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The Ring and the Cross
Boston Globe Online | 12/29/2002 | Chris Mooney

Posted on 01/02/2003 7:17:11 AM PST by condi2008

How J.R.R. Tolkien became a Christian writer

FROM THEIR MASTERY OF Middle-earth geography to their occasional fluency in Elvish, fans of the "Lord of the Rings" books tend to be a pretty knowledgeable bunch. But many would be surprised to learn that J.R.R. Tolkien's great medievalist epic had a co-author: God. According to Peter Kreeft, a Catholic philosopher at Boston College, Tolkien was under the divine spell when he composed his sprawling trilogy. "Of course it's inspired; it's got His fingerprints all over it," wrote Kreeft in an article on Tolkien and evil that was reprinted this spring in a special all-Tolkien issue of the Catholic-leaning Chesterton Review.

Kreeft isn't alone in his analysis. Though Tolkien's epic romance remains a lodestar for fantasy geeks worldwide, it has also been adopted by myriad Christian commentators. Books on Tolkien's religiosity are everywhere. For evangelical Protestants, there's "Finding God in 'The Lord of the Rings,'" written by two authors affiliated with the organization Focus on the Family. For Catholics, there's Hillsdale College historian Bradley Birzer's "J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth,'' which was just released to coincide with Peter Jackson's latest "Lord of the Rings" film, "The Two Towers."

When "The Lord of the Rings," a novel in three volumes, was first published in 1954-55, the Anglican poet W.H. Auden called it a "masterpiece," and even suggested that Tolkien had "succeeded where Milton failed" when it came to the question of reconciling free will with the notion of a God whose power is absolute. The current emphasis on Tolkien's religiosity has its more immediate origins in Joseph Pearce's 1999 book "Tolkien: Man and Myth," which underscores Tolkien's deeply Catholic views. Since Pearce's writing -- and, of course, the news that the "Lord of the Rings" books were coming to movie theaters -- the theological ferment has been considerable. In April of 2000, Christianity Today ranked Tolkien's epic among the top 10 Christian books of the 20th century; the first slot went to C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity," which might not even have been written had Tolkien not helped Lewis to find God in 1931. More religiously-infused books on Tolkien are on the way, including Kreeft's "The Philosophy of Tolkien" and Baylor University theology and literature professor Ralph Wood's "The Gospel According to 'The Lord of the Rings.'"


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Music/Entertainment; Religion; The Hobbit Hole
KEYWORDS: tolkien
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To: HairOfTheDog
Interesting, and affirming.

Thanks for ze ping.
21 posted on 01/02/2003 10:06:31 PM PST by GretchenEE
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To: HairOfTheDog; SuziQ; Guenevere
I think the Shire/Hobbit theme starts with "This is My Father's World." I think it's called "Concerning Hobbits" on the soundtrack. I'm not sure about the Rivendell theme music, I'd have to listen to it again. But I'm sure the hobbit theme plays a lot in Rivendell during some of the hobbit scenes--like the reunion scenes or maybe when Frodo and Sam are talking about going home.
22 posted on 01/05/2003 10:05:16 AM PST by Penny1
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To: Penny1
#22...You are so totally right!

I said Rivendell, but I meant 'The Shire'....

..and I'm glad to see you agree....those first strains are surely This is My Father's World...

23 posted on 01/05/2003 10:17:18 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: Penny1
also......I really like all the music.
..parts are quite haunting.....and I've been humming them since seeing TTT (twice now)...

..and we also have the DVD of FOTR.

Howard Shore is not someone I know well....just only heard of.
I can't think of another soundtrack he's made....but I'm sure there must be.

James Horner has been my favorite for a long, long time.....but I think Shore has been perfect for this trilogy.

24 posted on 01/05/2003 10:20:20 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: Guenevere
Yes, the music is incredible. Right now, I am hearing in my head the operatic chorus that is heard as Gandalf and the Balrog emerge into that huge cavern and are about to plunge into the lake. It sounds like something right out of a Verdi opera...stunning.

Ohh.....don't even get me started, I could gush for hours!!! ;)

I had not heard of Howard Shore before either, but I am so glad he was chosen to do the music. He has poured his heart and soul into it, just like everyone else involved in the project. Incredibly beautiful work! His Oscar last year was the one I most thrilled about...
25 posted on 01/05/2003 1:05:46 PM PST by Penny1
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To: Penny1
LOL, Oh I won't get you started.....but don't you think the music AND the movie are just seamless!!!

What an achievement!!

My husband thinks TTT the best movie he's ever seen....and the only other one that came close was FOTR.

He doesn't care for movies much, and rarely goes.

And Jackson directed this brilliantly!

I'll know if I want to watch the Academy Awards presentation, when I find out just WHO and WHAT MOVIE is nominated.

If they give short shrift to Jackson & TTT, they've lost my interest.

26 posted on 01/05/2003 1:47:51 PM PST by Guenevere
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To: Guenevere
I kind of gave up on the Oscars after last year. But I will be thrilled if the Academy surprises me this year.

I was not as pleased with TTT as I was with FOTR, but then I like that book better than TTT as well. I love TTT, though, just not quite as much as FOTR. Seamless is a great way to describe the relationship between the movie and the music. Wonderful stuff. I can't wait till I can afford to buy the soundtrack. That will be wonderful to listen to, just on its own merits!
27 posted on 01/05/2003 4:41:05 PM PST by Penny1
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