[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Beth

Nor do his gods take on animal shape and forms, only human forms.

At least Yavanna takes a non-human form, that of gigantic tree.

I think Nienna is his most interesting and original contribution to mythic divinity, although it is possible I am forgetting some of the divine characters from other mythologies.

The buddhists also have Tara, the divine aspect of compassion, with her male companion, Avalokiteshvara. In Christianity, in think that Mary, the mother of Christ, would also be a fit figure for this, seeing her imagery and prayers dedicated to her.

Once beauty is brought into the equation, do we need to consider Tolkien's comments on beauty and evil in OFS?

Hm, I don't remember even a single elven woman using her beauty in an evil way; [interestingly enough, I have to think hard to remember a single evil elven woman.]

Do the ancient mythologies have this value system of higher and lower forms of love?

In most Indian-related religions (hinduism and buddhism in particular), vairagya, detachement in all aspects of life, is highly estimeed; even in kaula and mishra, the non-superior branches of Tantra, spiritual development in a couple is not possible without detachment.

Is this valuation something in Tolkien's text or is it an assumption that Raynor is bringing to the text?

There is this interesting refference in Aelfwine's preamble:

Originally Posted by Of the marriage laws and customs of the Eldar, their children, and other matters touching thereon, Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

The Eldar wedded once only in life, and for love or at the least by free will upon either part. Even when in after days, as the histories reveal, many of the Eldar in Middle-earth became corrupted, and their hearts darkened by the shadow that lies upon Arda, seldom is any tale told of deeds of lust among them.
...
They are not easily deceived by their own kind; and their spirits being masters of their bodies, they are seldom swayed by the desires of the body only, but are by nature continent and steadfast.

They seem to embody the kind of pure, untainted love, that Tolkien believed would happen between humans only in cases of saints, or later in life when the "sex cools down", and only in the rarest of cases between "ordinary folk" [- cf. letter #43 to Michael Tolkien on the subject of marriage and the relations betwen the sexes].