Welcome to Episode Eighteen in our Tolkien's Greatest Characters series. Today's conversation explores the transformation of Smeagol into Gollum, and entertains the possibility that maybe Smeagol found his way back to the light at the bottom of the fires of Mt. Doom...

Leah Holser returns for her second appearance on The Plunge. Enjoy our spirited discussion of the implications of discovering the Ring, the explicit connection between Greed and Violence, and the possibility of redemption and restoration, no matter how far the Ring takes us away from the Light.

Leah Holser will complete her Master's in Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University in 2026. She has been active in parenting and children's ministry for nearly 25 years, and has a passion for families to be full of love and flourish in every way. She is the President of the Board of Directors of Northwest Family Life, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic violence.

Since 1989, Northwest Family Life’s network of faith-based counselors has been characterized by a strong commitment to our mission of “assisting individuals and families in finding hope and healing when facing the pain of domestic violence, trafficking, trauma, and related issues.” As a non-profit learning and counseling center based in the greater Seattle area, we have a three-pronged approach to ending domestic violence: advocacy, intervention, and prevention. Northwest Family Life is a 501(c)3 organization.

https://northwestfamilylife.org/

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Tolkien's Greatest Characters: SMEAGOL | Leah Holser