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Old 07-20-2006, 02:32 PM   #2
Roa_Aoife
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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I'm not familiar with the HDM series or Pullman at all, and so I have little to offer on that front. From the article though, it would seem that he takes the same route that most atheists (take no offense if you are one) take: that is, they regard anything having to do with religion as a mistake. Which is ironic, because atheism is a religion in itself. I mean, it takes some serious conviction to say for certain that is no God.

Was Tolkien asking questions? I think he was asking just one: "How far can I take this world?" Was his work filled with religious themes? That's been debated here before, time and time again. (My personal favorite is still the "Is Eru God?" thread.)

The difference between Tolkien and Lewis? Lewis was an ardent defender of Christainity and an apologeticist (someone who uses reason and logic to defend faith). Tolkien wasn't. He never bothered arguing with anyone about his beliefs. He just had them. Some may have spilled over into his writings, but it seems apparent that he was writing because he loved to write. Lewis loved to write, but he used his skill to explain and defend what he believed.

Personally, I think Pullman is mistaken about Lewis. I don't Lewis was struggling for answers when he wrote Narnia. I think he had the answers and was trying to explain them to everyone else in a parable, much like Christ did. Tolkien wasn't trying to explain anything.
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