Nazgul and the Perversion of Spiritual Senses (original) (raw)
Free related PDFsRelated papers
The gift of Iluvatar: Tolkien's theological vision
2004
This article explores some of the principal theological themes underlying Tolkien’s fiction through reference to Tolkien’s own comments and observations expressed in his letters, lectures and other creative works. It is my contention in this article that Tolkien’s work is explicitly theological and makes an important contribution to contemporary Christian theological discussion, especially with regards to the vocation of Christians and their role in the salvation of the world.
Free PDF
The Gift of Ilùvater: Tolkien’s Theological Vision
Australian Ejournal of Theology, 2004
This article explores some of the principal theological themes underlying Tolkien’s fiction through reference to Tolkien’s own comments and observations expressed in his letters, lectures and other creative works. It is my contention in this article that Tolkien’s work is explicitly theological and makes an important contribution to contemporary Christian theological discussion, especially with regards to the vocation of Christians and their role in the salvation of the world
Free PDF
Free PDF
A Further Step into the Theological Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien
2024
Guglielmo Spirito When he saw them he knew that he had always known them and realized what part each one of them had played at many an hour in his life when he had supposed himself alone, so that now he could say to them, one by one, not "Who are you?" but "So it was you all the time" … C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape letters
Free PDF
A Wind from the West: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien's Middle-Earth
Explorations of Tolkien's latent theology abound, but very little focused scholarship proposes to discuss how Tolkien's legendari-um portrays an understanding of the Holy Spirit, especially in light of Tolkien's Roman Catholicism. This essay explores three major features of Tolkien's work that provide insight into this ghostly person of the Trinity. The Silmarillion provides detailed insight as to the exact identity of the " Flame Imperishable, " while its characters demonstrate the indwelling of this Flame. St. Paul explains the gifts of the Holy Spirit in his first letter to the Corinthians and Tolkien seems to mimic many of these gifts in the characters of the nine members of the Fellowship. Lastly, the Great Eagles represent the workings of the Holy Spirit, both as servants of Manwë and as agents of eucatastrophe.
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
Free PDF
2014 The Spiritual Tolkien Milieu: A Study of Fiction‐based Religion (full text)
This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the organisation and development of the spiritual Tolkien milieu, a largely online-situated network of individuals and groups that draw on J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary mythology for spiritual inspiration. It is the first academic treatment of Tolkien spirituality and one of the first mono¬graphs on fiction-based religion, a type of religion that uses fiction as authori¬ta¬tive texts. Adopting a semiotic approach to religion, the book raises questions about the persuasive power of narrative, about religious blending, and about rationalisation of beliefs. How can some readers come to believe that supernatural agents from fictional narratives are real? How do fiction-based religions emerge when their authoritative texts lack important religious building-blocks, such as descriptions of rituals? And how do adherents of fiction-based religions legitimise their beliefs, given the fact that their religion is based on fiction? In short, with Tolkien religion as a case the dissertation aims to uncover the semio¬tic structures and processes involved in the construction and maintenance of fiction-based religion, and the social structures that sup¬port the plausibility of such religion.
Free PDF
