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
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Potential Saviours
2.1 Frodo
2.2 Gandalf
3. Comparison of the characters
4. Conclusion – is there one single saviour character?
5. Sources/ literature
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the presence of religious symbolism in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," specifically investigating whether a singular "saviour" figure exists within the narrative that parallels the role of Jesus Christ in Christian theology.
- The intersection of Catholic faith and fantasy literature in Tolkien's writing.
- Analytical comparison of Frodo Baggins and Gandalf as archetypal saviour figures.
- Biblical parallels regarding sacrifice, burden-bearing, and resurrection.
- The author’s intentional use of meta-level religious symbolism rather than direct allegory.
Excerpt from the Book
2. Potential Saviours
In the bible, Jesus is characterised in many different ways and has many important features: He is called, and calls himself, the ‘Son of God’. This means that he has a special and very intimate relationship to God. He is also called ‘David’s Son’ and ‘Messiah’. The Messiah is a chosen king the Jewish people has long been waiting for. He is supposed to come as a messenger directly from God, and he will start God’s kingdom on earth. But this king has to be a descendant of the old king David in order to fulfil the old prophecies:
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.
In Jesus’ life, the most important events are his Christening, his travels through Galilee where he told people about the coming kingdom of God and gave signs of it, e.g. by healing people, and then of course his death as a representative for all men’s sins and his resurrection.
When comparing Jesus to some characters in The Lord of the Rings, many of these features can be found, and it is not only one character that seems worth investigating. Of course, Frodo is an obvious choice, because he is – if you can speak of this at all – the main character in the book. Then there is Gandalf, and also Aragorn, the lawful King of men.
As the scale of this paper is limited, I will concentrate on Frodo and Gandalf, because these characters show the most interesting parallels to the biblical saviour and, being a Hobbit and a Wizard, are quite different.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author introduces Tolkien’s own perspective on the religious nature of his work and defines the scope of the paper, which is to identify potential saviour-figures within the narrative.
2. Potential Saviours: This chapter establishes the biblical characteristics of a saviour and begins the analysis of Frodo and Gandalf as primary candidates for comparison.
3. Comparison of the characters: The author compares how Frodo and Gandalf mirror different aspects of the Christian messianic archetype through their respective roles, powers, and sacrifices.
4. Conclusion – is there one single saviour character?: The paper concludes that Tolkien likely distributed Christ-like elements across multiple characters to encourage readers to reflect on the meaning of salvation rather than creating a direct one-to-one allegory.
5. Sources/ literature: A listing of the primary and secondary literature consulted for the research.
Keywords
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Christian symbolism, Saviour archetype, Jesus Christ, Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Catholic theology, Literary analysis, Sacrifice, Resurrection, Fantasy literature, Biblical parallels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core premise of this paper?
The paper explores the intersection of religious themes and fantasy literature by questioning if J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Lord of the Rings" contains a central "saviour" figure similar to Jesus Christ.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study focuses on the comparison between Christian messianic features and the traits of characters like Frodo and Gandalf, alongside Tolkien's own statements regarding the religious nature of his writing.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The goal is to determine if a single character acts as a saviour and to identify the specific narrative features that facilitate this theological comparison.
Which methodology is applied?
The author uses a comparative literary analysis, examining specific plot points and character arcs in the context of biblical narratives and Catholic theological concepts.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body examines the burden of the Ring, the sacrificial nature of the heroes, the healing powers of Gandalf, and the symbolic importance of death and resurrection in the plot.
What are the characterizing keywords of the work?
Key terms include Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Christ-like qualities, symbolism, salvation, and literary comparison.
How does the paper differentiate the roles of Frodo and Gandalf?
Frodo is analyzed primarily as a burden-bearer and a figure of self-sacrifice, whereas Gandalf is compared to Jesus through his role as a guide, his resurrection, and his otherworldly origins.
What is the final conclusion regarding a "saviour" character?
The author concludes that there is no singular saviour; rather, Tolkien purposefully wove Christ-like elements into various characters to deepen the reader's philosophical engagement with the story.
- Quote paper
- Natascha Haas (Author), 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
