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Tolkien was famously against the idea of allegory in fiction (in stark contrast with his friend C.S. Lewis). All parts of an author's life are going to influenc

Tolkien was famously against the idea of allegory in fiction (in stark contrast with his friend C.S. Lewis). All parts of an author's life are going to influence his creative works - that's just inevitable - so I'm sure you could find some things that might be traced back to his religion. But you could say the same thing about his experience fighting in WWI, for example. I highly doubt there were any intentional references or parallels. I recommend reading his essay On Fairy-stories to get a window into the role he sees fantasy as having. Interestingly he does tie it in with his faith at a meta-level: he sees it as a sub-creation within the larger creation; himself a sub-creator. But the hallmark of that sub-creation is for things to be different and separate in key ways. I don't think he would reduce his work to being a mere echo of his beliefs, even partially, beyond abstract themes like good and evil and hope.

olivierestsage 6y ago
I wouldn't want to think of LotR as a "mere echo of his beliefs." However, when Tolkien criticized allegory, he wasn't criticizing the idea that a work could be infused with deliberate meaning; the key difference is that he felt it should be "infused" -- digested, not a solid block of meaning that pounds readers over the head. Regarding his intentionality in putting that kind of meaning in, other comments in this thread quote him explicitly discussing this aspect.
- brundolf 6y ago
  Sure, I just think it's overly narrow to call that meaning a "Catholic/Christian sense". When I left the church, in fact, The Lord of the Rings remained a source of great meaning for me specifically because it enshrined that meaning in a non-religious context. Obviously for Tolkien, personally, those themes would have been rooted in his religious life. But I think it's a strength, and not a weakness, that they can transcend it. (Not that I expect Amazon to do a good job of preserving them either way, for the record :P)
  - olivierestsage 6y ago
    Point taken, and in my original comment, I wasn't expressing the hope that hobbits would turn toward the camera and recite the Apostles' Creed or something. I was just hoping that the underlying spirit and values of Christian belief, which I believe suffuse the work, would not be contradicted or trampled on by the new treatment.
  - dragonwriter 6y ago
    > Sure, I just think it's overly narrow to call that meaning a "Catholic/Christian sense". Tolkien did; I think it is an error to ignore the fact that it very much is. > When I left the church, in fact, The Lord of the Rings remained a source of great meaning for me specifically because it enshrined that meaning in a non-religious context. That it is accessible to people outside of the inspiring religious framework, and has specific features which encourage that is also important to note, but doesn't in any way negate the specific religious grounding.

olivierestsage 6y ago

I wouldn't want to think of LotR as a "mere echo of his beliefs." However, when Tolkien criticized allegory, he wasn't criticizing the idea that a work could be infused with deliberate meaning; the key difference is that he felt it should be "infused" -- digested, not a solid block of meaning that pounds readers over the head. Regarding his intentionality in putting that kind of meaning in, other comments in this thread quote him explicitly discussing this aspect.

brundolf 6y ago
Sure, I just think it's overly narrow to call that meaning a "Catholic/Christian sense". When I left the church, in fact, The Lord of the Rings remained a source of great meaning for me specifically because it enshrined that meaning in a non-religious context. Obviously for Tolkien, personally, those themes would have been rooted in his religious life. But I think it's a strength, and not a weakness, that they can transcend it. (Not that I expect Amazon to do a good job of preserving them either way, for the record :P)
- olivierestsage 6y ago
  Point taken, and in my original comment, I wasn't expressing the hope that hobbits would turn toward the camera and recite the Apostles' Creed or something. I was just hoping that the underlying spirit and values of Christian belief, which I believe suffuse the work, would not be contradicted or trampled on by the new treatment.
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  > Sure, I just think it's overly narrow to call that meaning a "Catholic/Christian sense". Tolkien did; I think it is an error to ignore the fact that it very much is. > When I left the church, in fact, The Lord of the Rings remained a source of great meaning for me specifically because it enshrined that meaning in a non-religious context. That it is accessible to people outside of the inspiring religious framework, and has specific features which encourage that is also important to note, but doesn't in any way negate the specific religious grounding.