Registration is now live for Doxamoot: The Orthodox Christian Tolkien Conference! Join us in Raleigh, NC at All Saints Orthodox Church for the seventh DoxaMoot Conference, for feasting, festivity, intellectual cuisine, and the most arcane of tavern trivia.
From demons to dragons to dark lords, this year's DoxaMoot, held for the first time in the American South, lays siege to J. R. R. Tolkien's embodied evils, examining their many iterations and appearances, from the subtle seductions to horrific enormities. Join Tolkien scholars Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Dr. Cyril Gary Jenkins, and Dcn. Seraphim Richard Rohlin for an Orthodox Christian look at the fiendish foes of Middle-earth.
About the Event
DoxaMoot is a friendly gathering for anyone interested in topics related to Orthodox Christianity and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The conference is a three-day event, beginning the evening of Friday, September 4th, and concluding the evening of Sunday, September 6th, at All Saints Orthodox Church in Raleigh, NC.
This year's theme is Tolkien: The Monsters and the Monsters, with lectures delivered by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Dr. Cyril Jenkins, and Dcn. Seraphim Richard Rohlin. The schedule also includes a panel discussion, two trivia nights, meals together, and divine services, concluding with a grand feast with toasting and music.
Ancient Faith Ministries is pleased to present the DoxaMoot Conference in conjunction with the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture.
Speaker Sessions
Tolkien: The Monsters and the Monsters • Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
In this brief welcoming talk, we will look at Tolkien's seminal essay "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" and ask why monsters were so central in so many of his works.
Monstrosities Monstrous and Otherwise • Dr. Cyril Jenkins
Tolkien gives us malevolent beings, ones of wily sophistication, from Glaurung and Smaug to Balrogs and werewolves. Evil is multiformed in Tolkien’s monsters, and vanquishing them is never merely a matter of outsmarting them, especially when one deals with dragons.
At the ‘Creation’ of Evil: Melkor, Sauron, & Balrogs • Dr. Cyril Jenkins
In the Lord of the Rings, Balrogs have a clear place in Tolkien’s taxonomy of the fallen. With Dragons, they actually are among the oldest of his monsters in the Legendarium, being numerous, bestial, and hideous in his first references to them. Eventually they become limited and more elemental. How did Tolkien’s develop these creatures, and why did they go through such a transformation?
"They too may walk again": Nazgûl, the Nephilim of Middle-earth • Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Perhaps the most horrifying of the monsters of Middle-earth are the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths were once kings of old, ensnared by the demonic power of Sauron. We will look at how they resemble the demonized god-kings of the Ancient Near East and what implications they have for what sin does to the human person.
Putting On the Wolf-Skin: Werewolves, Shape-Shifting, and the Harrowing of Hell in Tolkien's First Age • Dcn. Seraphim Richard Rohlin
Tolkien's First Age werewolves—Draugluin, Carcharoth, and the hosts of Tol-in-Gaurhoth —emerge from a rich tapestry of Old European shape-shifter traditions: Norse úlfheðnar, the Völsunga saga's wolf-skins, Irish faoladh, and the anxious canons on lycanthropy in Anglo-Saxon penitential literature. This talk traces those roots and examines two typological harrowings in the story of Beren and Lúthien: one against the shape-shifters, and one as shape-shifters.
The Schedule
Check-In for the event begins on Friday at 5:30 pm at All Saints Orthodox Church, with a reception with refreshments, followed by the first talk and Pub Trivia Night. Saturday will include three talks, lunch, dinner, and Celebrity Trivia Night. Sunday will begin with Divine Liturgy, coffee hour at the hosting parish, and the Great Feast: A Time for Speech and Merriment. A detailed schedule will be released to registrants closer to the event date.
Event FAQs
Who’s Invited: The DoxaMoot Conference is for guests aged 13 and up. This is an openly, joyfully Orthodox event. You do not have to be Orthodox to attend—if you want to be there, we want you there.
Lodging: If traveling from out of town, you are responsible for finding nearby accommodations. There are several hotels within short driving distance, including Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn and Suites, Home2Suites by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Fairfield by Marriott, and Courtyard by Marriott.
Parking: There is plenty of free parking at All Saints Orthodox Church for guests attending the conference, but arrive early on Sunday morning because the lot fills up quickly.
Airports: If you intend to fly in, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is less than 20 minutes away from All Saints. Car rental is available at the airport.
What to Wear: Please feel free to wear comfortable clothes.
Meals: Registration includes meals served buffet-style for Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday coffee hour, and Sunday dinner. Refreshments will also be served at Friday's reception.
Cancellations & Refunds: Cancellations will be accepted and refunded until August 15, 2026. No refunds will be issued after this date. To cancel and receive a refund, email the Events team (events@ancientfaith.com).
Ticket Transfers: Tickets are nontransferable. If a ticket holder is unable to attend, they may seek a refund before August 15, 2026.
Before Registering
- Review the details above regarding travel, sample schedule, and ticket refunds and transfers.
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