[The Only Real Estel]

Myself: "Does that mean that there are millions of different meanings out there?"

Sauce: "Yes, although they will overlap to a very significant degree due to our common understanding of the language that he used."

True, I should have said does that mean there are millions of actual meanings to the book? No. There may be millions of opinions & interpretations out there (nay, billions more like it! ), but one book is incapable of that many meanings.

It makes it the only "true" meaning to me.

False Sauce. Though that may be your opinion (which I can't take from you), even if the author communicates his meaning behind the book in such a way that we could not possibly find it does that mean my interpretation of the meaning is the book's meaning? No. It does make it a very poorly written book, however.

I have always held that Durin's Bane had wings because, when I first read the book, that's how I imagined him. I was influenced, of course, by the words used by the author. But was it his intention that the Balrog be winged? Who can say? Irrespective of his intention, I see the Balrog with wings. That is my interpretation, the "meaning" that I give to that passage. I do not insist that others see it in the same way.

That is fine. Imagination is a wonderful thing.

But that does not mean that Tolkien meant the same thing. Do you suppose Tolkien created the Balrog not knowing if it has wings or not? Of course not. But since this matter is highly debatable it essentially does come down to reader interpretation because it is so difficult to discern the author's.

There is far more information out there (in Tolkien's own words even) on his intentions behind the book & any "Christian meaning" behind it. Plenty that we don't have to rely totally on interpretation.