
The Thomistic Institute The Catholic Vision Of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings | Professor Paul Gondreau
Jul 7, 2023
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Tolkien's Own Claim About His Work
- Gondreau notes Tolkien taught a colloquium on Tolkien and focused on its Catholic dimension.
- He cites Tolkien's own letters claiming the work is 'fundamentally religious and Catholic.'
Christian Story As Supreme Myth
- Tolkien saw Christian myth as the 'supreme fairy-story' because it actually happened and hallowed other legends.
- Gondreau uses this to explain why Tolkien's myths echo biblical patterns.
Read For Echoes, Not Strict Allegory
- Read Tolkien's work as allowing applicability rather than forcing allegory; seek echoes not fixed meanings.
- Gondreau advises caution and nuance when mapping Catholic elements onto the text.
