society, Oxford, England.
February 13: Reasons to Believe: “Metaphor and Meaning: The Role of Imagination in Communication about Science and Faith” – Houston, TX
February 16: “Not God’s Type: From Atheism to Catholicism.” Legatus, Houston, TX.
February 28: “C.S. Lewis as an Integrated Apologist” – Bible & Beer Consortium, Houston, TX
May 14: “Blogging 101: Developing Your Writing Online” – Writespace, Houston, TX.
TBD, week of July 17-22: Charles Williams – Inklings Week in Oxford
July 21: Auburn University at Montgomery, at The Kilns, in Oxford, England
Aug. 7: “Modern Medievalists: William Morris and J.R.R. Tolkien”. Second Spring, Oxford, England.
Oct. 4-5: Strauss Lectures, Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln, IL
2015:
Nov. 30: First Baptist Church, Arlington, TX
Nov. 8: Memoir and Creative Nonfiction workshop. Writespace, Houston, TX.
Oct. 19: “Tolkien and Modern Fantasy.” Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO.
Oct. 16: Gala premiere of Convinced, Orange County, CA.
Oct. 14: “Not God’s Type”. St Michael Catholic Church, Houston, TX.
Sept 23: “Imaginative Apologetics.” Northwest University, Seattle, WA.
June 22: “Tolkien and Modern Fantasy.” Regent University, Oxford, England.
May 2: “J.R.R. Tolkien’s Literary Apologetics.” REASONS Apologetics Conference, The Woodlands, TX.