December 17, 2003

Saying LotR is 'Christian'
Bill F. (not 'Ferny'!)

To stop saying that LotR is 'christian', would be like not saying it is 'fantasy' or a 'fictional history' or 'naturalistic' or a 'romantic quest'.

Each one is true. And each one of them is insufficient.

LotR is 'christian' ('catholic' would be more accurate), is that Tolkien himself said it. In a letter to a Jesuit priest and friend, he said:

" 'The Lord of the Rings' is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like religion, to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed in the story and the symbolism."

Thankfully, JRRT did in fact submerge his deeply held beliefs, so LotR was not dry allegory. That means you can read and appreciate Tolkien without any knowledge of Christianity, or belief in it. The themes of self-sacrifice, humility, a moral order, etc., are found in many religions and philosophies. It's just one way of looking at the book, one facet of it, like viewing it as an experiment in linguistics or epic history. Neither is the only thing he intended, but both are undeniable.

Tolkien originally started writing about Middle-earth as alternative mythology for England. That primarily applied to the tales of the Elder Days, however, and he later said he abandonded the idea, so that argument doesn't hold much water.

Tolkien was Catholic... Catholics do NOT read Scripture literally. They believe it needs to be interpreted, and that God gave us the minds and freedom and wisdom to do that. So everyone should feel comfortable using those gifts to interpret Tolkien as well.

-BF