Wade Center Events

The Wade Center plans to record all events and upload them to our YouTube channel unless otherwise noted and barring any technical difficulties.

• JANUARY 29, 2026 @ 7PM, BAKKE AUDITORIUM
  “The Horns of Elfland: On Fairy-Story Justice"
  Lecture #1 in the 2026 Hansen Lecture Series with Jim Beitler
  This lecture will look closely at J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous “On Fairy-Stories” and other defenses of fantasy written by the Wade authors, exploring what these arguments reveal to us about the relationship between fantasy literature and justice.
  Watch the Hansen Lecture #1 Livestream
• FEBRUARY 26, 2026 @ 7PM, BAKKE AUDITORIUM
  “The Hammer of God: Sub-creation and Divine Justice"
  Lecture #2 in the 2026 Hansen Lecture Series with Jim Beitler
  Tolkien places a high value on the art of sub-creation, going so far as to call it our “right” as humans. In the second lecture, we’ll reflect with the Wade Center authors on what it means to do justice to this “right” as well as the judgments that await those who do wrong by it.
  Watch the Hansen Lecture #2 Livestream
• MARCH 13-14, 2026, WHEATON COLLEGE
  The Thick & the Clear: C.S. Lewis and the Arts
  A two-day conference exploring beauty, imagination, and truth through the lens of C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces. Co-hosted with Ballet 5:8, this gathering brings together scholars, artists, and audiences who believe art can be both intellectually rich and spiritually transparent.
  Learn More on the Event Website
• MARCH 19, 2026 @ 7PM, BAKKE AUDITORIUM
  “The Ring of Righteousness: Justice in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth"
  Lecture #3 in the 2026 Hansen Lecture Series with Jim Beitler
  This lecture will consider the visions of justice that J.R.R. Tolkien offers us in The Lord of the Rings.
  Watch the Hansen Lecture #3 Livestream
• MARCH 31-APRIL 2, 2026, BAKKE AUDITORIUM
  “The Light Princess” Drama, co-sponsored with the Wheaton College Tolkien Society
  A 45-minute dramatization of George MacDonald’s classic fairy tale, “The Light Princess,” adapted and performed by the Wheaton College Tolkien Society. Open to families with children ages 5 and up. The performances are free and seating is first-come, first-served.
  
  Showtimes: 
  • Tuesday, March 31, 10:30am
  • Wednesday, April 1, 4pm
  • Thursday, April 2, 10:30am