The works of J.RR. Tolkien have not only redefined a genre of literature and had a far-reaching impact on culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, but his name has joined the ranks of authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, Dostoevsky, Donne, and Dickens-authors who make us think differently about the world, including the creator of the world and the meaning of life. In Theology and Tolkien: Practical Theology, an international group of scholars consider what Tolkien's works (and Jackson's interpretations) can teach us about living out our theology in the world. From essays on Tolkien's insights into community, what we can learn about our spiritual senses from encounters with the Nazgul, the pastoral wisdom of Treebeard, and the theological value of food-including second breakfasts-we invite you to journey with us through Middle-earth as we engage the applicability of Tolkien's works for theology and our world.
Douglas Estes (PhD, University of Nottingham) currently teaches at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.
Part One: The Shire 1Koinonia in The Lord of the Rings Philip Ryken 2Searching for Home in Middle-earth J. Collin Huber 3Love at the Burning Edge of Doom: Friendship and Biblical Theology in The Lord of the Rings Chris Bruno and Mark Brians 4"Her Heart Changed, or at Least She Understood It" Christine Falk Dalessio Part Two: Osgiliath 5Gandalf Grey, Apostle to Men and Elves Douglas Estes 6Reading Barth on Jackson's Set: Threefold Salvation in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Jerome Van Kuiken 7Art and Sub-Creation: Tolkien's Theology of Art Miguel Benitez, Jr. 8The Culture Wars and The Lord of the Rings: Models of Christian Engagement Alex Sosler 9Theodicies in The Lord of the Rings Rodrigo Follis, Fabio Augusto Darius, and Ismael Silva Part Three: The Greenway 10A Nutritious Reading: A Theological View of Food in Tolkien's Writing Federico Maria Rossi 11Nazgul and the Perversion of Spiritual Senses Trevor B. Williams 12"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost": Greed and Power in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works Anthony Glaise 13The Doom of Elves and Men: A Thought Experiment on Death and Immortality Keith A. Mathison 14Thinking Like an Ent: Treebeard and the Pastoral Wisdom of Eugene Peterson Trygve D. Johnson
Estes has done a great service for scholars and fans of Middle-earth alike who want to dig deeper into such key Tolkien themes as friendship and fellowship, death and immortality, salvation and sub-creation, theodicy and the corruption of the senses, the art of power and the power of art, and even home and food. All the writers balance a critical eye with a robust love of the legendarium and a desire to be changed, theoretically and practically, by their interaction with Tolkien. I was particularly glad to see several of the contributors analyze Jackson's films alongside Tolkien's epic in a positive and fruitful way. -- Louis Markos, Houston Christian University; author of Tolkien for Beginners and On the Shoulders of Hobbits
