Presentation over Zoom by Ellie Jacques. The hero's journey is a universal literary pattern that our favorite stories across time have followed. Popularized by Joseph Campbell in the 1940's, the hero's journey has been used by the likes of Tolkien, George Lucas, and Stanley Kubrick, to create some of the most iconic books and films in Western culture. Ellie Jacques is an educator from Southern Michigan. She recently served as Career Advisor at the largest public high school in Denver, Colorado, using the hero's journey to help students explore future careers.

Presentation by Whitney Phillips over Zoom. This talk looks at the nationalist turn (known as MAGA) within the Republican and discusses what is strange about the Christianity there on display, centering, as it does, on fear and loathing of a liberal devil. Phillips is Assistant Professor of Digital Platforms and Media Ethics in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. She has published several books focused on politics and popular culture.