Good and Evil in Middle-Earth

Christian History Magazine ^ | Spring 2003 | Ralph C. Wood

[My2Cents]

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the great debates, the great battles of our time in politics and in the world, particularly with the War on Terror, are not battles over ideology, but are spiritual battles. They require spiritual insight and spiritual resources to be victorious. This is why the "Lord of the Rings" film series, coming now as it has over the last three years, is such an important event.

[My2Cents]

ping?

[My2Cents]

Ping the rest of the "Fellowship."

[wizardoz]

"Men of the West! Stand and FIGHT!!"

[Lady Eileen]

bump

[osagebowman]

M2C; you beat me to it. That was excellent. Thanks for posting.

[Lil'freeper]

Tremendous post! Thanks so much! How nice that at least one of the legion of commentators who think they've found the secret of the universe hidden in the pages of LOTR has actually read The Silmarillion. LOTR is a big, nuanced story set in an even bigger, more nuanced context/history.

One quibble, though, is setting the Ents so high on the list. They're Yavanna's revenge- created after the dwarves.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

There and Back Again: The Journeys of Flat Frodo

Anyone wishing to be added to or removed from the Ring-Ping list, please don't hesitate to let me know.

[JenB]

Lower still are the elves and perhaps the ents, then men and hobbits, and finally dwarves

Hmmm...

[JenB]

You're absolutely right about LotR: it is the story for our times. It's interesting to see how it comes now at just the right hour....

Yet it is not a falsely cheering work. In the end, alas, Frodo is utterly overwhelmed by the power of the Ring: the heroic hobbit is prevented from fulfilling his mission. But because Tolkien's universe is providential rather than accidental, Frodo's defeat does not mean ultimate failure. Sauron's evil finally destroys itself—but only because the Company has fought it valiantly to the end. Frodo is so exhausted by his arduous Quest that he is unable to relish the fruits of the victory over Sauron.

I like this. This author understands the most important parts of Lord of the Rings! But I do dislike his phrasing "prevented from fulfilling his mission" because I see Frodo's mission as simply to get the Ring to the fire (I think Tolkien himself, in his letters, indicates this interpretation). Not to destroy the Ring himself.

Great post!

[Corin Stormhands]

Matthew 19:30
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

[JenB]

At least Elves know where they go when they die...

[Alouette]

LOTR contains a lot of elements of pre-Christian Germanic, Norse and Celtic mythology, the same elements and characters that are to be found in epics such as Das Nibelungenlied.

There is no "Christ" figure in LOTR. If anything, the triumphal restoration of Aragorn to the throne of Gondor is much closer to the Jewish concept of an earthly Messiah claiming the Throne of David. Someone who dies in order to save all of Middle-Earth, hmm, that would be Gollum. Not very "Christ-like" IMO.

[g'nad]

At least Elves know where they go when they die...

and I really enjoy watchin' 'em start their journey...

[JenB]

Christ figures never reflect all of Christ, just one aspect, one facet. So Gandalf, Frodo, Aragorn, Sam all are Christ-figures because they illustrate one element of His character, just as the pre-Christian myth-heroes reflect on the Christ-to-come.

I believe Tolkien meant it that way. He certainly believed that all stories were "types" of the gospel, illustrating some truth, whether they came before or after Christ.

[sweetliberty]

How right your comments are, and this is exactly why the forces of evil and their puppets would do all in their power to silence the voices and darken the images that serve to remind folks of truth and light.

This is a very good article. I plan to see Return of the King today for the second time .

What a truly magnificent body of work Peter Jackson has created to compliment the original masterpiece of Tolkien himself and what a great service PJ has done in opening the world of Tolkien to those who may have never picked up the books.

[Corin Stormhands]

There is no "Christ" figure in LOTR.

Actually there are three (at least) that I would consider "Christlike" figures. Did a research paper on it in college (back in the 2nd Age).

Frodo - The Deliverer, carrying the weight of sin.

Gandalf - The Resurrection

Aragorn - The annointed King.

You may disagree (and Tolkien might even indicate that was not his intent). But hey, I got an "A." ;-)

[Corin Stormhands]

and I really enjoy watchin' 'em start their journey...

*snif* that's just beautiful...

[JenB]

You gotta watch out, though, Elves don't always stay dead.

[My2Cents]

Well-said. I'm dismayed hearing the movie reviewers critique "Return of the King," when it's clear they've never read the books. "Why would Peter Jackson have done such-and-such, or had someone say this-or-that?", when if they had read the books, they would realize that it was Tolkien, not Jackson, who put certain words in characters' mouths, or supplied the plot twists. I find that most of the critics who have not liked the films are those who have never read the books.