Tolkien’s Christian Imagination: Fantasy and Practice

Catalog description

Considers the scope of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creative contributions and the integration of his life of faith with art and storytelling. A major literary figure of the twentieth century, Tolkien is also prime for contemporary inquiry, especially considering theological influences on his epic fantasy, short stories, and poetry, and also as it shaped his imagination. The common thread of these readings focuses on the author’s biography, thought and influences, including those of Oratorian and Jesuit mentors. It explores ethical themes such as friendship, good and evil, vulnerability, solidarity, beauty; and the relationship between personal faith and narrative sub-creation. These allow students access to the man himself, interaction with the connections between fantastic narratives, human society and the natural world, and engagement in theological questions about the nature of imagination.