How to Kill a Dragon: Story, Myth and the Theodrama

Dr Dowle explores the idea of ‘story’ as a meta-narrative for life alongside its philosophical, theological and practical implications. Drawing on the work of two European thinkers, Joseph Ratzinger and Hans Urs Von Balthasar, as well as literary giants C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Dowle explores the hidden meaning of stories, fairy tales and myths; the archetype of ‘hero’ and the proverbial slaying of the dragon; and exploring Tolkien's theorising of evil and his literary devices used to expound upon this.

Dr Lewis J Dowle completed his doctorate at the University of St Andrews within Political Geography, exploring the implications of the 2015-2016 migration crisis on the Swedish-Danish border. Following this, Dr Dowle trained as a Teacher of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge before joining us at Reading School. Dr Dowle’s interests span many topics, particularly Theology, as well as the work of Tolkien. 

The Faith and Reason Lecture Series explores the interplay and complementarity between religion and rationality. These termly lectures provide thought-provoking topics which engage and inspire those in attendance in pondering the most important questions. Previous lectures have explored cosmology and the origin of the universe, and the question of being human in an age of AI.