Mythic Unities in The Lord of the Rings

[mark12_30]

Which rather implies that all those upon whom LotR has made an impact share the same, or at least similar, beliefs, and that those who do not respond to it in such a way do not share those beliefs.

Disagreed. Many folk who do not believe in Tolkien's catholicism at all nonetheless percieve the truths that he reveals, and describe his myths and eucatastrophes as impacting and working in their lives. And some who enter without the beliefs eventually come around to the beliefs through the working of the myth; therefore the belief can't be a limiting factor, or the lack of belief would block the impact of the myth and forbid the journey into faith of those so affected.

So why is it that LotR appeals to so many different kinds of people with so many different kinds of belief, and yet leaves many others cold?

We've wrestled with that before. But is discussion 'appeal' the same as discussing 'mythic unity'? Certainly the reader has to survive the books for the mythic unities to work. Perhaps their effect is stronger when there's appeal. But

Threadwise I think the pertinent question might be do the mythic unities under discussion transcend the readers' conscious belief systems, penetrating below their awareness and affecting them on a mythic level? However, although I do think that's a pertinent question, I don't see how we can decisively answer it this side of eternity.