Awakening Joy

It may occur quite unconsciously, but every author weaves his truest beliefs into the words he writes to one degree or another. A good writer pours all that they are […]

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One Theme to Rule Them All: A Collection of Catholic Elements in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has enjoyed worldwide popularity, appealing to a wide audience on many levels. What is it about the book that draws so many people […]

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To J. R. R. Tolkien

On a day when Fall’s first leaves were flying And the wind was howling and geese were crying And clouds were black and the sun was hiding, Word first came, […]

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Melchizedek, Bombadil, and the Numinous in The Lord of the Rings

In The Fellowship of the Ring, an interesting figure makes an entrance.  Tom Bombadil comes to the aid of the hobbits, rescuing them from the clutches of Old Man Willow. […]

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Melkor and Illúvatar

Music was given to the Ainur by Illúvatar: music of what the world would be, music of Illúvatar’s will. But there was one who would not receive the music and […]

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Courage at the Crossroad: Death and Immortality in The Lord of the Rings

In a letter from 1958, J.R.R. Tolkien noted that his fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings, was “mainly concerned with Death, and Immortality.”[1] Although Middle-earth is full of vast […]

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Tolkien and Miyazaki: Princess Mononoke and The Lord of the Rings in Conversation

Princess Mononoke, an animated film from legendary Japanese writer and director Hayao Miyazaki, is a fantasy tale of the struggle between man and nature that in many ways echoes themes […]

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Book Review: An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of J. R. R. Tolkien

Much has been written about the influence of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Christian faith on The Lord of the Rings and the entire canon of Middle-earth literature, so it may […]

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The Beauty of a Growing Friendship

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”[1]Just as it was not good for Adam to […]

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A Passage to Something Better

It is mainly concerned with Death, and Immortality. J.R.R. Tolkien, commenting on The Lord of the Rings in a letter, October 14, 1958. Here are beauties which pierce like swords […]

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