LOTR

Our Lord of the Rings reading was a really exciting addition to add to our study of theology this semester, and in my further research I found a lot of connections both between the text and the Biblical concepts and plots we are studying and between J . R. R. Tolkien and Catholicism. First of all, in the Lord of The Rings, I found some parallels between the council ideas in the book and in councils in the church like how we recently discussed the Council of Nicaea. The common concept of coming together with shared goals important to the story at hand was a nice touch and shout out to the shared structure of the Church and the novel. I also found the destruction of the ring to be very similar to the crucifixion of Jesus because in the crucifixion, Jesus destroyed all sin. If we read into the ring as a symbol of sin, then this parallel becomes very clear. The burden of this sacrifice in both cases is a very key point as well. I also learned about Tolkien’s early conversion to Catholicism and the strong relationships in his life that shaped him in a faith perspective. I really enjoy that that can be a part of the discourse on hos work.