Tolkien himself wrote in one of his letters: ‘The Lord of the Rings is of course a
fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the
revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything
like ‘religion’, to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is
absorbed into the story and the symbolism.’1
Tolkien was a Catholic to whom religion was a very important part of his life. Considering
this background, it seems logical to assume he made religion an important part of his stories,
too. But Tolkien states that he deliberately left out religion of the imaginary world and only
included it on a meta-level. This means that we will not find direct references to religion or
Christianity in The Lord of the Rings, but still Christian ethics and values, maybe as well as
myths and stories, can be found on many levels and as parallels to different story- lines. The
base of all Christian religion and belief is the person Jesus Christ, who saved all men from
death by taking their sins and burdens and eliminating them in his death and resurrection. If
Tolkien can call The Lord of the Rings ‘a fundamentally religious and Catholic work’, one
could argue that this base of Christian religion has to be found somewhere in his story. In this
paper, I would like to discuss if there is anything like a single ‘saviour’-character in The Lord of the Rings, how and by which features one might identify him or her, and which function he
or she was given.
1J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 142
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Potential Saviours
- Frodo
- Gandalf
- Comparison of the characters
- Conclusion is there one single saviour character?
- Sources/ literature
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The paper explores the presence of a savior character in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" in light of Tolkien's Catholic background. The author aims to determine whether a single character fulfills the role of a savior, similar to Jesus Christ in Christian theology.
- Comparison of characters in "The Lord of the Rings" to the figure of Jesus Christ.
- Examination of the parallels between Christian beliefs and Tolkien's work.
- Analysis of the roles and characteristics of Frodo and Gandalf.
- The concept of sacrifice and burden in both religious and fictional contexts.
- The significance of heritage and destiny in Tolkien's narrative.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This section establishes the context for the paper, highlighting Tolkien's Catholic faith and the author's intention to explore religious themes in "The Lord of the Rings."
- Potential Saviours: This chapter begins by outlining the defining characteristics of Jesus Christ, particularly his role as the "Son of God" and the "Messiah." It then introduces Frodo and Gandalf as potential savior figures in Tolkien's work.
- Frodo: This chapter analyzes Frodo's journey and the parallels between his role as the Ring-bearer and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It examines the burden Frodo carries and his ultimate fate, drawing comparisons to Jesus's carrying of the sins of humanity.
- Gandalf: This chapter explores Gandalf's leadership and guidance of the Fellowship, comparing his role to that of Jesus and his disciples. It highlights Gandalf's wisdom, insight, and connection to the Valar as potential parallels to the Christian Messiah.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this paper include "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien, savior, Jesus Christ, Christian theology, Catholic faith, Frodo, Gandalf, sacrifice, burden, heritage, destiny, Fellowship, the Valar, and the Ring of Power. This analysis explores the intersection of religious themes and fantasy literature, focusing on the potential presence of a savior character in Tolkien's epic narrative.
- Citation du texte
- Natascha Haas (Auteur), 2004, "A fundamentally religious and Catholic work" - Who is the saviour in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/22410
