[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

I'm not a Christian, my family's Buddhist, though I respect Christianity and my Christian friends. That said, there are some definate Christian themes in the LotR, as in all western literature, and still more in the background works such as the Sil. I always thought in the LotR it was unconcious, while the Sil. was conciously so.

The bible is one of, no, is the most influential force in western literature, and no educated person wishing to understand western-European-American literature should fail to study it, to recognize those subtle themes.

Poetry, and the poetry of powerful literature, plays our subconcious like a harp, evoking deep-seated imagery and emotional response, our ideals.

To understand Indian lit., you must read the Vedas, to understand Middle Eastern poetry, the Koran.

There is a common emotional language that is not just spoken.

I think Tolkien sought an epic universiality, not an allegory, not something that would only speak to erudite Christian scholars.

But the harp he played so-to-speak, was Christian in its roots. Certainly.

I think his point in rejecting allegory is that he didn't want to limit or make the LotR the sole property of those who call themselves Christian. Or anyone's sole property. He wasn't one who prostelytized, and he didn't want to narrow his audience.
There are those who don't read the Narnia Chronicles because they're labelled "Christian," who think they won't relate to them because of that. And that's a sad loss.

[ January 23, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]