Monday, August 25, 2008

The Catholic Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien

"Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny. " - Pope John Paul II I had a wonderful conversation last week with Generation Life speaker Matt Chominiski on the Catholic vision of J.R.R. Tolkien. We blazed a trail with the characters of the Fellowship through some of the inspiring themes that made this novel a worldwide phenomenon, and a truly Catholic classic: Providence, friendship, love, loyalty, sacrifice, creation, stewardship, a touch of Chesterton's Distributism, virtue and vice, and the unfailing power of hope. For the podcast, visit iTunes and search the store for "The Heart of Things or Bill Donaghy" or just click here and listen right from the podcast website (the show is an hour long and may take some time to download). WEB ARTICLES AND ESSAYS: http://tolkienandchristianity.blogspot.com/ BOOKS on TOLKIEN: J. R. R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth, by Bradley J. Birzer. J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion, by Richard L. Purtill. Tolkien: Man and Myth, by Joseph Pierce. Ignatius Press, December 2001. Tolkien: A Celebration - Collected Writings on a Literary Legacy, edited by Joseph Pierce. Ignatius Press, November 2001.

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