Seeking the Lord of Middle Earth

J. R. R. Tolkien, the beloved author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, brings to his work a great treasure--his Christian faith. Tolkien's literary works are so popular in part because, in some sense, they pertain to the real world. This present volume is an attempt to understand better the deep Christian influences on his work but also to explore the relevance of Tolkien's work for theology today. After examining Tolkien's fiction in order better to appreciate Christian influences, this volume takes a closer look at Tolkien's theology of fantasy, his response to the more skeptical origins of religion research, and applies his work to contemporary questions about method in biblical studies. Tolkien's Christianity informed all he wrote. Moreover, his own theology of fantasy holds great promise for contemporary theology. ""The more one reads The Lord of the Rings the more one realizes that, like the mines of Moria, it is rich with hidden treasure. Jeffrey Morrow mines the often concealed depths to reveal the layers of theology embedded gemlike within the pages of Tolkien's work. With a true theologian's insight he brings to light the brilliance of Tolkien's fundamentally religious work."" --Joseph Pearce, author of Tolkien: Man & Myth and Frodo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings Jeffrey L. Morrow (PhD, University of Dayton) is Associate Professor of Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University and is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.