Conclusion
It is evident that religion, and more so Christianity, was present throughout “The Lord of the Rings.” It is not only a story written about friendship and adventure, but it also focuses on hardships and carrying burdens and the way one can overcome this.
Tolkien established Christ-like figures through the use of leadership and resurrection – like that of Gandalf and Frodo, and there being One True King, Aragorn. Other characters fill the roles of disciples – Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Tolkien uses the One Ring to symbolize temptation, and throughout their journey to destroy the ring we see the effects of temptation on the different characters – like Sméagol/Gollum and how temptation consumed him once his “precious” was gone. There are also many battles that took place where it was always the good versus the evil.
Tolkien’s faith was clearly prominent throughout “The Lord of the Rings” and always seemed to end with a lesson – good defeats evil every time.
Bibliography
Burns, Marjorie. Perilous realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. 2005. Print.
Burns looks at how Tolkien took two different cultures and put them into one setting.
Davidsen, Markus Altena. “Culture and Religion: Fiction- based Religion: Conceptualising a New Category Against History-based Religion and Fandom.” Culture and Religion vol. 14.4 (2013). Web.
Davidsen reviews what the difference is between religion and fandom in “The Lord of the Rings.”
Evans, Jonathon. “The Ring and the Cross: Christianity and The Lord of the Rings, and: Light Beyond All Shadow: Religious Experience in Tolkien’s Work (review).” Tolkien Studies vol. 9 (2012): 97-105. Project MUSE. Web.
Evans review of “The Ring and the Cross” – he talks about how Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” has both Christian and Pagan themes.
Fleming, Rutledge. The Battle for Middle-Earth: Tolkien’s Diving Design in The Lord of the Rings. Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub, Grand Rapids. 2004. Print.
Fleming focuses on investigating the religious themes that Tolkien fans may not be aware of, and is interested in revealing those themes.
Garbowski, Christopher. “The Comedy of Enchantment in The Lord of the Rings.” Christianity and Literature (2011). Web.
Garbowski views Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” as a “fairy-story” that is related to Catholicism, and its comedic nature.
Kreeft, Peter J. The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings. Ignatius Pr. (2005). http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/pkreeft_christlotr_nov05.asp
Excerpt from Kreeft’s book on how the world view’s “The Lord of the Rings.”
Lobdell, Jared. The World of the Rings: Language, Religion, and Adventure in Tolkien. Open Court, Chicago. 2004. Print.
Lobdell discusses how Tolkien sees the world by looking at the use of language, religious themes, and the classic story of adventure.
Murdoch, Brian. “The Battle for Middle Earth: Tolkien’s Diving Design in The Lord of the Rings.” Literature and Theology vol. 19.2 (2005): 192-195. ATLA Religion Database. Web.
Murdoch’s review of the religious themes in “The Lord of the Rings” and the evidence that proves there is religious themes throughout the series.
Palmer, Craig. The One Wiki to Rule Them All. Wikia Inc., 2006, http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.
A fan based website where fans can submit articles and share their knowledge of “The Lord of the Rings.”
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Rozema, David. The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien, Jackson, and “The Core of the Original.” Christian Scholar’s Review vol. 37.4 (2008): 427-445. Christian Scholar’s Review. Web.
Rozema discusses how without faith, morality cannot withstand evil forces, but with faith we can overcome evil.
SDG. Faith and Fantasy: Tolkien the Catholic, The Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson’s Film Trilogy. Decent Films. http://www.decentfilms.com/articles/faithandfantasy
Discusses the important spiritual points throughout “The Lord of the Rings.”
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. George Allen & Unwin, 1954-1955. Print.
J.R.R Tolkien’s adventure trilogy “The Lord of the Rings.”
Williams, Stan. 20 Ways The Lord of the Rings is both Christian and Catholic. Catholic Exchange (2003), Catholic Education Resource Center, http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/art/20-ways-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-both-christian-and-catholic.html
Discusses how there are both Christian and Catholic themes throughout “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.”
Wood, Ralph C. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings: A Christian Classic Revisited. http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/wood-classic.html
A discussion on how “The Lord of the Rings” can be related to the classic Christian story.
“Peter Kreeft: Christian Themes in ‘Lord of the Rings’ – Biola University Chapel.” YouTube, uploaded by BiolaUniversity, 7 January 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIKKZjpAA0M
Dr. Kreeft talks about the unseen Christian themes in “The Lord of the Rings.”
The Lord of the Rings. Directed by Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, 2001-2003. Film.
Peter Jackson’s cinematic interpretation of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Ring,” as a trilogy.
Themes of The Lord of the Rings. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_of_The_Lord_of_the_Rings
Compilation of various themes, including religious themes, posted by anonymous sources.
The Lord of the Rings and Christian Symbolism. Letter Pile (2010). https://letterpile.com/books/The-Lord-of-the-Rings-and-Christian-Symbolism
Discusses each character and relates them to a biblical figure.