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Tar-Palantir · 02-06-2003, 11:26 PM

aragornreborn, I liked your first post, thanks, but the answer to your second post is that this is exactly where the thread is going, that is where it started after all - with Christianity and how it's details, lessons, preachings, nuances, and whatever else, manifests in the LotR. And we all know the answer to Cazoz's question anyway, so it's fairly rhetorical, and nothing to complain about. To use a bad pun here, the devil is in the details. And the details, especially blatant ones like saying that elves are the Christians and so get to go to Valinor, need to be addressed. He did, after all, liken the Undying Lands to Heaven.

In truth I believe it would feel confining and be overly limiting to Tolkein were he to write a book overwhelmingly based on ANY metaphor, let alone religious metaphor, and even more so with solely Christian metaphor. Yet this is what has been asserted by the topic starter. I think we can all agree this is not the case. Further, I believe we can all agree that there there is some religious influence. So, how much? How blatant? And for what purpose? Not much and not blatant I say. So then, purpose, what are people's opinions on this? The thought that Tolkein deemed any religious inclusions to be purposed for the spreading of any kind of dogma I find highly unlikely. He may have been a Christian, but to use his writings to spread the Word? Seems out of character, more than a little. In fact the topics dealing with WWII and Tolkein seem to be more on point, in my opinion.

I really believe Tolkein was a master at allowing each reader to see in it what is special to them. Whether you see valour, love, hope, WWII, Christianity, Buddhism, or anything else, as the theme or driving force.

cheers

This thread sure is moving fast, eh?

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: Tar-Palantir ]

02-06-2003, 11:26 PM	#39
Tar-Palantir Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: napa valley, ca Posts: 496	aragornreborn, I liked your first post, thanks, but the answer to your second post is that this is exactly where the thread is going, that is where it started after all - with Christianity and how it's details, lessons, preachings, nuances, and whatever else, manifests in the LotR. And we all know the answer to Cazoz's question anyway, so it's fairly rhetorical, and nothing to complain about. To use a bad pun here, the devil is in the details. And the details, especially blatant ones like saying that elves are the Christians and so get to go to Valinor, need to be addressed. He did, after all, liken the Undying Lands to Heaven. In truth I believe it would feel confining and be overly limiting to Tolkein were he to write a book overwhelmingly based on ANY metaphor, let alone religious metaphor, and even more so with solely Christian metaphor. Yet this is what has been asserted by the topic starter. I think we can all agree this is not the case. Further, I believe we can all agree that there there is some religious influence. So, how much? How blatant? And for what purpose? Not much and not blatant I say. So then, purpose, what are people's opinions on this? The thought that Tolkein deemed any religious inclusions to be purposed for the spreading of any kind of dogma I find highly unlikely. He may have been a Christian, but to use his writings to spread the Word? Seems out of character, more than a little. In fact the topics dealing with WWII and Tolkein seem to be more on point, in my opinion. I really believe Tolkein was a master at allowing each reader to see in it what is special to them. Whether you see valour, love, hope, WWII, Christianity, Buddhism, or anything else, as the theme or driving force. cheers This thread sure is moving fast, eh? [ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: Tar-Palantir ] __________________ History shows again and again How nature points up the folly of men Go, go, Godzilla!