The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Don’t know how many times I have read this. Always glorious. Finished again in August of 2015.
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Theology That Bites Back
Theology That Bites Back
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Don’t know how many times I have read this. Always glorious. Finished again in August of 2015.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But
that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with
the time that is given us.”
Im actually reading through for the first time. I have about twenty pages left with very little time to tackle any of it. I think I find Sam’s donkey to be my favorite character, perhaps second to the various ways nature is portrayed as intentional and deeply biased.
Reading it aloud to my children has been one of my keenest pleasures. They want to restart it immediately each time.
The conversation betweeen Frodo and Boromir, in my opinion, is the best part of all of the LotR books. Seems like an amazing representation, though not quite allegory, of the temptation of Christ by Satan. Go the easy route. Accept a sure but different victory now. Avoid the suffering. It seems like wisdome except for the warning in the heart – or something like that. That may be only the movie line but the movie was a fairly good representation of the book at that point, unlike its representation of the Steward’s other son…
(Sorry. Literature teacher here. Good stuff…) “Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing! And I have seen it only for an instant in the house of Elrond! Could I not have a sight of it again?” Frodo looked up. His heart went suddenly cold. He caught the strange gleam in Boromir’s eyes, yet his face was still kind and friendly. “It is best that it should lie hidden,” he answered. “As you wish. I care not.” said Boromir.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship… Read more »
I appreciate it. I loaned (lent?) my copy to my younger brother a few years ago, right before I moved out of state. For some reason I keep thinking he’s about to give it back. I decided this morning what I would like for Christmas.
Lent. Contrary to popular belief, loan is only properly a noun, not a verb.
Right on, sister.
It’s worth mentioning that Rob Inglis’s unabridged audiobook recordings of the LOTR books are truly excellent, and I highly recommend them. In fact, I’ve never actually “read” the books but have went through the audio versions many times.
I know LOTR and Narnia are very popular among Christians (for good reasons in most cases), but I’ve always struggled with how they can be reconciled with Deuteronomy 18:9-14 and by extension verses such as Isaiah 5:20.
I know what you mean! And not only that, look at Moses. That dude was way out of line. He had a magical staff;even turned it into a snake that ate other snake. Word has it he did other magical things with it. Oops! Wrong book. That wasn’t the LOTR. Moses was in the bible and appointed by God to lead His people Israel. How’s that reconcile with Deuteronomy 18:9-14 Colton, I think we are in trouble :-)
I’m confused. Are you trying to say that Moses’ miracles are on the same plane as the magic in LOTR?
Compared to other recent fantasy works, there’s essentially no “magic” in the LoTR books. In the Harry Potter books for example, magic is technique you study, a specific set of practices to make things happen. The “magical” stuff we see in Tolkien is mostly abilities that are a result of who the characters _are_, not some trick they learned.
Honestly that sounds analogous to the “some people are just born gay” argument. You’re essentially saying that if someone is born with magical abilities than it’s not wrong. Among the prohibited activities listed in Deuteronomy 18 are witchcraft and sorcery and casting spells. These occur all throughout both the Lord of the rings and Narnia. Scripture says not to practice these things nor to imitate those who do. It was because of these things that God drove out the Caananites. So how can we lawfully be entertained by books that openly showcase these things and not only that but frequently… Read more »
Can you cite a specific instance that you find objectionable?
Colton, many biblical scholars/teachers have argued that there is a difference between the “magic” prohibited in the bible and the “magic” in stories like LOTR and Narnia. The magic in the bible is *invocational*, that is, ancient magic was about invoking demons/powers/the dead to do something for you. By contrast, the magic of the Christian literary tradition, especially its English branch, is *incantational* and is meant to represent spiritual truths, not encourage occult practice. Here is how John Granger describes the distinction in his book on Harry Potter: “Invocational magic is calling upon the fallen residents of the psychic realm… Read more »
Scholars may make such an argument, but does the Bible? You can call the English Lit Magic a different name but the power to perform it has to come from somewhere. Of course authors may not identify where because it’s fiction but does that do away with the problem? I have just never been able to understand the need for biblical/spiritual allegory. The concept the writer you quoted explains sounds quite repulsive to me… Literary magic is an allegory of our prayer life? Why? How is that legitimate? Isnt what the Bible says about prayer good enough that we don’t… Read more »
Colton, your first question confuses me. Obviously biblical scholars make their arguments from and about the Bible, so yes they think the Bible agrees with them. Does the Bible agree with them? I’ll leave that to you to actually read them and decide for yourself. I’ll just say that I’ve not read any serious biblical scholar make a convincing argument that Deuteronomy 18 is talking about anything like what the good guys are doing in LOTR and Narnia (because that kind of “magic” was invented by Christian writers centuries after Deuteronomy 18 was written). Second, you say that “the power… Read more »