"Ainulindalë: Tolkien, St. Thomas and the Metaphysics of the Music" Jonathan McIntosh

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I have read the text already a while ago and now I will just remark quickly in general... I think the author has a good point there. I think he is sort of extreme in that it sometimes sounds like "all these people are totally wrong, I am now going to set this right", but that's a way to present your theory if you want to make a point clear enough - and he has a point. I think one still has to take the Marring of Arda seriously, but saying "ah, that's just neoplatonic" is a huge oversimplification. And the main difference, as I think is also said in the text, is that the creation and all sub-creations actually have their own value, unlike the neoplatonic-like notion that in fact they are all worthless, or in some way "worse" than the ideal state. The dichotomy of "mere Vision" and "fulfilment of Creation" in Ainulindalë makes it clear enough, and I think that's a very good point the author makes.

So in general, yes, if there are people who have not been aware of this, I am sure this is an important thing to read. From my point of view it was clear from the mythologies of Arda - and taking into account On Fairy-Stories and all the Christian influences in Tolkien's works - that the ongoing creation in M-E is positive and "progressive" in its fulfilment - from the Vision (which is not real yet and has "blank spaces") to reality (which contains a lot more than the Vision and is fulfilling its promises), as stated in the text. I think the problem is just if somebody reads Silmarillion, thinks of neoplatonism, and then sort of remains imprisoned in that idea and sees everything through that prism, and it does not occur to them to step out of there. For this, this article is pretty important.