Christianity and Tolkien

[Draugohtar]

Originally Posted by tumhalad2

Christianity and Tolkien

My questions are these: Do you think it is reasonable to approach an author, from an academic point of view, with a religious world view already in mind? Secondly, how do you think your faith or lack of it informs your reading of Tolkien? For example, are you more disposed to feel that Eucatastrophe should define Tolkien’s stories, and are wont to explain away its absence, as in The Children of Hurin?

Yes, it's reasonable, everyone brings their particular world view to bear in any work of interpreation. Not more or less disposed, the Eucatastrophe is a feature of an overarching plot/theme. As per Eru speaking about taking any evil and turning it his own end ultimately, creating good and beauty the originator did not think of.

The second part of my question concerns Christianity itself in Tolkien.
Christians will probably believe one, some or all of these following propositions...


For each of these points, it seems to me questionable that Tolkien depicted a universe in which they are true with any fidelity in his books.

Well of course Tolkien didn't set out to make an allegory or alternative history of Christianity.

For example, it is indeed unclear that Eru is all-loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing.

The Ainulindalë is very clear that Eru is indeed all of these things.

There is certainly a significant demonic figure, Morgoth, but he is unlike Satan in many ways . ..

Of course, he's not an allegory. He represents the same motif though: the most powerful of the Valar (angels) who turns to evil through pride.

Of course there are vague similarities;... Unlike the Christian God, Eru is not in fact a lawgiver, nor does he make covenants with particular peoples, or punish others when they fail. ... That which is good is good for its own sake (a very humanistic point that is often overlooked in Tolkien, I think).

The highest ideal of Christianity is to be good for the sake of love of God, not fear of punishment. Further with regards to divine retribution, the Valar as proxies do make proclamations first against the Eldar of Feanor, and later against the men of Ar-Pharazon. Banishing any of the eldar from Aman is alike to eternal damnation in the context of their existences.

Nor, in Tolkien, is there any notion of “Sin” ...Likewise, a Jesus figure would seem out of place in Middle-earth (and indeed we see no equivalent)

You have multiple Christ-motifs: Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn at various times are strongly Christ-like: Frodo, the suffering servant; Gandalf who returns from Death reborn and in new raiment; Aragorn who is the returning King who brings peace and healing.

There is indeed a concept of 'sin,' people's choices and deeds is hugely influential in how their natures develop and their ultimate fates. Gollum is a fallen soul who struggles to find redemption and fails for example. Aragorn is redeeming the fallen line of the kings and making it new and worthy. Earendil restores the covenant between the Children of Illuvatar and the Valar etc. Where you have redemption, you have sin.

Likewise, notions like shame and guilt are out of place in Middle-earth: certainly individuals are morally judged by their peers, but they are never taught to be shameful of their humanity, due to some kind of inherent sinful nature.

And yet the Elves are inherently suspicious of the worth of Men from their actions in ancient days. Further there's an incredibly regular motif of both Eldar and Men, and Dwarves, getting things horribly wrong and needing some sort of divine intervention to get back on the right track.

One might say, but of course Tolkien’s work is not explicitly Christian. In what way, then, is it Christian at all? If it lacks the Christian outlook on moral truth (that moral goodness is that which is pleasing to and sanctioned by God, and badness is “sin”) then how is Christianity manifested? Perhaps through the vague notion of a benevolent God? This is indeed more Christian, than, say, Buddhist, but it could equally be pantheistic or even polytheistic. For example, when Gandalf says to Frodo that he was “meant” to find the ring, nothing in the text leads the reader it is a somewhat Christianlike god pulling all the strings behind the scenes – the suggestion is suitably vague.

Thoughts?

I disagree, I think that Tolkien's work is inherently Christian. You have Christ motifs and figures wandering all over the place, you have falls from Grace, and redemption. You have the value of suffering, and the hand of providence. You have one God who ultimately ensures all things end in good. You also have men who's fate is not known (but we know they go to an afterlife of some sort), and death as a 'gift' to men, not a punishment.

Yes, Tolkien's work is not one big Christian allegory, but if you take the Chrisitanity out of it, you'd have something very very different.

[littlemanpoet]

After doing a quick search on the two words that most caught my attention, "worldview" and "evil", it appears that my thoughts have not yet been represented.

First for the necessary background: I am an orthodox Christian. Enough said about that.

As to worldview, I think that not bringing a world view to a piece of literature is impossible. Everyone has a worldview. What that worldview consists of is going to determine the filters through which one reads a piece of literature. If, for example, one believes that only that which can be observed by the five senses are true, one will find it necessary to suspend one's disbelief when confronted with phenomena that don't fit that description.

As to evil, the curious thing about Tolkien (and C.S. Lewis as well) is that their view of evil is at odds with the modern view (think Star Trek). This has much to do with their worldview. Their view of evil is also at odds with that presented in the Star Wars mythos. In Star Trek (i.e. the modern), evil is seen as largely brought about by misunderstandings between people or cultures, and be overcome by enlightened discussion and a meeting of minds. In Star Wars, evil is seen as an equal and opposite to good, and the possibility that good can be ultimately defeated, is real. In Tolkien, the view of evil is that it is real, and it is a twistedness (think 'wraith') and a negative, "less than" good. That good will ultimate prevail is a given. This does not take away from the reality of evil, nor its power to ruin and hurt. Nor does it take away from its ability to corrupt that which is or once was good. But this view of evil is fundamentally Christian.

It is true that T.A. Shippey argues that Tolkien keeps the appearance of a Manichaean evil (i.e. Star Wars) before the reader, but if one does a keen reading of LotR, one finds that the prevailing view is that evil will not in the end prevail, indeed cannot. This is a Christian view of evil.

Even though it is a Christian view, that does not mean that it will not appeal to a non-Christian or atheist, because humans have an inherent need for good to prevail. It's just the way we're wired.