J.R.R. Tolkien Was a Man Fully Alive
5 Ways the Author of 'The Lord of the Rings' Points to Christ
After my weekend trip to “A Long Expected Party,” an academic conference dedicated to the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien at Franciscan University, I came away feeling quite encouraged and challenged. So many of the talks pointed to how the author of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ was a man fully alive and captivated by Christ. One of my favorite quotes from the church fathers kept coming to mind: “The glory of God is man fully alive” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons). As you will see in my video below which includes photos, footage, and summaries of many of the talks, Tolkien was a man who not only wrote tales about re-enchanting a very dark world, but he also tried to live that out among his family and friends.
What exactly does it mean for a Christian to be a channel of Christ’s enchantment in the world? Perhaps we could say it like this: through our humble prayers and sacrificial love toward others, Christ comes to our cold societies (our homes, workplaces, parishes, and cities) and warms them up with His fiery Presence making them hospitable once again. One small example of this from Tolkien’s life was to write each of his children long and elaborate letters filled with his own artwork during Christmas time. He wanted them to feel particularly close to Christ and the ‘fireplace’ of His Presence during this season.
We see this all throughout The Lord of the Rings, when light and healing triumph over darkness and destruction. Through Providence, the Dark Lord is defeated, and the Shadow finally fades away. Golden trees emerge around a festival meal honoring the sacrificial actions of Frodo Baggins, the smallest of all creatures. A humble ranger from the north, who also happens to be a healer, is crowned High King, and all things are made new. The world returns to its ‘Shire-like’ state by being re-enchanted with mercy and grace. This is our story, and Tolkien was a master at pointing us to it.
Kyle A. King
*For those of you who are my paid subscribers, you will find exclusive footage of chanted music from the event and based off of Lord of the Rings below.