The Battle for Middle-Earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in the Lord of the Rings
Overview
J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has long been the gold standard for fantasy fiction, and the recent Oscar-winning movie trilogy has brought forth a whole new generation of fans. Many Tolkien enthusiasts, however, are not aware of the profoundly religious dimension of the saga. In The Battle for Middle-Earth Fleming Rutledge employs a distinctive technique to uncover the theological currents that lie just under the surface of Tolkien’s epic tale. Rutledge believes that the best way to understand this powerful “deep narrative” is to examine the story as it unfolds, preserving some of its original dramatic tension. This deep narrative has not previously been sufficiently analyzed or celebrated. Writing as an enthusiastic but careful reader, Rutledge draws on Tolkien’s extensive correspondence to show how biblical and liturgical motifs shape the action. At the heart of the plot lies a rare glimpse of what human freedom really means within the divine plan of God. The Battle for Middle-Earth surely will, as Rutledge hopes, “give pleasure to those who may already have detected the presence of the sub-narrative, and insight to those who may have missed it on first reading.”
- Title: The Battle for Middle-Earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in the Lord of the Rings
- Author: Fleming Rutledge
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2004
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 › Lord of the rings; Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 › Religion; Christianity and literature › England--History--20th century; Christian fiction, English › History and criticism; Fantasy fiction, English › History and criticism; Middle Earth (Imaginary place); Theology in literature; God in literature
- ISBNs: 9780802824974, 9781417723348, 0802824978, 1417723343
- Resource ID: LLS:BTTLMDDLRTH
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:23:14Z
Reviews
0 ratings
Robert J Farthing
10/11/2022
Tolkien himself eschews the idea that there is anything allegorical in his writings. He says he just wanted to tell a mythical story from his own land (England). For any author to claim there is hidden Biblical meaning in the pages of Middle Earth is absurd. Enjoy the story as a wonderful tale of friendship and heroism, but don't read more into it than Tolkien intended.
