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Hey there, fellow travellers!
Merry Christmas! I was recently a guest on the Lore of the Rings podcast – that’s L-O-R-E – where I joined host Aaron to discuss the ways in which Lord of the Rings is a “fundamentally religous work”.
We uncovered:
– The grace Faramir says before sharing a meal with Frodo and Sam.
– The liturgical significance of March 25 — the day the One Ring was destroyed.
– The mysterious Three Prayers of Númenor, preserved in Unfinished Tales.
– Why Tolkien preferred absorbed symbolism over overt allegory.
I wanted to share a portion of this interview on The Tolkien Road’s podcast feed, but you really need to go check out the whole thing over on Aaron’s feed.
Listen to the whole episode: https://www.ringspodcast.com/190-why-and-how-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-a-religious-and-catholic-work/
Enjoy!
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Thank you so much for sticking with us over the years!!! 🙌
Lord of the Rings & Christmas – An Unexpected Connection
A few years ago, my family watched the entire Lord of the Rings film trilogy over Christmas break (extended editions, OF COURSE).
It was great, and to my delight, it left a deep impression on my kids.
It just felt like perfect Christmas viewing.
Which is odd, because The Lord of the Rings has nothing to do with Christmas…
OR DOES IT?
While The Lord of the Rings is certainly NOT a Christmas story in any straightforward sense (Legolas ain’t one of Santa’s Elves), a deep dive into the writings of Tolkien yields a profound and surprising connection between Lord of the Rings and Christmas.
0333 » Lord of the Rings & Easter Joy » Everything Sad Will Come Untrue » Samwise and The Field of Cormallen
In this episode, we read Samwise’s astonished awakening in The Field of Cormallen after the destruction of the One Ring, and discuss how it relates to the overwhelming joy of Easter.
0322 » The Mythic Mind with Andrew Snyder
In episode 322, I’m joined by Andrew Snyder of The Mythic Mind podcast. We talk Middle-earth, Tolkien, Christianity, Kierkegaard, The Shadow, and the consolation that Tolkien provided in Andrew’s life during a very dark period. Join us!
0300 » How Tolkien Saved My Life
Join us for an in-depth discussion of “Of Beleriand and Its Realms”, the 14th chapter of The Silmarillion. Get the most out of your Silmarillion reading from this exploration of the map of Middle-earth’s First Age.
0269 » Tolkien’s Lost Christmas Poem, “Noel”
In this episode, we take a close look at “The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor” from Unfinished Tales! It’s a brief and fascinating account of the 3000 year history of Númenor, and contains a lot that needs to be unpacked!
0260 » The Fool’s Hope » Gandalf and Pippin in Minas Tirith
In episode 259, we sit down once again with Carl Hostetter, editor of the latest volume of JRR Tolkien’s writings, The Nature of Middle-earth. We focus our attention on Appendix I: Metaphysical and Theological Themes. Join us!
