[Bill Ferny]

Tinnu,

I'm afraid that you misunderstood my post. I wasn't trying to say that one should not listen to Dr. Hoeller! Quite the contrary, actually. My warning was simply that Dr. Hoeller calls himself a Christian, but according to our historical understanding of Christianity, he is not. He is often very unclear on that point. My view of Hoeller is based largely on a thorough reading of his books. So its pretty obvious that I’ve listened to the man, myself.

Thus, my warning is not for people to close their minds. Rather, it is an invitation for people to listen and read with critical ears and eyes. Just for the record I would never bad mouth Professor Campbell! His work on myth is utterly fantastic! (Myth is a story or collection of stories that attempt to (or do) express spiritual or religious truths. I can proudly say I’m a professed believer in the Christian Myth!) Putting Campbell and Hoeller on the same level? Well, personally, I think that’s a huge disservice to Professor Campbell. While Campbell looks at all mythology, including Christianity, with objectivity and the eye of the scientist, Hoeller looks at mythology with a subjective agenda.

When I used the word “pagan” I intended the more common usage of the word… a polytheism that’s tradition is pre-Christian European. I could have just as easily used the word “heathen”. No judgement of any type was intended. It was meant to be an example. Just because one reads and is fascinated by a certain mythology or many (as in the case of Tolkien) does not make them an adherent of the spiritual or religious truths that these mythologies express. Tolkien, just because he utilized these myths, doesn’t mean that he’s a polytheist who secretly worshiped Njord. Likewise, just because an agnostic writes a book about a Methodist minister, doesn’t make her anything more or less than an agnostic. In the same way, just because I can perceive a gnostic theme in something that Tolkien wrote, that does not make Tolkien an advocate of gnosticism.

I really was surprised by and interested in the lecture you provided, and did listen to it carefully. Hoeller, though, makes it seem as though Tolkien was a closet gnostic. That’s simply contrary to what he has said, and what his friends and family has said about him: that he was a rather conservative minded Roman Catholic.

I agree wholeheartedly that ancient mythologies are important, especially for the Christian. All myth contains the seeds of truth, and no myth should be ignored, even a modern reconstruction such as Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Plus, they can be a lot of fun to read. I’ve gotten hours of enjoyment from reading and rewriting Celtic mythology! But it would be wrong of me to force a meaning onto these myths, especially a subjective meaning that these myths never intended to express, and pass it off for fact.

[I have yet to read the rest of the many, MANY, posts that have gone up since I was last here. I felt it important to clarify my position as regards Hoeller, Campbell, and the virtues of an open mind. I’m going to start reading right now! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ]