The Ring and the Cross

Christianity and the Lord of the Rings

Contributions by Nils Ivar Agoy, Bradley J. Birzer Hillsdale College, Jason Boffetti, Marjorie Burns, Carson L. Holloway, John R. Holmes, Ronald Hutton Professor of History, Bristol University, Catherine Madsen, Chris Mooney, Stephen Morillo, Joseph Pearce, Michael Tomko, Ralph C. Wood University Professor of T Edited by Paul E. Kerry

Publication date:

10 December 2010

Length of book:

310 pages

Publisher

Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

Dimensions:

241x162mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781611470642

The conversation, sometimes heated, about the influence of Christianity on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien has a long history. What has been lacking is a forum for a civilized discussion about the topic, as well as a chronological overview of the major arguments and themes that have engaged scholars about the impact of Christianity on Tolkien's oeuvre, with particular reference to The Lord of the Rings. The Ring and the Cross addresses these two needs through an articulate and authoritative analyses of Tolkien's Roman Catholicism and the role it plays in understanding his writings. The volume's contributors deftly explain the kinds of interpretations put forward and evidence marshaled when arguing for or against religious influence. The Ring and the Cross invites readers to draw their own conclusions about a subject that has fascinated Tolkien enthusiasts since the publication of his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Part 2 Part I: The Ring
Chapter 3 The Pagan Tolkien
Chapter 4 The Christian Tolkien: A Response to Ronald Hutton
Chapter 5 The Entwives: Investigating the Spritual Core ofLord of the Rings
Chapter 6 "Like Heathen Kings:" Religion as Palimpsest in Tolkien's Fiction
Chapter 7 Confronting the World's Weirdness: J. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Children of Hurin
Chapter 8 Eru Erased: The Minimalist Cosmology ofThe Lord of the Rings
Chapter 9 The Ring and the Cross: How J. R. R. Tolkien Became a Christian Writer
Part 10 Part II: The Cross
Chapter 11 Redeeming Sub-Creation
Chapter 12 Catholic Scholar, Catholic Sub-Creator
Chapter 13 "An Age Comes On:" J. R. R. Tolkien and the English Catholic Sense of History
Chapter 14 The Lord of the Rings and the Catholic Understanding of Community
Chapter 15 Tracking Catholic Influence inThe Lord of the Rings
Chapter 16 Saintly and Distant Mothers
Chapter 17 The "Last Battle" as a Johannine Ragnarok: Tolkien and the Universal

As a contribution to a—if not the—polemical area of Tolkien studies, The Ring and the Cross is commendable not only for looking at both sides, but also for reflecting those many shades in between where most opinions fall. The collection’s civility and single-volume format more than likely belie the true friction and disparity of opinions on its topic, but the willingness to publish together is at least a willingness to engage one another, and that can never be a bad thing.