View Single Post
Old 08-04-2005, 08:15 PM   #3
Formendacil
Dead Serious
 
Formendacil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Perched on Thangorodrim's towers.
Posts: 3,328
Formendacil is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Formendacil is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Formendacil is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Formendacil is lost in the dark paths of Moria.
Send a message via AIM to Formendacil Send a message via MSN to Formendacil
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mithalwen
I only meant that she didn't usually have much contact with other academic wives... if I remember rightly. I can't help thinking that the conversion was the tragedy of the marriage - in these times it would have been acceptable to the Catholic Church (if not to JRRT ) for Edith merely to agree to the children being raised RC. Edith would surely have flourished as a mainstay of an Anglican church where her skills as a musician would have been truly appreciated - and would have given her a congenial social sphere of her own. Tolkien's attitude on this matter is one thing I actively dislike him for. The harshness suffered by his mother doesn't justify insensitivity to his wife...
I wouldn't be so quick to judge, myself...

Personally, from my own personal worldview, I can understand Tolkien in this perspective. I know that for myself, as a practising Catholic with my own mentality (dare I say a mentality that Tolkien has helped shape?) I would find it very hard to marry someone who didn't share and participate in my beliefs. My religion is a large enough part of my life that spending the rest of my life with someone who couldn't/wouldn't participate in it would be very hard. Furthermore, is it such a bad sign that Tolkien puts his faith, his belief and devotion to the one, eternal God, ahead of his love for another person? In this postmodernist day and age, I realise that few people would put love of God ahead of love of Man (or is that Woman? ), but is it such a ignoble thing when one does?

And as for the Lewis situation, I think it a bit of a natural disappointment to have one's friend turn to Christianity- not entirely without your help- and have him chose a denomination other than one's own. I know that if I had been encouraging an atheist friend who was looking at Christianity, I would be rather disappointed if he chose to be an Anglican rather than a Catholic.

However, it should really be noted that this was long behind Tolkien and Lewis by the time that Shadowlands takes place. By then, Tolkien and Lewis had not only got over that, but had spent a great many years as great friends. Their friendship was not as close as it had once been, true, but that is simply the way their lives diverged, and really had nothing to do with religion at that point.
__________________
I prefer history, true or feigned.
Formendacil is offline   Reply With Quote