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God and LotR

January 12, 2004
Submitted By linwecelebrindal

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The whole story of Middle Earth, the Ring of Power, the War that is going on in Middle Earth, it can all be compared to a Christian's daily life. See, the war in Middle Earth is like the spiritual war that is going on in the world. The ring, in such case, is the sinful nature you are born with. You don't have to be taught how to do wrong, you have to be taught how to do right. When you are taught that, you know how to refuse human nature to do wrong. Similarly, you have to know what power the ring posesses in order to refuse it.
The quest of the ringbearer, Frodo, is much like the quest of a Christian. The quest determines the fate of the whole world. You must know where you are going, why you are going there. Stray but a little and you will fail.

In the Christian life, there are times that we wish that it wasn't so hard being a Christian, that we could just sit back and none of the work would come to us. Well, I seem to recall a certain hobbit saying to Gandalf, " I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."
I most agree with Gandalf's reply, and it summarizes everything I am trying to say.

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."

So with that in mind, live your life to the fullest, and know what to do with the time that you are given!

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... 27 Comments

  1. Wonderful sentiments, and this is well written.

    Comment by Elflet - January 12, 2004 @ 11:31 AM

  2. I have no other words to describe my feelings

    Comment by vanya-vasa - January 13, 2004 @ 4:46 AM

  3. You have impressed me much! I am happy that somebody is coming out and finally saying that, yes, LOTR is very christian based, e'en though Tolkien didn't mean it! Well, as I said earlier, EXCELLENT!

    Comment by alianastigracelane - January 17, 2004 @ 6:43 AM

  4. I love it when somebody thinks like I do! I think that Even though Tolkien said he didn't like allegorys, He being a follower of christ, he couldn't help but put a little of his faith into his writing.

    Good for you, linwecelebrindal!



    Comment by isilmė_rilya - January 22, 2004 @ 3:31 PM

  5. I Agree with Isime_rilya, Tolkien was a christian, and a true christian can`t help it that being a christian will come out in every part of his/her life!
    Praise the Lord and read LOTR! (and your Bible of course)

    Comment by Dwarffriend - February 12, 2004 @ 2:30 AM

  6. I've heard this expressed before but I must say that it just goes to show that all things are in the eye of the beholder. There is no church (building or spiritual) in Tolkien's world. I think that was intentional on his part.

    Comment by ls1202 - February 21, 2004 @ 3:22 PM

  7. The parallel in Frodo and the other members of the Fellowship trying to destroy the Ring, is a picture of how we [everyday have to "journey to Mordor" so to speak and cast our Ring [the pull of sin to dominate us] into the fire...not just once and for all, but everyday we have to make that journey to Mordor...

    Very good. I've actually contemplated writing up something similair to this, but I figured there are plenty of "these" kinda things written out there, and what I have to say would be enough for a book

    And the picture of Frodo being relunctant to give up the Ring at the end [in RotK] is a picture of how sin decides to creep into our lives and destroy us...

    Eru gala!

    Comment by AngelAranel - April 8, 2004 @ 5:06 PM

  8. THIS IS SO TRUE AND GREAT, AND AWESOME!

    Comment by Evenstar88 - April 14, 2004 @ 4:00 PM

  9. There is so many things in Lord of the Rings that you can compare with the Christian life, so good job.
    I love it!*~

    Comment by ::*Elvish_Maiden*:: - April 25, 2004 @ 4:32 PM

  10. "There are so many things in Lord of the Rings that you can compare with the Christian life, so good job."

    Well there are so many other things you can compare the LoTRs too, so that really doesn't do anything. I had hoped to see examples from the text or a discussion of the nature of the ring. Instead it's a statement about the nature of the ring that anyone who've read a synopsis of the movies could come up with, flavoured with a couple of hallelujas for good measure.
    Not really anything special in my opinion...

    Also LoTR being a tale with some Christian moral and truth, isn't at odds with the Tolkien disliking allegory thing. It's not a rewrite of Christian myth or anything else... It's not like Gandalf = Christ (to Tolkien atleast). It's not an allegory. It's just a tale, that holds some particular values in high regard.

    Comment by FreddieFreeloader - April 29, 2004 @ 11:23 AM

  11. Its amazing how similiar it is to the Christian walk. Thanks for the pointing it out, well written.
    Rohan_Elf
    (PS, wow, I haven't been on here in ages...)

    Comment by Rohan_Elf - May 24, 2004 @ 5:34 AM

  12. You should have talked about Melkor being like Satan and Eru being like God. For Melkor was not equal to Eru and yet he was the strongest Ainur. The Ainur and Maiar are like angels. Melkor and his followers are like fallen angels.
    Sauron is also to the likeness of Hitler. Hitler mocked the cross and killed many Jews. Sauron would persecute anyone that would be free.

    Comment by Khand - May 30, 2004 @ 12:07 PM

  13. I totally agree and it is well written!

    Comment by fellowshipgirl - June 19, 2004 @ 3:08 PM

  14. What you say has been said before but it is always refreshing to hear it again. Try this. Take any book or movie that is really great or has a central hero and see how it lines up with the Christain life. Look at it as if it were an allegory and I think you will be surprised. It's almost like an optical illusion.

    Comment by Seeker - June 28, 2004 @ 7:25 PM

  15. i'm so glad someone wrote this!!! well, it sounds like other ppl have, but i never come to this section of the RR that often so i haven't seen them i agree totally and completely!!
    i love your few lines about 'all we have to do is decide to do with it'. very well-placed!
    proud Jesus Freak,
    celebel

    Comment by Tethcelebel - July 19, 2004 @ 9:53 PM

  16. i'm a Chritian, but i dont' agrea with some stuff: we don't need to know where we are going in life...we should trust God to take us where we need to go, and know that he knows what's best for us. second, is if we stray a little, we wont' fail, because Jesus died for us, so we can stray (or sin) as much as we want (not that we sin on purpose, and think it's a good thing), and our sins will be forgiven. also, living life to it's fullest is a good message, but not a Christian message. living life for God is what we are called to do.

    but, overall...this was good. i'm glad somone spoke up about this matter, and i hope i haven't offended you.

    Comment by JudyLeigh - July 29, 2004 @ 11:30 AM

  17. in my comment ubove, i meant to say at the beginning, "i don't agree with some stuff in your essay. sorry!!

    Comment by JudyLeigh - July 29, 2004 @ 11:33 AM

  18. Good job. You could have added a few more references to the BOOK, but I agree with you. As I'm sure Tolkien would, too.

    For those of the commentors who said that Tolkien didn't mean to put in the Christian parallels becuase he hated allegory, you are only half right. He did hate allegory. But you are confusing allegory and symbolism. Allegory is parralleling EVENTS in a story line, and expressing your opinion there. This is where the whole argument over whether the War of the Ring was supposed to be one of the world wars (it would have been the first if any of them, btw). However, I have no doubt that there were some INTENTIONAL symbols in there. The creation myths, and everything. Tolkien was quite the Christian, and those of you who say he meant nothing religious by his books need to go read C.S. Lewis. And bite my big toe. Is1202, you need to research the histories. You'll find that there are quite a bit of spiritual aspects to Middle Earth. There is no need for a church, per say, because good and evil are clearly defined. Kind of like how in C.S. Lewis' Narnia series there is no church, but CLEAR Christian symbols. *gnaws*

    Comment by MirkwoodPrincess - November 15, 2004 @ 12:56 AM

  19. But lord of the rings has nothing to do with Christianity




    Wlore

    Comment by White-Lady-of-Rohan=Eowyn - January 4, 2005 @ 12:58 AM

  20. Tolkiens books are littered with religion, thugh if it is a purely christian religion is debatable. after all when Aragorn is crowned gandalf makes a reference to the Valar. Surely a Hindu would find many comparisons between their religion and the books, especially to the Baghavad Gita.

    Furthermore, the afterlife in LOTR more closely resembles greek mythology than Christian faith.(Halls of Mandos)

    Oh, and does the temple on Numenor count as a church? Or where Manwe goes every year to offer praise to Eru?

    Comment by landofsevenrivers - May 12, 2006 @ 2:55 AM

  21. I agree with the comment above. The aspects described by lin are more reminiscent of Hindu beliefs than Christian ones.

    Actually, the text is awash with old Norse and Viking ideas, like a lot of fantasy. Much more Beowulf than New Testament. Consider Theoden's dying words about going to the company of his fathers, for example, or just the emphasis on family lineage as the vehicle of immortality.

    Also, the trip into the West (an archetype of death) doesn't suggest a Christian afterlife, though I suppose you could stretch it to fit.

    Comment by DrShell - July 4, 2006 @ 1:44 PM

  22. I agree with the comment above. The aspects described by lin are more reminiscent of Hindu beliefs than Christian ones.

    Actually, the text is awash with old Norse and Viking ideas, like a lot of fantasy. Much more Beowulf than New Testament. Consider Theoden's dying words about going to the company of his fathers, for example, or just the emphasis on family lineage as the vehicle of immortality.

    Also, the trip into the West (an archetype of death) doesn't suggest a Christian afterlife, though I suppose you could stretch it to fit.

    Comment by DrShell - July 4, 2006 @ 1:47 PM

  23. hi! Tell me about symbolism in LOTR: Return of the King...

    Comment by Bob - February 18, 2009 @ 3:18 PM

  24. hi! Tell me about symbolism in LOTR: Return of the King...

    Comment by Bob - February 18, 2009 @ 3:18 PM

  25. hi! Tell me about symbolism in LOTR: Return of the King...

    Comment by Bob - February 18, 2009 @ 3:18 PM

  26. hi! Tell me about symbolism in LOTR: Return of the King...

    Comment by Bob - February 18, 2009 @ 3:18 PM

  27. hi! Tell me about symbolism in LOTR: Return of the King...

    Comment by Bob - February 18, 2009 @ 3:18 PM

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