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The terms "High" here have a great many meanings.
To begin with, you need to learn (as far as what Tolkien meant by these terms), about the Theology of Boethius, Augustine, and Francis of Assisi (as just a few).
And in how the term applied to Chivalric Romance, where there was a distinction between different emotions, and whether they were applied to purely "Spiritual" or to "Physical" aspects of the world.
As to whether Tolkien Fandom "buys into" those things....
Well, that very much depends upon what you mean by "buying into."
If we are talking about interpretations of events within Middle-earth, then it is an absolute necessity to know what Tolkien meant by these terms.
As there is a difference between internal and external views regarding Middle-earth.
I agree with next to nothing that Tolkien believed about the Real World (The world that both he and I inhabit, as well as the readers of his works inhabit).
But that is irrelevant when dealing with the beliefs as they relate to the Internal Aspects of Middle-earth.
Because as Tolkien points out in MANY different places, Middle-earth has a Metaphysics, an Ontology, and a Theology that is distinct from our world, even if based upon it. So we might take, as a basis, the foundations of our Physical Laws as a starting point for the operation of Middle-earth. But within Middle-earth these Laws have distinct divergences from our world.
Thus we need to know what is meant by the "High" and the "Low" as it applies to both our world (where these are Subjective reference frames), and internal to Middle-earth (where "High" and "Low" are Objective reference frames).
But obviously this is a very deep subject.
This is why I tend to make a primary issue out of the Metaphysical, Ontological, and Theological Assumptions one has about Middle-earth.
Because these will create a framework that will provide answers for all other questions that might be asked about Middle-earth. And with a Consistent, Coherent Metaphysics, these answers will contain no contradictions.
Edit: The "High" and "Low" aspects of Middle-earth also reveal characteristics of the operation of Physiognomy within Middle-earth.
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