The Ring and the Cross: Christianity and the Lord of the Rings

by Nils Ivar Agoy (Contribution by), Bradley J. Birzer (Contribution by), Jason Boffetti (Contribution by), Marjorie Burns (Contribution by), Carson L. Holloway (Contribution by), John R. Holmes (Contribution by), Ronald Hutton (Contribution by), Catherine Madsen (Contribution by), Chris Mooney (Contribution by), Stephen Morillo (Contribution by), Joseph Pearce (Contribution by), Michael Tomko (Contribution by), Ralph C. Wood (Contribution by)

Overview

The conversation, sometimes heated, about the influence of Christianity on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien has a long history. What has been lacking is a forum for a civilized discussion about the topic, as well as a chronological overview of the major arguments and themes that have engaged scholars about the impact of Christianity on Tolkien's oeuvre, with particular reference to The Lord of the Rings. The Ring and the Cross addresses these two needs through an articulate and authoritative analyses of Tolkien's Roman Catholicism and the role it plays in understanding his writings. The volume's contributors deftly explain the kinds of interpretations put forward and evidence marshaled when arguing for or against religious influence. The Ring and the Cross invites readers to draw their own conclusions about a subject that has fascinated Tolkien enthusiasts since the publication of his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611470642
Publisher:	Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
Publication date:	12/10/2010
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Paul E. Kerry is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, research associate at Corpus Christi College and visiting fellow at the Woolf Institute, Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction: A Historiography of Christian Approaches to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Paul E. Kerry 17

Part I The Ring

The Pagan Tolkien Ronald Hutton 57

The Christian Tolkien: A Response to Ronald Hutton Nils Ivar Agøy 71

Can We Still Have a Pagan Tolkien?: A Reply to Nils Ivar Agøy Ronald Hutton 90

The Entwives: Investigating the Spiritual Core of The Lord of the Rings Stephen Morillo 106

"Like Heathen Kings": Religion as Palimpsest in Tolkien's Fiction John R. Holmes 119

Confronting the World's Weirdness: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Children of Húrin Ralph C. Wood 145

Eru Erased: The Minimalist Cosmology of The Lord of the Rings Catherine Madsen 152

The Ring and the Cross: How J.R.R. Tolkien Became a Christian Writer Chris Mooney 170

Part II The Cross

Redeeming Sub-Creation Carson L. Holloway 177

Catholic Scholar, Catholic Sub-Creator Jason Boffetti 193

"An Age Comes On": J.R.R. Tolkien and the English Catholic Sense of History Michael Tomko 205

The Lord of the Rings and the Catholic Understanding of Community Joseph Pearce 224

Tracking Catholic Influence in The Lord of the Rings Paul E. Kerry 234

Saintiy and Distant Mothers Marjorie Burns 246

The "Last Battle" as a Johannine Ragnarök: Tolkien and the Universal Bradley J. Birzer 259

Bibliography 283

Contributors 302

Index 305

Editorial Reviews

As a contribution to a—if not the—polemical area of Tolkien studies, The Ring and the Cross is commendable not only for looking at both sides, but also for reflecting those many shades in between where most opinions fall. The collection’s civility and single-volume format more than likely belie the true friction and disparity of opinions on its topic, but the willingness to publish together is at least a willingness to engage one another, and that can never be a bad thing.

Mythlore

To a reader who is more a Tolkien fan than a Tolkien scholar, Kerry appears to have been successful in both his aims. . . .This book will be enjoyed by most of those who don't mind prospecting for literary nuggets in broad fields of scholarship.

Touchstone: A Journal Of Mere Christianity

To a reader who is more a Tolkien fan than a Tolkien scholar, Kerry appears to have been successful in both his aims.... This book will be enjoyed by most of those who don't mind prospecting for literary nuggets in broad fields of scholarship.

Touchstone: A Journal Of Mere Christianity

Not only does the collection capture the theological traditions and complexity of Tolkien’s written world, The Ring and the Cross further promotes the cross-pollination of religious studies and literary criticism, aptly showing both disciplines more than merely interrelated. Indeed, what The Ring and the Cross demonstrates is that the theological underpinnings of a literary work are indispensable to thoroughly responsible criticism. In the case of Tolkien’s chef-d’oeuvre, if Kerry’s diagnosis of contemporary Tolkien scholarship is correct— that ‘all signs seem to indicate that Tolkien’s writing will continue to provoke, inspire, and provide rich food for thought about its relation to religions and spirituality generally, and Christianity in particular.’—then The Ring and the Cross should continue to carry the Ring into even deeper recesses of religion-literary criticism.

Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts

Not only does the collection capture the theological traditions and complexity of Tolkien’s written world, The Ring and the Cross further promotes the cross-pollination of religious studies and literary criticism, aptly showing both disciplines more than merely interrelated. Indeed, what The Ring and the Cross demonstrates is that the theological underpinnings of a literary work are indispensable to thoroughly responsible criticism. In the case of Tolkien’s chef-d’oeuvre, if Kerry’s diagnosis of contemporary Tolkien scholarship is correct— that ‘all signs seem to indicate that Tolkien’s writing will continue to provoke, inspire, and provide rich food for thought about its relation to religions and spirituality generally, and Christianity in particular.’—then The Ring and the Cross should continue to carry the Ring into even deeper recesses of religion-literary criticism.

The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts

Professor Paul E. Kerry’s ambitious project – to bring together leading academic voices in the burgeoning area of Tolkien Studies to debate and explore the influence of Christianity on Tolkien’s works is a success. Fourteen scholars of literature, theology, history, political science, and philosophy have contributed to Kerry’s volume, lending it an interdisciplinary (and inter-confessional) range and depth that is unique for a work dealing with these particular questions. It should be read by any fans or students of Tolkien – Christian or otherwise, from university professors to mature high schoolers seeking a rigorous gateway into a deeper grasp and appreciation of one of the greatest storytellers in the English language. . . .This collection of essays feature many other relevant debates and discussions that are well worth the time of a casual fan of Tolkien who seeks to learn more, or of a seasoned student or scholar deepening their knowledge and study of a profound corpus of writing.

Journal of Inklings Studies

While the relationship between Tolkien's personal religious convictions and his fictional works has been explored in the past, this collection now brings together many of the common arguments and approaches, situating them in context with one another and offering the reader a. . .cohesive view of the conversation. . . .Christian readers and scholars interested in Tolkien's Middle-earth fictions, or of the relationship between myth-making and person religious faith in general, will find this anthology accessible, useful, and thought-provoking.

Christianity and Literature